Reinvent Your Bathroom

Whether it's a spa- inspired retreat or rubber ducky central, this is one room that deserves a little extra pampering. Here's how to create a space that will look great today- and years from now! 

Beautiful and useful. Your bathroom must be both: a space that's easy and enjoyable to occupy when you're showering, grooming, or bathing the kids. It also has to be safe, able to withstand water and humidity and timeless enough to look great for years to come.

How to balance form and function, present and future? As with any design project, start by breaking down how you'll really use the room. Interview yourself the way a designer would, asking questions like: How many people will use the bathroom at one time? What are your habits? What do you need to store?" And think about resale value, but don't forget the present. It's common to let your concern about resale cloud your decisions. So before you worry that if you don't install a tub, a future buyer won't like the bath, or similar, consider what you really want. Unless your planning to move in the next five years, it's wisest to remodel for your own needs, now- and don't think so much about the next owner. Instead, let your budget and your tastes guide you, keeping the style of the house and the neighborhood in mind, as well. Then follow these simple steps to a pretty practical bath.

SPACE PLANNING

Whether you're starting from scratch to design a new bath or remodeling an existing room, your first task is to come up with an efficient layout. Your considerations will be different depending on the type of bath, but you'll typically need to decide to whether you want one vanity or two, a walk-in shower and a tub or a shower/tub combo.

STORAGE

The designers agree: There's no such thing as too much storage in a bathroom. Too often homeowners design this gorgeous, spa-like space, and then cover every surface with hairspray bottles and vitamins because they haven't planned enough closed storage. Inside the vanity, you might consider opting for drawers instead of cabinets: They're more efficient and more accessible.
Just make sure they're deep enough. If your largest container is 13" but the drawer is only 11" deep, you'll be disappointed. You may also consider building shallow closets into a master bathroom or shared family /kids baths. It's great to be able to store towels and extra toiletries right at the point of use.

FIXTURES AND FITTINGS

The sinks, tub, toilet and faucets you choose will affect not just the look of the space, but its function, so choose wisely. Buying online can be fast, easy, and cost-effective, but often means forgoing the chance to touch and feel your fixtures- so you could end up with a faucet handle that cuts into your palm when you turn the water on, or a bathtub that hurts your back when you recline. If you can visit a large showroom to see the items in person, the trip could be well worth your while.

When it comes to luxurious extras- body sprays in the shower, for example- consider whether you'll actually use them, or if you just like the idea. You may find that you don't end up using those sprays. And the waste a tremendous amount of water. A better bet perhaps: Rainshower shower-heads don't cost that much more than standard models but feel really luxurious. Plus it's something that you'll enjoy every day.

And finally, think about upkeep. If you're choosing fittings with a metallic finish (warm finishes like polished nickel are particularly current right now) look for Physical Vapor Deposition or PVD technology, a method that bonds the outer finish to the faucet's brass base for a stronger finish that resists scratching, tarnish and wear.