What to Include in a Bathroom Remodel

The bathroom should be an oasis within your home, where you feel comfortable and even a bit pampered. If your bathroom is barely functional enough to fulfill your basic restroom requirements, you might want to consider a bathroom remodeling project. Remodeling your bathroom can not only provide you with a soothing retreat, but it can add long-term value to your home.

Bathroom Remodel Ideas

Before you get started on your bathroom remodel, consider your budget and make a list of features you want to include. Careful planning is required so you don’t end up with an oversized tub or run out of money before the work is complete. Here are some things to consider addressing in your remodel:

1. Smart Storage

Crowded counters and lack of space for daily essentials such as towels can make your bathroom a place of frustration rather than relaxation. When it comes to bathroom remodeling, addressing storage problems is a must. Built-in storage that utilizes the room’s vertical space, such as tall cabinets with drawers, can hide your mess while freeing up floor space. Consider adding an electric outlet within a cabinet for keeping electronic devices, such as toothbrushes, out of sight while they’re charging.

2. Ventilation

Your bathroom’s ventilation system is another important element to think about. An improved ventilation system can help inhibit harmful mold growth and protect the finishes of your bathroom furniture. An upgraded fan can also be less noisy, and some come with humidity sensors that turn the fans on automatically.

3. Adequate Lighting

Tired of putting on makeup in your bathroom only to find you look like a vampy raccoon in regular daylight? Take advantage of your bathroom remodel to install better lighting that complements the colors of your walls rather than distorting them. Remodeling small bathroom lighting can involve including vanity lights around a mirror.

4. A Good Soak

There are plenty of choices available for stylish showers and tubs. In a more spacious bathroom, a soaking tub is a nice luxury to add. In a more constricted space, you can achieve a similar effect by adding a tub with heightened walls.

When it comes to showers, some bathroom shower remodel ideas include adding extra shower floor space and an additional showerhead, as well as including smaller showerheads along the walls that pulsate water for a water massage. You can also install showerheads on the ceiling for a tropical rainforest vibe. For a bathroom shower remodel in a smaller space, a steam shower can incorporate many of these bells and whistles into one unit.

5. Go Green

One of the biggest trends in bathroom remodeling is incorporating items that are both sustainable and economical. You can make your bathroom more eco-friendly by using cork flooring, which is warmer to the touch than tile, and by installing a timer on floor heaters. Decrease bathroom water consumption with water-saving showerheads and low-flow toilets, and conserve electricity with an on-demand water heater that heats water instantly instead of storing it.

Instead of focusing on the latest trends, consider these timeless bathroom remodeling ideas. When you remodel your bathroom, you raise not only the value of your home, but the quality of the time you spend in that room.

~Flora Richards-Gustafson, 2010