Home Decoration & Real Estate

Archive for the ‘bathroom’ Category

You are redoing your bathroom and there are a countless details. After getting lost in the practicalities, you stop for break. Something catches your attention. You take a careful look at the new mirror you’ve just installed. You notice that you’re looking straight at…your chin. You wonder if they delivered the wrong size. Then you remember that you were sitting in a chair at the showroom when you decided that this was your dream come true. Why didn’t you think to check if you could use it as well standing up?

Choosing the Floor Model’s Sizing.

Many, maybe most people choose style and design without considering height. Height is often a more important element of the vanity for daily use. The common 30 inch size bathroom counter is just not optimum for people over 63 inches tall. However, vanity size is not at all standard. Some floor models are even lower than the usual 30 inches which might be ignored in the quest for the perfect design. Such a decision means you may end up having to bend down to wash your hands. This is only poor planning and completely avoidable.

Just remember that the height of the sinks, mirrors and cabinets should be customized to their users, according to their actual size. Not that they have to be custom made. Customized only means chosen to fit the bathroom at a user friendly height. If it takes going to 6 stores to browse, do it. Drive the salespeople crazy with your questions. If what you want is not there, ask to see more.

If you can’t find a vanity according to your proportions, don’t give up. Even kitchen cabinets might provide workable alternatives if bathroom cabinet selection is limited. And don’t be afraid to improvise.

For instance, if you are a tall family and the style you love only comes in 33-inch size, create simple inexpensive solutions, such as installing 2 or 3 inch glass bricks under the cabinets to add height. One designer suggests wiring in fluorescent lighting behind the glass bricks for an extra special finish.

The same lesson can be applied to shower doors, spigots, towel racks, tubs, etc… Decide if you need taller, shorter, wider, or longer. Remember also that two heights are better than one if you have the space to accommodate users of different proportions.

Buying For Looks Not Function.

You’re a guest at a friend’s house in the Pocono’s for the weekend. You’re in the bathroom and you need a towel. You check to see if a fresh towel is in the cabinet and… Oh no! The cabinet handle comes off in your hand! The cabinet door didn’t open because it’s not there. It’s an imitation cabinet just for show, hiding the plumbing.

While standing there holding the handle in your hand along with some of the veneer board it was screwed into, you look at the stylish row of drawer handles. Maybe one opens all or maybe none open at all. You’re afraid to guess. Isn’t there some kind of truth-in-labeling rule that applies even in the bathroom? This type of cabinet is an economy choice and is often used in industrial settings such as hotels and office buildings. Its dubious charm has become passe;. However, the style is still frequently seen in trade journals and must have a market somewhere.

If you are going to the expense and bother to replace your bathroom sinks and cabinets, choose a vanity that has storage space, not just a plumbing camouflage. If you really don’t want cabinets, put in a pedestal sink or a wall hung sink. The general rule is don’t try to fake it. It could be embarrassing.

Settling For Less.

Maybe you want a stone counter over your vanity instead of the traditional laminate finish but you don’t have the extra money for stone? Install it yourself using the best local home improvement store to take you through the steps. They love to help, so use their expertise. This way you will get the counter you want at a price you can afford. There is always a creative solution to most bathroom design problems. Don’t settle for less.

Forgetting to Customize to Floor Plan.

There are only a few standard bathroom shapes. Each type accommodates different styles. Corridor shaped bathrooms look best with all the fixtures on one wall. The L-shaped bathroom is designed for a discreet place for the toilet with the roomiest area reserved for the bath and vanity. The U-shaped bathroom is the most spacious and can fit extra large or customized fixtures in a choice of locations.

There are also other sizes such as small rooms converted to extra large bathrooms. Such a space takes as much extra planning and design as the space needs. Don’t just throw in the same fixtures you might use for the standard spaces. Large round or double kidney shaped counters look nice in large bathrooms but are definitely not appropriate for the corridor or L shaped plans.

Losing Out on Details.

Most of us want to make the most of our bathroom space, and hate to feel like a bull in a china closet. Detailing can make the difference. Suppose you have a tiny corner bathroom that you added to your Victorian gingerbread house by eliminating the closet under the eaves. You still want a vanity but the roof slant really limits you space. Create a sweet bathroom which maximizes the confines of the space by installing a giant mirror along the long tall wall at an appropriate angle, i.e. not facing the toilet, over a small colorful sink. Add elaborate rococo corners to the mirror for definition. Corners are much less expensive then frames.

Add a narrow cabinet under the sink, or wire wall units or carve a cabinet into the wall itself to save space. Toothbrush holders and soap holders can also be carved out of the wall. The facing of the cabinet should be in a paintable surface for remodeling ease. Paint the walls white for a feeling of space but if you need color, paint just the ceiling. The large size mirror together with the small sink fools the eye and actually creates the illusion of space. Remodeling such a bathroom is inexpensive as well. Just change the mirror corners, the cabinet facing, the ceiling or border paint, and, if you have extra money, the color of the sink. Buy a white toilet because it goes with everything. Tenacious attention to detail makes the difference in solving complicated design problems.

Using the Wrong Lighting.

Lighting your bathroom is one aspect of design that really needs a thoughtful and creative touch. You’ve decided on a lavender bathroom off the master bedroom. It’s finished and everything looks fabulous. The extra large lavender tub, the lavender toilet, the lavender sink are even nicer than you imagined. The hand painted border around the ceiling is really elegant as well. You’ve ordered fluorescents for the ceiling and hand-blown sconces in the same lavender shade around the vanity. You are very pleased. You switch on the sconces and look in the mirror. Oh no… Your skin has taken on a brownish purple hue; you look again. You’re sure you’re not sick. Horrors! It’s the lights! Be very careful with your lighting.

In general it is best not to use colored lighting in the bathroom. Think to enhance and soften. There are so many options available to give personality to your bathroom and the choices in style and material are endless. Choose carefully with an eye on ease of maintenance and upkeep. Remember that the cheapest fixtures are often the most difficult to maintain.

Under Budgeting.

A vanity is an expensive bathroom fixture. Expect to pay 600 dollars for a good quality counter top, sink, and faucet. Add to this the cost of your cabinets underneath, which depending on size, materials and customization, could easily cost more plus installation. Don’t put your whole budget into other fixtures of the bathroom without saving some for the vanity. It is the focal point of the bathroom and a cheap one will reflect the same. Even if you can’t afford anything else, a new vanity will spruce up an entire bathroom. Make sure to match it to any preexisting fixtures you decide to keep.

Awkward Door Swing.

Because bathrooms require special attention to detail, don’t neglect the amount of space you need to open and close your vanity cabinet doors. Make sure they can even open at all. Provide at least 30 inches in front of the sink for an average person to get down on the floor and into the cabinets. Keep the toilet at least 14 inches away from the cabinet sides to accommodate door swing. More if you have extra wide doors. If the vanity is installed along a wall near the bathroom door, make sure the door swings away from the sink. A little planning with a tape measure and some thought avoids this nuisance and saves your cabinet doors from unnecessary wear and tear.

Faulty Installation.

You’ve picked the perfect vanity with beautiful cabinets for the main bathroom in your 8 bedroom Victorian built in 1863. It’s ordered and delivered and the contractor is scratching his head. It’s not designed for the “wet wall” which is the location of the original plumbing. Extending piping around the inside of walls is not a minor consideration and the cost could outweigh the convenience.

Better to coordinate the sink and vanity fixtures with the rough plumbing. Especially in an older home, where plumbing is always an expensive and tricky business and could even be a recipe for disaster. Try to finesse your exquisite taste around the plumbing that’s already there.

Of Course It Fits!

Remember to be exact in measurement and to coordinate everything on paper. You don’t want to redesign things in the middle of installation. For instance, be careful to pick the right size sink to match your cabinet, especially if the cabinets are already built-in. Our consultant master carpenter advises that many unexpected costs in installation can be avoided by taking the drafting stage seriously.

Finally, don’t wait to find out if your vanity cabinet can actually be put in its place. Measure the path, especially the bathroom door. Your installer may not be prepared or even able to disassemble and rebuild the vanity quickly to get it in place.

There are many ways to revise the plan of an existing bathroom. A major bathroom remodelling is one of the better home improvement investments. At the time of resale it can return up to 75 to 90 percent of amount invested. But you should also consider how much you want to spend in relation to the total value of your home. Family budget advisors suggest the figure should be no more than about 10 to 15 percent.

A shower enclosure can be one of the major investments in bathroom. Shower enclosures come in various types and size. The most popular are walk in shower enclosure and quadrant shower enclosure. Before buying a shower enclosure you must visit a bathroom showroom nearby. A walk in shower enclosure is one of the best way to decorate your bathroom, but only if your bathroom is bigger. Walk in shower enclosures are comfortable and at least two persons can enjoy showering at the same time.

Walk in shower enclosures are larger in size and their glass is toughened safety glass. Walk in shower enclosure comes in different style; the popular styles which are adored by UK home owners are the Aqualux Walk in shower enclosure and Twyford Walk in shower enclosures. While at the same time UK Home owners adore the style of Aquadart Wet rooms.

If you have a small bathroom fixing a quadrant shower enclosure can be an intelligent job. Quadrant shower enclosure comes in size variation and can be fixed even in smaller bathrooms. By visiting a bathroom showroom nearby or by referring some good articles you can create a stunning bathroom environment and can plan a good investment in bathroom.

White, bright and fabulous bathrooms are all the buzz in the latest bathroom design craze. Bathrooms splashed with boldly colored painted walls and patterned ceramic floor tiles adorned with pristine white pottery bathroom suites create the perfect drama. To finalize the look as the French would say “la piece de resistance”, the bathroom mirror. Bathroom mirrors are one of the primary elements of any bathroom design ensemble simply because they can completely change the look of the bathroom in the sense of how both natural and artificial light are reflected.

Exploring the endless options available in bathroom mirrors, establishing the look one is striving to achieve whether traditional or contemporary, bathroom mirrors have transitioned through the modern ages. Victorian style bathrooms were often built with heavy layers of dark wood types from boxed in baths, wood framed mirror to wainscoting. Today’s traditional styles of bathroom furnishings are sporting similar design concepts, but with a much softer look. Bathroom mirrors are lightly capped with various wood textures and tones and wood bath panels are added to step up the design elements as an extension of tradition. Arched mirrors alone or with the addition of wall sconces for extra lighting can also create a Victorian feel to your bathroom setting.

Selecting the right bathroom mirror

Selecting the appropriate wall mirror is also determined not only by the size of your bathroom, but also on the size of the bathroom vanity, bathroom mirrors should never extend beyond the vanity as it will create an unbalanced look. The ideal wall mirror for bathrooms with double basins, are rectangular wall-to-wall mirrors to disseminate adequate lighting exposing bathroom accessories as well as the other bathroom furniture, increasing the presence of the bathroom.

Solid white bathroom suites are a way of adequately diffusing light for an airy feeling, when the light is reflected off of white bathroom furnishing the illusion of space is instantly created. All white pottery bathroom suites give your bathroom a cohesive look, but more importantly set the stage for the induction of color, warm hues of reds, blues or greens are now showing up in the latest bathroom designs, accented with gallantly solid colored ceramic tiles or tiles with a motif inlay to tie the look of the bathroom together for an inviting sanctuary.

Contemporary bathroom mirrors

Wanting to give your bathroom a contemporary personality, frameless bathroom mirrors with inset lighting deliver all the potential for an ultra modern ambiance. Achieving a modern look with circular or square mirrors is the perfect solution for intricate modern designs. Hanging his/ her matching wall mirrors with an overhanging light feature increases the amount of light in the bathroom again not to exceed the length of either the floor mounted or wall mounted basin furniture, helps to create a sophisticated modern expression especially for more complex bathroom remodeling projects. For even more dramatic results, discovering different uses for wall mirrors can present a unique look, mirrors with built in lighting are also being installed inside shower enclosures and in and around the bathing area creating a shaving area for the males in your home while furthering the functionality of bathroom mirror in supporting additional lighting needs. With today’s bathroom suppliers carry a number of bathroom mirror designs, styles and sizes, scheduling a theme around mirrors and lighting are easily worked in with other bathroom design components.

Written by Shelley Murphy on behalf of www.victoriaplumb.com an online retailer of bathroom furniture, steam showers, shower enclosures, whirlpool spa baths and bath related products serving the United Kingdom.

When redecorating your bathroom there are many different settings you need to keep in mind, and many different components you need to consider. The color scheme, overall feel, and the emotion your bathroom gives off are just the beginning. For example, do you want a clean sterile bathroom, a homey welcoming guest bathroom, or a cutely themed bathroom? You will have to decide on the overall theme before you can proceed any farther in the process. After you make this decision, there is one key piece of your bathroom that can either make or break your theme, the bathroom vanity.

Think about it, besides the toilet the number one thing people see when they enter the bathroom is the bathroom vanity. After using the restroom almost everyone stops to check their appearance in the mirror. Rather it is a female adjusting their makeup, or a male checking to see if his shirt is tucked in properly, the mirror is the center of attention in your bathroom.

Even public restrooms usually have bathroom vanity mirrors, even if they lack any presence besides tacky on the side of a cement wall. Obviously this is the feel you want for your own bathroom, but you can be sure that people will notice if you pick your mirror out in haste because this one wall hanging is either going to make or break the theme of your restroom.

If you want an impressive bathroom, you are going to have to start with the bathroom vanity. Bathrooms can be cheap and inexpensive to decorate since the bathroom furniture is most likely not going to need changing as the sink, toilet, and shower are usually going to stay fixed to the walls. Thus all you really need are a few accessories and a new layer of paint.

Therefore, there is only one expensive centerpiece to your bathroom décor that you actually need to think about for more than a minute, the bathroom vanity. This is going to require thought and consideration if you want your final product to be sleek and shiny. You can make the rest of your decorations out of this world, but if the visual focus does not sell your guests, then you have missed the mark.

For a sleek and fashionable bathroom, you are going to want to choice a nice gold or silver plated bathroom vanity depending on the color of your blinds/curtains and overall theme. Metals are nice in the bathroom because they typically are waterproof and clearly stand out against the stark white colors of a typical bathroom.

Bathrooms that are made with stainless steel fixtures look especially nice with the compliment of a silver bathroom vanity. In the same way, if your fixtures are a brassy color you might go with a gold plate. Whichever you choose, make sure that the metal fits into the general color scheme of the bathroom if you want to create a cohesive overall effect. With a little time and effort, you can have a bathroom that is just as impressive as the rest of your home.

Are you tired of the look of your current bathroom layout and feel that it needs a total upgrade? If so you are one of the many people who don’t particularly like the way their bathroom looks. The bathroom is probably the most overlooked room in your home because most people do not feel that the amount of time they spend there warrants the expenditure of money or energy on undertaking a renovation project.

This is in fact quite wrong as a recent study indicates that women will, on average, spend the equivalent of 2 years and 9 months of their lives standing in front of their bathroom mirror fixing their make up and ensuring that they look ‘just right’ before venturing out of the house.

In reality the bathroom home improvement is easily the best place to start you renovation work as you can accomplish quite a transformation with a little imagination, a splash of flair and, of course, a few basic building skills. If you are interested in upgrading your bathroom, but really don’t know where to start, do some research so you can consider the options that are open to you.

The ease of undertaking a bathroom renovation is due to the fact that the average bathroom is quite small in size and therefore a fairly modest remodeling program will have some marked results. Most bathroom renovation ideas are often centered on a replacement of wall and floor tiles as well as the inclusion of new fixtures and fittings. Don’t be put off attempting the project if one of your bathroom renovation ideas includes enlarging the space. The chances are that extending the area of you bathroom will not be too difficult as it could be as simple as removing an adjacent closet or a dividing wall. You will be amazed at how even a relatively small increase of the bathroom area can have a remarkable effect on the look and feel of the room.

Summon Up The Courage And Implement Your Bathroom Renovation Ideas!

Don’t be put off by the big jobs – stripping down the entire bathroom may look like a complicated job but, in all reality, it is quite simple and requires little more than some hard labor by you (and maybe a friend or two). If you are ever going to introduce some good bathroom renovation ideas then you have to get out of your comfort zone and learn some of the skills needed to undertake the work.

If you really are a novice when it comes to renovation work, then it may be in your best interest to engage a professional builder for some aspects of the job. This way you can observe how he approaches the job and you should also be able to throw a few relevant questions his way. Take time and study how to operate the particular power tools needed on the job. Quite often you can download from the internet some quite well presented instructional guides which show you how to use various power tools.

Before you start the bathroom home improvement ensure that you put together a realistic costing for your bathroom renovation. Check some of the online specialty bathroom websites and put together a pricing list for the fixtures such as vanity, light and toilet fittings. We all dream about having gold taps and features in our bathrooms, however, the reality check is that the cost for most people would be prohibitive and well beyond their budget.

When deciding on the look of your bathroom just remember that for many people the bathroom is a private get-away where they like to relax and have a little solitude. If you want to create a sense of tranquility then you should consider going with a classic style that incorporates crisp colors with minimal clutter. By doing this you can create a soft feeling of light and space so that your bathroom becomes a welcoming retreat. If, however, you want to make a statement and don’t particularly want to have to queue to get into your bathroom then go crazy with your creativity and splash around as much color as you like.

Before your bathroom remodeling ideas get the better of you be aware that the whole project will take some time and, unless you engage a professional or take time off from work, there may be some inconvenience while you squeeze the work in at night or during the weekends.

A Word Of Caution

Try to adopt a patient approach and don’t be put off if you initially make a few small mistakes. Even the experts make mistakes at times and even the best bathroom renovation ideas have some inherent problems that will need some corrective action at a later date. Be patient and most importantly, be happy with the thought you’re your workable bathroom renovation ideas are not so difficult after all. With a little forward planning and creativity your new look private oasis can transform before your eyes.