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Bathroom Remodeling Tips

blue and white tile bathroom

A single bathroom remodeling tip could inspire fresh thinking for your entire remodeling project. Trends area always being updated, so it’s useful to know what’s new in home bathroom design. You’ll find bathroom remodeling advise and inspiration here.

Express Yourself

Choosing Colors: A fresh coat of paint is an easy way to give your room an instant face-lift. Single color schemes make small rooms larger and a neutral palette can expand your space more. Or, add drama with colors like deep reds, eggplant, ochre, and dark blues or greens. 

The Personal Touch: Collections and objects that express your personality or your family history will make your home interesting to your guests and more enjoyable for you. 

Imported Ideas: Consider letting a favorite hotel or restaurant, or an outdoor spot that you enjoy, provide the inspiration for your bedroom, dining room or bath. 

Planting Style: One beautiful plant can be a strong design statement. Your style sense will determine whether a dramatic green plant or a bright floral bouquet is best for you.

Dynamic Design

The Right Finish: Now more than ever, you have choices for kitchen and bath fixtures. While matte or polished chrome are always popular, homeowners are choosing darker finishes such as oil-rubbed bronze and wrought iron. Consider the look and feel you wish to create when deciding. 

Bright Ideas: Halogen downlights and scones provide whiter light and fresh designs. Visit the lighting section of your home improvement center to get a better idea of these styles.

Quick ‘n Easy: Multi-purpose rooms need to switch moods easily. Today’s high-tech dimmers let you fine-tune your lights – even dim or raise them with a remote. 

Mix It Up: Today’s larger kitchen has room for variety. Mix-and-match styles and wood types for an eclectic feel that adds a unique look, from baseboard to hanging cabinets.

Packs a Punch

High-Performance Shower: Today’s shower design offers unprecedented opportunities for adding deluxe features – massaging vertical spas, rain shower showerheads and luxurious materials such as glass, tile and stone. 

Organized Kitchen: Specialized storage systems, appliances and fixtures speed meal preparation and keep entertaining organized. Choose open shelving for quick access. Locate a faucet next to the range to fill big pots quickly and conveniently.

Design Focus: A single, dramatic focal point for a room you’re remodeling makes the improvements more obvious. Try a special piece of furniture, an interesting piece of art or one wall that’s boldly colored.

Double Duty: Lighting is a sculpture as well as illumination. Choose light fixtures in shapes that are pleasing to look at – whether they’re switched on or off.

Works for Me

Getaway Baths: The bath can be a relaxing, serene environment. Add massaging or rain showerheads, a deep Zen soaking tub and even music and candles to enhance the revitalizing experience. 

Counter Space: If your bathroom is being shared by the family, counter space is critical. Consider a vanity with cabinets for extra storage and organization.

Ageless Amenities: Features usually associated with older homeowners – easier access, brighter lighting and convenient handholds – are helpful at any age. Adding them with your remodel could improve your home’s resale value.

Bed and Breakfast: Adding a morning bar to a master bedroom with an elaborate, built-in countertop and sink is a great way to add luxury and functionality.

Practical Approach

Finding Your Design: Start a scrapbook of design ideas you find in magazines and online. This will help you establish a foundation for your remodeling project. 

Sketch Your Layout: This will help you understand how you would like your new room to look and help you change the little things that you don’t care for in your current design.

Set a Budget: By outlining how much you can spend on each phase of the project you will be able to see if you can splurge on the extras; like a contractor or if you need to cut and do it yourself.

Set a Timeline: This will help you keep on track and allow you to achieve your remodeling goals. 

Increase Your Home’s Value

coins next to wooden home

Three Remodeling Projects That Will Increase Your Home’s Value

Most people start a remodeling project to improve an area of their home, but they also hope the finished project will add real value.

Remodeling your house can vary from small improvements to the addition of an entirely new room. But not all remodels will create the same amount of value.

For example, the installation of a sauna might improve the quality of life for a homeowner, but it’s not going to have a big effect on the home’s overall value. On the other hand, adding a brand-new kitchen or master bath could increase a home’s value by thousands of dollars. 

If you’re planning a home remodel with the intention of adding value to your home, you should consult with a highly rated remodeling company and talk to local realtors or appraisers to see if your project will meet your perceived goals.

“I like to always say that you want to concentrate on what people like to look for the most,” says Alessandro Ferreguetti, owner of the highly rated United Remodeling in Brighton, Mass. “It’s usually the areas of comfort and areas where people hangout the most.”

Ferreguetti says those areas usually include kitchens and bathrooms because they are the places where people envision they will spend the most time. 

Nick Reynolds, owner of Eye 4 Design and Renovation in Eagle Rock, CA., offers his top three remodeling projects to add value to a home:

  1. The #1 value project is definitely the bathroom. A bathroom can be remodeled for less than a kitchen and give added value to the same extent.
  2. A kitchen is the first place people go when they are looking to buy a house. The trick with the kitchen is to not go overboard because a $20,000 remodel might get you the same value as a $75,000 remodel.
  3. Exterior improvements and landscaping. The exterior of the house is as crucial as the kitchen. A new fence and exterior paint are relatively inexpensive and both and immediate value. Similarly, a well-designed landscape will have the same result.