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Kitchen Remodel Philadelphia, PA

Designing the Perfect Bathroom

Renovating or starting from scratch and building a new bathroom is no minor task! There are a lot of things you’ll want to take into consideration when heading out to design the perfect bathroom for you; From selecting surface materials, fixtures, cabinetry, and deciding on what plumbing and electrical needs your chosen design will require. It’s important that you create a detailed plan and take into consideration how your specific family will use the bathroom, based on their needs before setting out and remodeling your bathroom.

To help you with planning out and designing the perfect bathroom for you and your family, this guide was put together with some tips and suggestions on what works best for the majority of people when designing the best bathroom for them. Contact Gehman Design Remodeling To Learn More!

Where To Begin?

When in just setting out to design the perfect bathroom for you and your family, the first thing you should do is create a wish list of all things you would like in your bathroom, and what you want to get out the limited space you may have. Consider doing some online research beforehand in order to see what new bathroom fixtures and features are available. You might find that there are some new products available that wouldn’t have even crossed your mind if you hadn’t looked first!

After getting a rough idea of what’s available, heading out to a showroom is a good idea so you can get a good look at the different bathroom design features in person. Being able to actually feel the furniture, ceramics, and tiling options available will help ensure you make the right choice for you.

Create A Detailed Plan

After making some decisions on what you want to include in your bathroom, you’ll want to come up with a detailed plan. The first step in this part of the process should be to draft a rough sketch of your chosen space and decide on where you’d like to place the different fixtures and bathroom amenities.

Consider that you’ll want to have ample space to get around your bathroom. A good rule of thumb is to allow at least 30 inches of space in front of the toilet and 40 inches in front of the bathtub or shower.

If you’re doing bathroom renovations or a bathroom redesign, you’ll need to factor in the current positioning of the plumbing in your home. If you don’t plan on redoing the plumbing as part of your bathroom redesign, then this may limit your choices on what bathtubs and shower stalls will work for you.

10 tips for designing a small bathroom

Choose Light Colors

When deciding on a color scheme for your bathroom, it’s best to stick with a lighter color palette. With so many built-in fixtures and features that typically come in lighter shades, it’s easiest to match these with lighter shades of greys, blues, and white. Lighter colors will also act to give your bathroom a feeling of openness, which is a huge plus when most bathrooms are on the smaller side.

Whether Or Not There Is Room For Two Sinks, Consider Going With A Single Sink

Consider sticking with one sink for your bathroom design, even if you think you can squeeze in a second. When one thinks counter space, they’re typically thinking about a kitchen, but having extra counter space in a bathroom is a big plus, and one that many don’t think about until it’s too late! Instead of having 2 sinks, opt for 1 larger sink and take advantage of the extra space with more usable counter space!

Consider Placing A Medicine Cabinet Above The Toilet

Instead of going with the standard built-in medicine cabinet above your bathroom sink, consider having it above the toilet instead. The traditional setup of built-in cabinetry and Johnny cabinet can end up making your bathroom feel smaller than it is, and it limits the wall space you have available to you that could be taken up with a nice big mirror instead! Where a medicine cabinet above the sink acts to make the bathroom feel more closed-in, a large mirror in its place will help open up the room and make it feel much more open. Typically, the space above a toilet is unused, wasted space anyways so it really is the perfect place for your medicine cabinet.

Utilize Mirrors In Order To Create An Open Feeling And Let Light Into All Areas Of The Room

As mentioned previously, a nice big mirror above your sink is a great way to spread the light around your bathroom and will give it the much-needed feeling of openness that a bathroom often lacks.

Consider Using Open Shelving Instead Of Closed Cabinetry

If you have room in your bathroom for storage, consider using open shelving instead of closed up cabinetry. Having a convenient spot for towels, toilet paper, and other bathroom essentials makes using the bathroom much more pleasant. With open shelving, you can have your nice towels visible and easily within reach, and leave the not so pleasant looking bathroom products, such as cleaning products, in the closed up spaces.

Consider Adding A Tub Ledge In Order To Increase Functional Space

If you’ve decided on putting a tub in your bathroom, consider also adding a tub ledge to your bathroom design. The addition of a tub ledge doesn’t really take up much extra space and ends up being especially convenient for keeping things like soaps and shampoos handy and also can be used as a place to sit! Since a tub ledge is typically quite below eye level, it doesn’t really detract from the openness of the room while adding some extra style and usefulness to the room.

Opt For A Standard-Width But Extra-Deep Tub

If you’ve decided on adding a tub to your bathroom, consider going with an extra-deep tub that is standard width. The extra depth is always nice for when you want to lay around and relax in the tub but doesn’t really take up any extra space.

Avoiding Breaking Up Your Bathroom By Using Glass Shower Walls

Consider a glass shower wall over plexiglass or standard wall for your shower. A glass shower wall will act to open up the bathroom even more and lets light get to other areas of the room that might have been left in the dark. Where a wall would end up breaking up what is usually already a small room into an even smaller feeling space, a glass shower wall will make the room much more open and pleasant to be in.

Extend Your Shower Wall Tiling All The Way To The Ceiling

If you’ve decided to go with tile for your shower walls, consider having them extend all the way up to the ceiling. Dividing your bathroom up horizontally can end up breaking up the bathroom, which makes it appear sectioned and smaller than it is. When you have your shower tiling go all the way up to the ceiling, the apparent height of the room is increased and it will distract you from how close the shower walls actually are to you.

Keep Your Color Palette And Design Choices Simple

When designing your bathroom and choosing a color palette, try to keep it simple. Going with only 2 or three different colors will make the cost much more affordable as you don’t have to buy so many different products and it will result in your bathroom feeling more pleasant while avoiding any over-crowded feelings.

Create A Calming Atmosphere Through Smart Design Choices

When designing the perfect bathroom, be sure you’re allowing each fixture and area enough space to be functional. If you decide you want a freestanding tub, but really don’t have space for it, trying to cram it in will likely result in it appearing out of place, and the look of your bathroom will not be so nice. Try to make your bathtub, vanity, or mirror the focal point of the bathroom upon entering, and avoid the toilet being the main attraction, in order to up the visual appeal.

Don’t Install A Bathtub If Your Family Doesn’t Take Baths!

These days, people tend to prefer a nice large shower staff as opposed to a large bathtub. It’s a common worry though when one starts designing their bathroom, that omitting a bathtub will detract from the resale value of the home. This isn’t usually the case any longer, and if you don’t think your family will be taking baths frequently then consider leaving it out of your bathroom design. A spacious and comfortable shower stall will be much more appreciated!

Wrapping Up

Remodeling your bathroom is an exciting home improvement project to undertake. Although bathroom renovations can be costly, making much-needed upgrades to your current bathroom, or starting a new with a completely new build can be a great way to add value to your home.

With so many options available for fixtures, furniture, color schemes, tiling, and flooring, coming to a decision on your final design can be overwhelming. After reading through this guide, designing the perfect bathroom for you and your family should come much easier. By following these tips and suggestion, you’ll end up with a bathroom that you and your family will love for many years to come.