CONSIDERING A BATHROOM REMODELING PROJECT?

Your home is an investment that you want to no doubt keep in the best condition, and keep updating.  Following up our discussion in Bathroom design trends we are now going to focus on the key factors to bathroom remodeling and how to best approach your bathroom remodeling project.

There are many reasons you may be considering a bathroom remodeling project. Whether it is to spruce up the look of your bathroom, change the functionality, or upgrading the design to sell your home, a remodeling project is a time-tested way to make a statement.

When you finally decide to take the plunge and dive into a bathroom remodeling project, you want to be prepared. There are many key factors to bathroom remodeling, and before we get to the 3 key factors we are going to talk briefly about three other important factors to a bathroom remodeling project:  you, your time, and your pocketbook.

YOU

This is your bathroom. What do you want to do with it? Is it just time to change up the look? You have the power to make your bathroom remodeling project yours and you can have your ideas come to fruition. The look and design of your bathroom is important to the overall character of your home. You must be sure that your bathroom remodel is something that represents you, fits into the style and décor of your home, and results in a finished room that you take pleasure in spending a lot of hours in.

YOUR TIME

Any home improvement project is going to take a set amount of time and you have to be able to commit to it. Even if you get professional assistance, there will still likely be extended downtime in usage of a very important room in your house. Make sure the time you set aside is used well and the lack of a bathroom for a few days is taken care of. Do you have a second bathroom? If not, have you made arrangements to accommodate for this?

YOUR POCKETBOOK

The expense of a bathroom remodeling project can be large, but the right research and options can save you money. Having a trusted source of materials and information can make things go smoother.

When you take on a bathroom remodeling project, the 3 most important things you should consider are:

• What materials to use
• What design to implement
• How to cover labor expenses

MATERIALS

When you look at the overall appearance and functionality of what you want out of your bathroom remodeling project, you want to make sure you have a defined theme.  The vanity, fixtures, countertops, and lighting should compliment one another in order to convey what you want your bathroom to represent.

Vanity:

The vanity should be big enough to showcase the bathroom and make it appear larger. It will be the focus of the room and will give off the most reflected light. The size of the mirror also provides a sense of area within the bathroom by adding depth to what is typically the smallest room in your home.

Fixtures:

The fixtures you decide to use should be in a finish that compliments the color scheme of the bathroom.  There are many different color and finish options to choose from, such as gold, silver, bronze, stainless steel, brushed aluminum and more! Make sure you are taking the right advice from the right people. There are many choices out there but always be certain that you are talking to the professionals on what works best for your bathroom remodeling aesthetic. Keep in mind that you want your newly remodeled bathroom to stand the test of time.

Countertops:

The countertops should be of a material and color to match the fixtures. Granite would be on the high-end of the price spectrum, but you can also get alternative solid surface material, which can recreate the appearance of other substances such as rock and marble. You can also opt for a tiled look, but that would leave you with more maintenance with keeping the grout lines clean.

Lighting:

Your bathroom lighting serves to emphasize your space, so the brightness and type will really affect the room’s appearance. Lighting is often overlooked as one of the key factors to bathroom remodeling. Ranging from the design of the fixtures to the use of energy efficient options, the lighting in your bathroom can work as being either romantic or utilitarian – or a combination of both.

DESIGN

At the risk of stating the obvious, THE key factor to bathroom remodeling is the overall design of the room. A bathroom remodeling project can be very limited due to relative bathroom sizes. So you need to focus on storage options, general size, and functionality.

Bathroom Size:

Taking on a bathroom remodeling project is the perfect time to estimate some structural changes to your bathroom and how to best implement them. Is there any extra space not being utilized? Is it time to put in a full size tub? Could you get away with removing a tub and just going with a stand-up shower to create extra space? Taking into account your bathroom size and what you need out of it will answer all of these questions.

Storage options:

We are always accumulating towels, washcloths, linens, and other bathroom goods that need to be kept in order.  Proper storage space for these products will leave less concern for mess or clutter. You can have either an open shelf design or plan on building shelves right into the wall. Experiment with design options to see which work best in your available space.

Functionality:

Is this bathroom remodeling odyssey worth all the time and energy if we are not focused on functionality? What is the basis for our bathroom remodeling structure?  Is it going from a rustic look to a more contemporary? How would it look with different fixtures, colors, and decorative accents?

You need to know not only what is feasible, but what you are actually capable of doing. The sweat, labor, and equity you personally put into your bathroom remodeling project will be returned to you, but if you do not have the skills to do it right, you need to consider hiring someone that you trust with the right amount of experience.

LABOR

The actual work of putting your idea into action is an example of the key factors to bathroom remodeling and how long it will take to finish. It will also give you a great idea on how much it will end up costing at the end. You need to weigh the costs and benefits of doing the work yourself versus hiring a professional. Ask yourself: how many hours of your time will this project take? How much is an hour of your time worth? If you are working full-time, are you ready to put in a few hours after work each day over several weeks to complete the project? Are you willing to give up your weekends for a month or so? If not, the answer is simple: hire a professional to do the work.

DOING THE WORK YOURSELF

Doing the work yourself always sounds great in theory. Why pay somebody to cut some wood or pound some nails when you can do it yourself?  This is a very common question homeowners ask themselves.  But do these homeowners really take into consideration the experience, training, and man-hours that a professional contractor has under their belt? There are certain tasks that you can do yourself, and in turn, others that you will want to contact a professional to do.

For instance, what if you pull out an old tub and find rotting wood and accumulated mold behind it. Do you know how to properly remove moldy material to avoid spreading spores that can cause serious respiratory problems?

The remodeling and design specialists at Kitchen and Bath Unlimited are here to answer all of these questions and many more. We have a great selection of materials, a slew of remodeling ideas and a ton of experience to help you with your project from its inception to its completion.

Call on us for all your bathroom remodeling needs. You can visit our showroom at 6313 Stadium Drive in Kalamazoo, or give us a call at 269-375-2212 to speak with our design specialists about where to take the new look of your bathroom.

LINKS:

http://www.hgtv.com/remodel/bathroom-remodel/bathroom-countertop-buying-guide

https://www.thespruce.com/how-long-to-remodel-small-bathroom-1821360

http://www.home-style-choices.com/bathroom-faucets.html