What could be more relaxing than taking a long bath after a rough day? But creating the perfect bathroom can be challenging.
Designing a bathroom could mean starting from scratch, which includes laying out the space and determining locations for plumbing fixtures, or it could mean renovating existing facilities.
Whatever the case, it’s important to plan for comfortable traffic flow and color coordination.
Here are some tips to help you design a modern, stylish and comfortable bathroom.
1. Plan it on Paper
You may have heard the expression, “If you can see it, and believe it, you can achieve it.” When it comes to planning your bathroom, ‘seeing it’ means putting a plan on paper before you put it into action.
This ensures you’ve covered all the bases — and there are no surprises!
First, come the basics: All bathrooms must have plumbing, vent stacks, a toilet, a tub or shower, a sink and faucets (which could be the space’s crown jewels!)
Next, determine the room’s wet walls. Think of wet walls as walls that feature water-producing fixtures.
For one wall layout, the toilet, sink and shower line up along a single wall. In another option, the toilet, sink and shower line up along two walls. As a third option, you could place the toilet, sink and shower along three walls.
2. Select a Sink
Bathrooms generally have two types of sinks: undermount, which is placed beneath the countertop, and self-rimming, which you drop into an undersized hole in the countertop.
Undermount sinks offer a sleek, seamless design; they have no lip that could catch dirt and they offer increased countertop space. But that countertop also will be exposed to water. And undermount sinks tend to be more expensive than drop-in sinks.
Drop-in sinks are easier to install and more affordable than undermount sinks, but they also take up more countertop space.
Both undermount and self-rimming sinks have their pros and cons, so weigh those factors and choose the option that works best for your home.
Also, consider the sink’s design. For instance, vessel sinks are a throwback to primitive wash basins and offer visual interest and dimension not seen in builder-grade sinks.
And finally, pick a faucet.
Stylish options include chrome, stainless steel, brushed nickel and oil-rubbed bronze.
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I need to add a door to our bathroom there is a Electric switch there but it can be moved. There Is a Linen storage in the closet but I need to add an exterior door for it as it’s very hard to access it. Do I shut off the electrical Then just cut into the wall to start the door? Help please.
Sincerely,
Susan Kay
Hi, Susan!
First, turn off the power. Even with the power off, you don’t want to cut the wire, though, because you may need it to relocate the switch.
Carefully cut through the drywall with a utility knife (and only with a utility knife) until you know where the wires are to avoid them.
As always, if you consider this DIY job, please proceed with caution and at your own risk.
Thanks for your question. 🙂
I have a garden tub and need to replace /update the builder quality faucet. But there is no trap door access so how can this be done? The tub sits beside an (ugly) small shower stall with a glass front. My townhome is about 12 years old, I’m just trying to keep it up to date for enjoyment and future sale. Ideally, it would be nice to remove the entire tub and shower and REALLY update, but that’s not in my budget. Also, is a garden tub still a good selling feature?
Love watching your show! Thank you much,
Hi, Denise,
If the tub is made of “cultured marble,” it is possible that the entire front panel or “skirt” can be removed by cutting the caulk adhesive around the perimeter – otherwise you’ll have to remove the tub or go through a wall.
Good luck!