I might be the only one out there, but Bathrooms leave lasting impressions on me! I remember other peoples’ bathrooms, bathrooms from my childhood, and from my friend’s houses, bathrooms in fancy restaurants, and bathrooms that were sooo bad- gave me nightmares! But seriously, how do you know when the time is right to redesign the bathroom? Well, I will enlighten you because there is always the right time!
Image: Melissa Hardwick Design
1) Layout is one of the most important factors in bathroom redesign.
You feel a bad layout when you walk in. A bad layout might be a too large vanity in a tight space causing cramped movement. A bad layout could be the walking in, and immediately seeing the toilet. Definitely not ideal, and strictly from an aesthetics point of view, toilets are better when hidden behind vanities when there is enough space. Layout should include functional storage and organization to keep everything neat and tidy. Try using insets or niches built in to take advantage of extra space.
2) Remove all the old and outdated fixtures in the bathroom to give it a fresh and modern look.
There are many products that can help you give your bathroom a new look. If you’re hanging on to that funky old tank on the toilet, it’s time to go! That sucker is ancient and is using a ton of water! You’ve seen the Intelligent toilets, right?! These do everything! 🙂 Go green, and use less water when flushing! Say Adios to those pastel hues if you’re happen to be hanging on to them for nostalgia! They are literally a relic! Fixtures that will keep your costs down will still be chrome, but they can be updated. If you want a new look altogther, try matte black, or gold finishes! And consider installing hot water on demand feature to only use what you need.
3) Lighting!! Nothing is scarier in the bathroom than poor lighting! Can I get an Amen?
If you can’t see what you’re doing, you can’t see the potential germs and bugs in a bathroom with bad lighting. Nobody likes looking like a horror movie character either when checking themselves out in the mirror! Install the latest in mirrors with LED surround frames, or make sure there is ample task and overhead lighting and additional strip lighting under a vanity (also pretty useful if you plan on ‘Aging in place, or have toddlers…), use wall sconces, and remember if there are no windows, add additional lights.
4) Leaks & Smells
I know this may sound bad, but if you’re ignoring leaks or bad smells in the bathroom, you could potentially have mould. Mould is damaging to your health, and can be life threatening to some. If you have a damp bathroom all the time with no venting, get it checked out and get that venting put in! You also need to make sure that there is no mould in areas behind the scenes! I recently worked on a bathroom where there was so much mould, that it was causing woodrot! This is gross- so check out those leaks and smells then redo the loo!
5) Lastly, you know it’s time to redesign the bathroom when you have old and outdated colours in the bathroom.
I am talking about the fixtures but I am also referring to the vanities and the lighting and even the accessories! The look these days is very clean and simple. To give the illusion of a bigger, brighter and cleaner bathroom, install universal white fixtures- and whatever style you choose for the vanity, keep it simple!
I might be the only one out there, but Bathrooms leave lasting impressions on me! I remember other peoples’ bathrooms, bathrooms from my childhood, and from my friend’s houses, bathrooms in fancy restaurants, and bathrooms that were sooo bad- gave me nightmares! But seriously, how do you know when the time is right to redesign the bathroom? Well, I will enlighten you because there is always the right time!
Image: Melissa Hardwick Design
1) Layout is one of the most important factors in bathroom redesign.
You feel a bad layout when you walk in. A bad layout might be a too large vanity in a tight space causing cramped movement. A bad layout could be the walking in, and immediately seeing the toilet. Definitely not ideal, and strictly from an aesthetics point of view, toilets are better when hidden behind vanities when there is enough space. Layout should include functional storage and organization to keep everything neat and tidy. Try using insets or niches built in to take advantage of extra space.
2) Remove all the old and outdated fixtures in the bathroom to give it a fresh and modern look.
There are many products that can help you give your bathroom a new look. If you’re hanging on to that funky old tank on the toilet, it’s time to go! That sucker is ancient and is using a ton of water! You’ve seen the Intelligent toilets, right?! These do everything! 🙂 Go green, and use less water when flushing! Say Adios to those pastel hues if you’re happen to be hanging on to them for nostalgia! They are literally a relic! Fixtures that will keep your costs down will still be chrome, but they can be updated. If you want a new look altogther, try matte black, or gold finishes! And consider installing hot water on demand feature to only use what you need.
3) Lighting!! Nothing is scarier in the bathroom than poor lighting! Can I get an Amen?
If you can’t see what you’re doing, you can’t see the potential germs and bugs in a bathroom with bad lighting. Nobody likes looking like a horror movie character either when checking themselves out in the mirror! Install the latest in mirrors with LED surround frames, or make sure there is ample task and overhead lighting and additional strip lighting under a vanity (also pretty useful if you plan on ‘Aging in place, or have toddlers…), use wall sconces, and remember if there are no windows, add additional lights.
4) Leaks & Smells
I know this may sound bad, but if you’re ignoring leaks or bad smells in the bathroom, you could potentially have mould. Mould is damaging to your health, and can be life threatening to some. If you have a damp bathroom all the time with no venting, get it checked out and get that venting put in! You also need to make sure that there is no mould in areas behind the scenes! I recently worked on a bathroom where there was so much mould, that it was causing woodrot! This is gross- so check out those leaks and smells then redo the loo!
5) Lastly, you know it’s time to redesign the bathroom when you have old and outdated colours in the bathroom.
I am talking about the fixtures but I am also referring to the vanities and the lighting and even the accessories! The look these days is very clean and simple. To give the illusion of a bigger, brighter and cleaner bathroom, install universal white fixtures- and whatever style you choose for the vanity, keep it simple!
