February 10, 2021 castlebri

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Whether we like to admit it or not, the bathroom is one of the most important rooms in our home. The necessity of various biological functions — not to mention hygiene — means we visit this room at least a few times every day.

If you live in an older home, your bathroom probably hasn’t enjoyed a facelift in decades. If you have a bathroom renovation planned in the future, here’s everything you need to know before you start breaking out the tools.

Have a Plan
This should be step one before you jump into any renovation project, regardless of the targeted room. Make sure you have a plan before you start knocking down walls or tearing out fixtures. Diving into any project without a firm plan in mind will end in tears. Work with a design firm to create a detailed plan so you know exactly what will need to go into the remodeling project to create the bathroom of your dreams.

This is where you can really customize your space. Choose your flooring and tile color. Pick a soft colored grout that blends with the tile or something bold that provides a brilliant contrast. Design your countertops and choose your fixtures to match, compliment or contrast. You’re only limited by your imagination — and your budget.

 

Write a Budget
This is the other step you need to complete before you start construction. Write a detailed budget for all the expected expenses — and then include some extra padding for unexpected expenses that might sneak up on you. You will have to go through all the steps to acquire any necessary permits as well as an additional cost. Thankfully, when working with Castle Building & Remodeling, you’ll know exactly how much your bathroom renovation will cost before you get started. Our upfront pricing is a pillar to our business foundation and we do everything we can to avoid change orders. You can even get an idea of what your project will cost before speaking with our sales team by checking out our project costs page.

Once you’ve written your budget, stick to it. It’s easy to go over your budget and unnecessarily spend way too much money on your remodeling project. Plan everything out and stick to that strategy. If you’ve got some money left over afterward, you can treat yourself to a nice bottle of champagne or a steak dinner.

 

Don’t Be Afraid to Dream Big
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We talked about creating a budget and sticking to it, and that is important. But within that budget, don’t be afraid to splurge to create the bathroom you’ve always dreamed of. If you love long and luxurious baths, invest in a large bathtub that is big enough to accommodate your entire body. If you don’t take baths at all, you can replace your bathtub with a shower stall.

You’re going to be spending a portion of each day in this room. Don’t be afraid to spend a little extra money where it really matters.

 

Understand the Dimensions
When you’re remodeling a bathroom, you are still working with a limited amount of space. It’s essential to understand the dimensions of both the room and the things you’ll be installing. You need to make the most of the space without cluttering it up.

Think about who will be using the bathroom and whether you need any sort of special accomodations for them. Will you be sitting in front of the mirror doing your hair or makeup every morning? Maybe you’ll be bathing children or pets in the tub, where you’ll need more space to work.

Whatever the case, make sure you’re incorporating all these things into your design. You’ve got a limited amount of space to work with, so use it wisely.

 

Hide Your Toilet
Project 3373-1 Saint Paul 2nd Story Addition Attic Bathroom Remodel 55116 LR 3

 

 

 

 

 

Bathroom doors tend to get left open when they’re not in use, and even if the bathroom is clean, no one really wants to look in and have a toilet be the first thing they see. If you’re remodeling the bathroom from the ground up, consider moving things around so the toilet isn’t as obvious to the casual observer.

You don’t even need to move the toilet if messing with plumbing is beyond your DIY skills. Simply rearrange the rest of the bathroom — storage solutions, sinks and other things — to keep the toilet from being the first thing you see when you look through the bathroom door.

Invest in Fans and Ventilation

The bathroom is the wettest room in the house. This isn’t a bad thing, but without sufficient ventilation, that accumulated moisture can encourage mold growth and create multiple different problems. If you don’t already have fans and sufficient ventilation in your bathroom, now is the time to start installing them.

This might be a task where you’ll need to employ the aid of a professional contractor, especially if adding vents or fans requires cutting holes in the walls or roofing. Regardless, ventilation is an essential part of any bathroom remodel and is not something you should overlook.

Design Your Lighting
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Finally, you’ll want to design your lighting to make the most of your space without cluttering it up with bulky light fixtures. Recessed fixtures or low-profile LEDs are both fantastic options. You can even forgo vanity fixtures by installing a lighted mirror instead, which keeps you from having to add more lighting while still helping you make the most of your vanity.

The bathroom is where you want to avoid skipping opportunities for high-quality lighting. If you want a nice relaxing bath in dim light, install a dimmer switch. In most cases, you’ll want to make sure you’ve got plenty of light in the bathroom. Try to use natural lighting whenever possible, but don’t compromise your privacy to accomplish this.

 

Enjoy Your New Bathroom
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Once all the dust has settled and everything works the way it’s supposed to, all that’s left to do is enjoy your new bathroom. If a bathroom renovation is on your schedule soon, don’t settle for anything less than your dream bathroom. You spend time in this room every single day. It should be an oasis and refuge where you can shed the stress of the day, relax and forget about the worries of the world for a few minutes.

Turn your bathroom renovation into something you’ll be proud to show off, even if it’s not a room you’d generally include on your grand tour. Renovations should add something to your house, even if it’s just comfort and functionality over aesthetics. With proper planning, you’ll have a space where you’ll enjoy spending much of your time.

Rose writes on home improvement and renovation projects. She is also the managing editor for Renovated. To read more of her work, check out her site.

 

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