Major Bathroom Remodeling Guidelines

Although the bathroom, compared to all the other rooms in the home has the smallest area, a �major bathroom remodeling� can be costly; in fact can be compared to renovating a small house.

There are several design innovations I have discovered from our colleagues designing hotel bathrooms.The bathtub can be cozy and enclosed or part of the bedroom space. The overhead LED chroma therapy light strips can be reserved just for the bather or can add drama to the entire sleeping area.Copyright (c) 2009 Julia RitzenthalerTUBS AND SHOWERSAs with any type of remodel or redecorating project, be sure to consider the design aesthetic you want to achieve. Once you have an idea, choose the design of your vessel sink vanity and then move on to mirrors, lighting, and other accessories. You want to coordinate all aspects of the design, that doesn't necessarily mean match, just coordinate. Consider the space too, size dimensions, etc... A helpful tip is to have all of your dimensions and a color palette at your side while shopping.We can better allocate bathroom floor space if we rethink compartmentalizing the toilet. Because hotels normally do not have the luxury of devoting a minimum 36"�60" (and that's the minimum rectangle) of interior floor space to a walledoff compartment, they create interesting ways to shield the toilet from view rather than providing complete privacy.WET/DRY AREASConsidering that you can spend hours in your bathroom, taking care of your many hygiene and grooming needs, it is very important that you give thorough consideration on how you want to use your bathroom room.When contemplating major remodeling on your bathroom, the most essential thing to keep in mind is to consider and look into your �bathroom remodeling� project estimate or figures as well as what you imagine is the most attractive bathroom design for you.* Keep the space safe. Please, do not overlook the need for a foot rest or bench in the shower. This is something that is all too often overlooked in hotel bathrooms. A freestanding teak bench, a floating stone ledge or a triangle raised corner niche for a foot is important. It is also a good idea to install a solid backer system in the shower, allowing flexible placement of grab bars at the time of installation, or at a later date in the family's life.I consider the toilet, bidet, urinal and shower as primary elements in the functional part of the bathroom. A bathing pool, and the vanity counter/make-up area are far less susceptible to water damage, mildew development or the other problems associated with the fixtures in a "one-space" bathroom.� Do you need one more shower compartment?Based on your client's preferences for the bathing experience (solitary escapism, social gathering place for adults, etc.), you might consider opening up the bathroom area to the bedroom in a residential project. Once again, this approach works very well if the shower and toilet are separated. In one example (see photo on Page 50), you see the bathtub in a traditional marble platform and a vanity sharing a corridor shape. The bathtub area becomes part of the bedroom sleeping zone when two sets of three Shoji screentype doors are stacked against two end walls. The track for the doors is hidden behind a wood valance encompassing the dropped bathroom ceiling. A grooved Corian plate at the floor line provides a rail system for the lower door track to slide along. The bathtub sits in a pedestal platform that is surrounded by a stripe of pebble stone tile. This same pebble stone tile is used as a comfortable - and safe - non-skid shower base in the adjacent compartment.Design and planningBATH INNOVATIONSThe most interesting bathrooms will be in unique, "edgy" small hotels.Today's bathroom is no longer just a place for taking a bath, brushing your teeth, etc. It now can a place where you can relax in the tub, light a candle and read a book and just take pleasure in its calming ambience.Consult a designer for bathroom design suggestions and ideas, let them know of your design preference so they can give you a sketch or you can examine magazines and cut out designs, ideas and photos that correspond or match with what design you have in mind.Thinking of these two different categories of space frees your creativity when placing fixtures or selecting materials. It might give you a new outlook on walls, as well.The vessel sink—as the name implies—is a vessel into which a faucet dispenses water. Vessel become a work of art in the space; vessel sinks come in a variety of materials including porcelain, natural stones, cast copper and other metals, glass, and more. The design choices are numerous and the great thing is that you're able to find something unique that appears custom-made at an affordable price. Plumbing waste and supply lines are hidden in the vanity base or even exposed in a way that they still appear aesthetically pleasing and interesting.Upgrading your bathroom appliances as well as knocking down walls are generally the scope of �bathroom remodeling� jobs. You will need important help that will include a designer or architect, an electrician, plumber, carpenter, professional tiler and possibly also a �general contractor� to organize jobs and bring everybody together.Here are basic questions that you should ask yourself to help you design your bathroom:Your newly designed bathroom and vessel sink vanity will be the talk of all of your guests and will look beautiful for years to come.Bathroom specialists can gain inspiration by studying baths created by hospitality specialists for boutique hotels. If you're not traveling much this year, check out boutique hotels in your local community or a short commute away. Just call the hotel and ask to see a sleeping room.In addition to the frosted glass being very dramatic, consider how space -saving this approach is. If the design called for two typical framed wall systems, more than 12" of floor space would be required for the shower and toilet wall. Individual light fixtures would be required, as well as a swinging glass shower door and either a pocket or wood door in the toilet compartment.

Enjoy the excitement and fun of your bathroom remodeling project and take pleasure in the many years of contentment and gratification offered by your finished bathroom project.

Author: Sarah Miller