10 Design Tips to Consider Before Renovating Your Bathroom

There’s so much that goes into a bathroom remodelling project, that unless you’re a professional who does it every day — or a homeowner who’s been through the process numerous times — then all the nitty-gritty details, processes, options and decisions are going to sound like they’re in a foreign language.

Working with professionals like my team at Westcountry Tile and Bathroom, we work with you to ensure that you understand the project and are happy with all elements before any work is carried out, along with regular updates whilst the project is live.

Below are a few tips and pieces of advice to consider before renovating your bathroom.

1. Know what a bathroom remodel costs. Before you begin any project, it’s important to put your expectations into perspective when it comes to how much money you’re willing to invest. The size of your bathroom, the quality of materials you want to include and the timeline you’d like the labour carried out all can affect the cost of a remodel.

2. Don’t make the toilet the first thing you see when open the door. Ask a bathroom designer what their best tried and true tip is, and this is what you’re likely to hear. The reasoning is simple … often bathroom doors get left open, meaning that you or any guest in your home walking by will see the toilet — which, admittedly, isn’t the most aesthetically pleasing thing to see.

3. Consider leaving those vintage finishes. The point of your bathroom remodel might be a fresh, new look, but some things are easier to replace than others. You may want to consider the look and feel of your entire home, do you live in a property that celebrates vintage features, if so it may be a nice touch to leave a few in the bathroom that can be worked into your new design.

4. Plan a lighting scheme. The best approach to a well-lit space is to incorporate layers of essential, ambient and decorative lighting. Good lighting can often make a space look larger than it is, as well as provide a calmer sense of space, great for when you looking to soak in your bathtub.

5. Plan the right height for your sink. Typical countertops are 32 to 34 inches off the floor. But you need to consider how your sink will add to or take away from the countertop’s height. If you have an above-counter vessel sink, for example, you’ll want to make your counter height lower so you can wash your hands or brush your teeth comfortably.

6. Consider a corner sink. If you’ve got a tight space with potential traffic-flow problems due to how the entry door or shower door swings open, then consider putting your sink in the corner to free up space.

7. Or a tiny tub. If you’ve got a small bathroom, you may think that a bathtub is not an option. But many companies are shrinking their models down to accommodate chic little spaces.

8. Splurge on a few high-end materials. A little designer secret is that because bathrooms are usually smaller spaces, splurging on a few higher-end materials and finishes can be a good investment that can make your space seem incredibly luxurious. So before you issue a mandate that your bathroom will feature only the most basic, affordable materials, look at materials for wall and floor coverings, countertops and more on the higher end of the spectrum. You might find that adding one or more of these materials to a small portion of your bathroom is within your budget.

9. Think about converting your tub to a shower. If you don’t take baths but have a bathtub, that’s basically a 5-foot by 2½-foot area that’s going to waste. Converting it to a shower would be cost effective, because it would make use of the space that’s already there and you wouldn’t have to reroute the plumbing.

10. Consider the space outside of your bathroom. Chances are, your bathroom will have a tile floor, but the hallway or room it’s connected to will have different flooring – carpet, exposed floorboards etc. The transition between these two spaces and materials is something that’s tough to get right and be sure to work with your designer to consider the transition between the two spaces. As in most cases, planning ahead will give you results that meet your expectations