FREE DESIGNS AND ESTIMATES

Bathroom Workbook: Layer on the Texture for High Bath Style

Bathroom Design Photo

Article by: Shana Ecker

I once read that the average American spends almost three full years of his or her life in the bathroom. If that’s true, perhaps we should consider making this space a little more worthy of our time. Bathrooms can often be sterile and cold, with slick and shiny surfaces. But just as with any other room in your home, adding texture to your bathroom can make it vibrant and welcoming. With gorgeous natural stones, plumbing fittings with intricate details and textural linens, wall treatments and more, there are endless ways to give your bathroom depth and personality. But beware: If you get inspired by the stylish little spaces below, you may find yourself spending a few more years in the bathroom.

Read more

Bathroom Workbook: 7 Natural Stones With Enduring Beauty

There’s no other material quite like natural stone. No two pieces are exactly alike, and nothing else adds the same organic warmth and texture to a bathroom. Not to mention the longevity. If they’re well maintained, your stone surfaces can last a lifetime. 

Marble, of course, has been a popular stone choice for luxurious interiors for centuries based on its inherent beauty. But while Carrara and Calacatta remain classics, they have their downsides, and they aren’t your only options. Here are seven other natural stone varieties, each with its own unique characteristics and strengths, worth considering for your bathroom floors, countertops and walls.

Read more

4 Secrets to a Luxurious Bathroom Look

Ever looked at a beautiful bathroom and wondered what takes its design to the next level? You’re not alone. Many homeowners want to know how some bathrooms get that mysterious designer je ne sais quoi. I’ll let you in on a few secrets. Because the overall material costs are low in a small space like a bathroom, it’s a great place to spurge a little on a few features. But it also helps to know where to spend and where to save. Here are a few of my favorite tricks for getting a nicely finished look for a lower cost.

Read more

Bathroom Workbook: 8 Elements of Farmhouse Style

The American “farmhouse bathroom” is a bit of an oxymoron. Most original farmhouses were built at a time when the only bathroom was an outhouse. And when farmhouse owners did eventually bring plumbing inside, they didn’t actually build a bathroom; they took over a spare bedroom or other room and put a toilet, sink and stand alone tub in the space. This focus on practicality and function continues to drive the style’s popularity today. 

Here are eight elements of a modern-day bath with farmhouse style. 

Read more

9 Big Space-Saving Ideas for Tiny Bathrooms

Really small bathrooms can be incredibly challenging to design. When there is hardly room for a toilet and sink, let alone a shower (a tub being totally out of the question), the usual fixtures and room layout simply will not do. These nine ideas go beyond simply making your bathroom look bigger and actually free up more space.

Read more

Bathroom Remodel Insight: A Houzz Survey Reveals Homeowners’ Plans

Article by:

Older and younger generations often have widely differing viewpoints. But who knew bathrooms could be so divisive? In a recent Houzz survey, we asked homeowners planning a bathroom remodel or already in the process of one about their needs and desires. Of the 7,645 people who responded, young and old homeowners tended to fall into two clear groups. 

Homeowners 65 and older are more likely to skip adding a bathtub than those under 35. This could be for any number of reasons, but it’s likely that younger homeowners may have or expect to have children, who would be more likely to use a tub. Plus, those 65 and older likely choose showers because they’re more accessible for aging in place.

Bathtubs have traditionally boosted resale value (which 31 percent of the respondents said was the driving factor for their bathroom remodel), but older people may be planning to hang on to their homes longer, so resale isn’t as much of an issue.

 

 

 

 

 

 

For those adding tubs, freestanding models top the list, with 33 percent of respondents preferring them over drop-ins, undermounts and other styles. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Young and old are also split on how they like their showers. If you’re under 45, you’re more likely to choose a rain shower and multiple showerheads. If you’re over 55, you likely prefer hand showers and sliding bars.

 

Meanwhile, there are two camps when it comes to, er, No. 2. The survey found an even split when it comes to toilet exposure: 52 percent of people want an open toilet versus one behind a closed door. Younger homeowners (25 to 34 years old) prefer tankless or wall-mounted models over the traditional two-piece ones. 

Upgrading features and fixtures was the main reason cited for remodeling a bathroom (49 percent). Frameless glass is one of the more popular choices. About 79 percent of people will choose all-glass enclosures for their main shower, and 54 percent will chose frameless glass.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lighting is important too, whether it’s bringing in the natural sunshine with skylights or adding more LED lights. New windows top the list too, with 48 percent of respondents saying they plan to add a window and 41 percent a lighted vanity mirror. And if that’s not enough, 7 percent say they’ll add a showerhead with LED lights.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Also, 42 percent of all respondents are planning to add a shower seat. I think it was Winston Churchill who said, “Why stand when you can sit?”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

White cabinets are the preferred color choice, with 32 percent of homeowners saying they’ll choose this ultimate neutral hue.

 

Contemporary Bathroom by Portland Kitchen & Bath Designers Kirstin Havnaer, Hearthstone Interior Design, LLC 

Brushed nickel (26 percent) and polished chrome (24 percent) are the front-runners for faucet finishes.

Bathroom Remodel: A Survey Reveals Homeowners’ Plans

Article by: Mitchell Parker

Older and younger generations often have widely differing viewpoints. But who knew bathrooms could be so divisive? In a recent Houzz survey, we asked homeowners planning a bathroom remodel or already in the process of one about their needs and desires. Of the 7,645 people who responded, young and old homeowners tended to fall into two clear groups.

Contemporary Bathroom

by

Glen Ellyn Kitchen & Bath Remodelers

Drury Design

Homeowners 65 and older are more likely to skip adding a bathtub than those under 35. This could be for any number of reasons, but it’s likely that younger homeowners may have or expect to have children, who would be more likely to use a tub. Plus, those 65 and older likely choose showers because they’re more accessible for aging in place.

Bathtubs have traditionally boosted resale value (which 31 percent of the respondents said was the driving factor for their bathroom remodel), but older people may be planning to hang on to their homes longer, so resale isn’t as much of an issue.

Traditional Bathroom

by

Atlanta General Contractors

Cablik Enterprises

For those adding tubs, freestanding models top the list, with 33 percent of respondents preferring them over drop-ins, undermounts and other styles. 

Contemporary Bathroom

by

Bethesda Design-Build Firms

ART Design Build

Young and old are also split on how they like their showers. If you’re under 45, you’re more likely to choose a rain shower and multiple showerheads. If you’re over 55, you likely prefer hand showers and sliding bars.

Rustic Bathroom

by

Toronto Photographers

Peter A. Sellar – Architectural Photographer

Meanwhile, there are two camps when it comes to, er, No. 2. The survey found an even split when it comes to toilet exposure: 52 percent of people want an open toilet versus one behind a closed door. Younger homeowners (25 to 34 years old) prefer tankless or wall-mounted models over the traditional two-piece ones.

Traditional Bathroom

by

Fort Washington General Contractors

HomeTech Renovations, Inc.

Upgrading features and fixtures was the main reason cited for remodeling a bathroom (49 percent). Frameless glass is one of the more popular choices. About 79 percent of people will choose all-glass enclosures for their main shower, and 54 percent will chose frameless glass.

Traditional Bathroom

by

Duxbury Design-Build Firms

ARCHIA HOMES

Lighting is important too, whether it’s bringing in the natural sunshine with skylights or adding more LED lights. New windows top the list too, with 48 percent of respondents saying they plan to add a window and 41 percent a lighted vanity mirror. And if that’s not enough, 7 percent say they’ll add a showerhead with LED lights.

Transitional Bathroom

by

Victoria Architects & Designers

The Sky is the Limit Design

Also, 42 percent of all respondents are planning to add a shower seat. I think it was Winston Churchill who said, “Why stand when you can sit?”

Traditional Bathroom

by

Larkspur Architects & Designers

McCoppin Studios

White cabinets are the preferred color choice, with 32 percent of homeowners saying they’ll choose this ultimate neutral hue.

Contemporary Bathroom

by

Portland Kitchen & Bath Designers

Kirstin Havnaer, Hearthstone Interior Design, LLC

Brushed nickel (26 percent) and polished chrome (24 percent) are the front-runners for faucet finishes.

Splendor in the Bath: Art Deco Brings on the Elegance

Article by:

I realized a few years ago that our upstairs bathroom — with its leaky tiles, rusty faucets and crumbling walls — was due for a major rehab. I still loved its retro seafoam-green bathtub and sink, and its champagne-bubbly black and white wallpaper, so I wanted to hold on to those features and design around them. The room lent itself to an art deco treatment, and I knew that the aesthetic would make it chic at minimal cost.

There’s just something about art deco — the exuberant decorative style that had its heyday in the period between the two world wars — that has beguiled the public for nearly a century. Perfectly suited to both grand communal spaces (think Radio City Music Hall and the Chrysler Building) and intimate home interiors, it has never really fallen from fashion since its introduction at Paris’ Exposition des Arts Décoratifs in 1925. Since then art deco’s signature parallel lines and repeated geometric motifs have been incorporated into vacuum cleaners and ocean liners, toasters and martini shakers. The style exudes an urban, industrial essence, as well as a sense of optimism and fun.

Here are some art deco bathrooms that inspired me and a couple of photos of our new bathroom. I hope they inspire you

With its jazzy tile pattern, classic black and white color scheme, and streamlined, linear look, this bathroom projects the art deco sensibility in spades. The ziggurat pattern in the tiling evokes the image of a skyscraper; it’s a popular deco look. It’s based on an ancient Mesopotamian design. (Egyptian motifs were popular during the King Tut craze of the 1920s.) 

This bathroom exudes the self-confidence and futurism of the art deco age. This flamboyant fan-shaped mirror would look great in a larger space (such as the ladies’ room at Radio City Music Hall), but the simple white sink and black accessories (as well as the shower’s relatively restrained tile pattern) manage to tone down the energy level.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As people began to speed across the ocean in airliners and across the continent in locomotives, design became filled with allusions to transportation. The parallel vertical lines on this vanity base recall a rocket preparing for liftoff and express the style’s sense of speeding headlong into the future. The broad curving line of the top evokes ocean liner furniture and gracefully avoids sharp edges that would detract from the desired sleekness.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Traditional Bathroom by Los Angeles Architects & Designers Tim Barber LTD Architecture & Interior Design 

This bathroom has the whole art deco package, with its classic color combo of black, white and seafoam green; creative linear touches in black; and elegant glass and chrome wall sconces. The vertical-horizontal dynamic is enhanced by the placement of the green wall tiles, which alternate between horizontal and vertical pairs.

 

Modern Spaces by Other Metro Artists & Artisans Clearlight Designs 

Cleverly incorporating the nautical look that is a hallmark of art deco design, this recently made piece functions as both a light and a mirror. Circular windows have always evoked the portholes on ocean liners, and this one even comes with a fish. 

A shiny black vanity top rests on a sturdy chrome base against a backdrop of black and white ceramic floor tiles and glass light fixtures, evoking the high-gloss aura of art deco. The wallpaper’s pattern of powder-gray lines (reflected in the mirror) echoes the open vertical spaces in the light fixtures, providing a clever softening touch.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This bathroom is a little more restrained than the usual art deco confection, but it still includes the basic elements. The chrome towel rack at the foot of the tub is a nice touch, while the suspended shower curtain ring and elongated shower stem give the room the illusion of greater verticality.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cleopatra would have loved this elegant black, white and apple-green bathroom, with its ziggurat motif and touch of Nile-blue glass. The gleaming walls are made of Vitrolite, a lustrous structural glass that was very popular in the 1930s. You could get a similar look today with back-painted glass tile.

 

 

 

 

 

This is a corner of our new bathroom. We redid the wall in period-appropriate (and easy-care) subway tiles, with a horizontal line of green glass tiles on the shower wall and a vertical black line that’s out of view. A green glass shelf (with rounded corners) and chrome plumbing fixtures complete the look — although we’re still searching for a circular, black-framed mirror that will fit in the small space above the sink.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We treated ourselves to an accent panel depicting Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s popular Glasgow rose. We’ve incorporated Glasgow roses into other places in our house; we like the idea of repeating favorite motifs from room to room. Mackintosh’s visionary design work — most of it executed during the era of Victorian fussiness — is often considered a foundation of art deco.


10 Elements of a Dream Master Bath

Article by:

Dreaming of revamping your master bath? From dual showers and soaking tubs to saunas, live-edge wood and built-in storage, more options abound than ever before. See if any of these 10 features make the wish list for your ultimate master bath. 

A dual shower. Would you forgo a bathtub altogether in favor of a shower? What if it were a really nice shower? This gorgeous shower has dual showerheads, black slate and built-in storage for towels and soap.

 

A Japanese soaking tub. If you do go for a tub, consider a Japanese-style soaking tub rather than a full-size version. A soaking tub is ideal for smaller spaces or when you want to devote more real estate to the shower; although it has a smaller footprint, it’s deep enough for bathers to fully submerge. 

Slightly larger than a traditional Japanese soaking tub, this one is deep enough for someone to have a good, relaxing soak and wide enough for two. The clean lines of the cube-shaped tub pair well with the narrow horizontal wood slats for an organic modern look.

 

Wood. Wood in bathrooms has been trending for several years now and shows no signs of slowing — and why not? With marine-grade supplies and specialty finishes, it’s possible to enjoy the warm look and feel of wood in the bathroom. Say goodbye to cold tile! 

Contemporary Family Room by Other Metro Architects & Designers Susanna Cots 

The bath in the bedroom. Would you bathe in the bedroom? Combining bath and bed tends to ignite controversy — superluxurious, say some, while others prefer a distinct separation. Where do you stand?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A sauna. Live somewhere cold or just love a good sweat? Embrace the wintertime traditions of Nordic countries with your very own sauna at home. Saunas don’t need to eat up too much space, and having one installed may cost less than you think.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sneaky storage. If you are redoing the whole bathroom, you may as well give some thought to your storage options — things have evolved since the days when your only choices were pedestal sink or double vanity. 

Sneak in pullout shelves, wall cubbies, recessed niches and more to get exactly the right storage for your stuff.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Contemporary Bathroom by Other Metro Architects & Designers Susanna Cots 

What would have been a wasted section of wall space here was transformed into hidden shelving that’s perfect for storing spare toiletries.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Black and white. You really can’t go wrong with black and white — it’s chic, versatile and always in.Whether you bring the scheme to life with hand-painted floor tiles and horizontal black wall tiles, as in this hip space, or go for the classic subway and hex-tile combo, it’s bound to look good even five or 10 years out.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Live-edge wood. Well suited for both rustic and modern interiors, a live-edge wood slab makes a great bathroom feature.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A view. Sadly, this won’t work for all of us (at least not those of us with close neighbors), but if you are lucky enough to have a home with some privacy, I say make use of it! 

A wall-to-wall window like this one will give you the feeling of soaking right out in nature — and making the bottom of the window level with the top of the tub will keep you from feeling overexposed. You can also always add window shades for privacy and light filtering.

 

Open air. If privacy isn’t an issue, consider opening up an entire wall to the outdoors. On cool days you can still enjoy the view, and on warm days you can slide open the glass and let the sun shine in!

Bathroom Floor Tile: Glass Mosaic for a Luxurious Look

Glass mosaic tile flooring can certainly add beauty to a bathroom, but it’s still a hotly debated material choice for flooring. No one can deny how great it looks, but some people question its durability and safety in a wet environment. Here you’ll learn all about the pros, cons and costs to help you decide if glass mosaic tile is a good fit for your bathroom. Could this luxurious material work for you? 

Read more