09 Oct Overhaul your bath!!

In my last blog, I gave you some of my ideas on how to makeover your living room and family room, without embarking on a complete renovation and spending 10’s of thousands of dollars.  By changing and updating just a few items – the right items – you can completely alter the look and the enjoyment of a room.  Today I want to focus on the bath.  As before, pick any 2 – 3 items from my list below and your bath can be transformed.

1.  Showerhead.  Let’s start with something that can really upgrade your morning ritual.  If you are surviving with that standard shower head, now is an excellent time to upgrade.  There are so many great shower heads with multiple massage and air mist settings that can give you an invigorating start to your day.  The cost is minimal and the reward is so very great.

2.  Tile floor.  While this is not the cheapest item on my list, it is surprising easier to change than you may think.  If your home is 30 – 40 years old, you may have linoleum, carpet or basic 4” x 4” tile on your floor.  Today there are many wonderful tile materials that offer such easy maintenance combined with larger sizes (12” x 18” and 24” x 24” – offering less grout to clean). Today’s porcelain, large format will make your room look larger, give you less maintenance and give you the look of real stone and marble for less than half the price.  Your bathroom’s floor is a major element in your bath – changing it makes a big difference.

3.  Vanity.  Do you have a pedestal sink providing you with no storage?   Does your vanity have a countertop that has seen better days?  Or worse yet – is it cream color with avocado colored swirls?  It is time to invest in a new vanity.  Again, as long as you place the new vanity in the same location, this does not have to be a major expense.  This is an opportunity to get more practical storage and counter space, while making a big style impact.  Think about a beautiful stone top.  Or maybe a vessel bowl to add excitement.

Is your vanity in good shape?  Then maybe just a fresh coat of paint and new countertop will do the job.

4.Cabinetry hardware and faucet.  Both of these can add a bit of personality to your new bath.  If your faucet is currently plain and definitely out of date, changing it can be like adding a new piece of jewelry.  Today’s faucet can be sculptural and sophisticated in their design.  And so many finishes are available:  bronze, satin nickel, and polished nickel.

With hardware, you can show some personality.  Do you want a glamorous look?  Go for something with crystal. Want modern and hip? Choose a handle with Lucite or a semi-precious gemstone.

Whatever you choose, carefully consider how it ties in with your new faucet by keeping the metals in a similar finish.

5.Shower Doors.  And finally an item that cannot only add style, but also provide great function.  If you have been battling the daily attack of the shower curtain or struggle to keep the water in the shower rather than on the floor, investing in a glass shower door is an obvious choice.  It also provides your bath with a cleaner style, more actual elbow room, and easy clean ability.  Today’s shower doors are frameless and eliminate the lower plate that in the past was hard to clean.  A glass shower door system gives your bath a clean, tailored look that is right on today’s trend. One note:  if your shower tile is in good shape choose clear glass for the shower door to add spaciousness to the bath.  If your tile is less than stellar or if you have a lot of bath products and clutter choose frosted to hide the clutter from view.