Posts Tagged ‘Ideas’

Small Bathroom Ideas – 5 Ideas for a Small Bathroom

December 27th, 2009

Small bathroom ideas for a small bathroom remodeling or building project can help make the best use of the bathroom space. Small bathroom ideas deal with the special challenges that small spaces present. Fortunately, there are creative ways to use ideas for a small bathroom space that you may not have considered.
Are you looking to redesign and remodel an existing bathroom? Or are you building a new bathroom where the space will be limited? Even with a smaller bathroom, good design provides you a grooming room for the mornings or before going out and a space to relax in after a long day. This room is usually one of the smallest spaces in the home and one of the more expensive ones as well.
Here are five small bathroom ideas to consider as you are planning the room:
1. Location – if you are planning to add a small bathroom to your home and want to avoid major plumbing expenses, try to locate the new bathroom close to an existing room that already has plumbing installed like the kitchen or laundry. If your home has different floors, stack the bathrooms one over the other. This way, you can use the same plumbing lines for both the existing room and the new room which will save considerably.
2. Door Swing Direction – be sure that the door swings out and away from the bathroom, not into it. If the door swings into the room, the space that it needs to open will reduce the usable space. You do not want the door to be hitting the toilet, other fixture or person in the room. Consider using a sliding door as this kind of door will not require any floor space to open.
3. Storage – good small bathroom ideas will include a design that is free of clutter. Take advantage of nooks and corners to place storage baskets, shelves, cabinets, over the toilet storage, vanity and closets to help you organize the needed bathroom items. Towels, shampoos, soaps, magazines, hair dryers, medications, cleaning supplies, toilet paper and personal grooming accessories all need their own resting place. Good ideas for a small bathroom will use wall space and corner shelves wisely.
4. Corner Fixtures – using a space-saving corner pedestal sink can be one of the creative small bathroom ideas with limited space. There are attractive corner fixtures available that will provide similar functions as larger size units. Using a pedestal sink requires very little floor space or perhaps installing a wall hung sink or a corner bathroom vanity cabinet will be your best choice of fixtures. Corner toilet and corner shower units are also available that can perform well.
5. Humidity – moisture generated in small bathrooms can penetrate the ceiling, walls, floor and countertops. This lingering moisture could become a problem if you do not invest in a properly-sized ventilating fan to get rid of odors and moisture. Ventilating fans are sized by the number of cubic feet of air they move each minute (cfm). A good ventilation system that can move the air from the bathroom to the outdoors about eight times per hour means that the bathroom will have the moist air removed in 7 or 8 minutes time.
Be sure your bathroom exhaust fan is quiet and that it vents to the outside and not into the attic. Fans are rated in ‘sones’ based on how much noise they produce when operating. A rating of ’1 sone’ means that the fan is the quietest while higher sone-rated numbers indicate a noisier fan.
Enjoy the planning process, learn all you can and let your imagination go as you collect and implement your small bathroom ideas. Having an attractive and functional bathroom reflecting your personal style means you will have a special place to enjoy for many years to come.
Copyright 2007 InfoSearch Publishing

Bathroom Decorating Ideas – Ideas For Everyones Budget

December 27th, 2009

Other than the kitchen, the bathroom is the most used room in the house. But unlike the kitchen, a well-designed, decorated, and accessorized bathroom is more than just a place for personal hygiene. With creative bathroom decorating ideas you can turn your bathroom into your own personal spa-like retreat where you can escape from the world, relax and rejuvenate yourself. There are two main considerations for decorating a bathroom. First, if you’re in an older home remodeling bathroom ideas are more challenging because older homes typically have much smaller bathrooms then homes built over the last 20 years. Still, decorating a small bathroom can often be easier because small subtle changes can have a much larger visual impact. The second consideration is the amount of money you’re willing to spend. The Details in the Budget Whether your bathroom is large or small one thing is certain, you’re going to have to spend money if you want an updated bathroom. How much money you need to spend depends to a certain extent on the size of your bathroom and how much updating you feel you need to do to give the look and feel you desire. If you only have a couple hundred dollars to spend then generally you’ll be limited to mostly cosmetic changes such as paint, hardware and accessories. Though this may not be much money to spend, don’t discount the effect that a new coat of paint, some new hardware on the doors and drawers, and some additional accessories such as an inexpensive prints or new towel racks may have on your bathroom. Often that is all that is necessary to give your bathroom a very fresh and updated look. If you’re willing to spend a little more money, say $300-$600, then your budget could also include things such as shower curtains, rugs, upgraded towels, additional storage units and/or mirrors, and perhaps even additional or upgraded lighting. Throwing a beautiful rug on your bathroom floor, and adding storage units and unique mirrors can definitely change the look and feel of your bathroom. And since we all judge the quality of a hotel by the quality of their bath towels, having those plush bath towels in your own bathroom certainly goes a long way to making your bathroom feel more luxurious. Updated light fixtures can also add that additional touch of elegance that can really set your bathroom off. Beyond this point, ideas for bathroom remodeling tend to include the more costly aspects of decorating including changing out fixtures, sinks, toilets and bathtubs, and adding additional furniture. If you’re somewhat handy you may be able to replace the sink and tub faucets on your own, perhaps to the more currently popular darker oil rubbed looks or polished nickel. Beyond that, replacing sinks, vanities and bathtubs will generally require a contractor and/or plumber. You must be very careful when using a contractor since this is typically where the cost of bathroom remodeling can quickly jump by thousands and thousands of dollars. A couple of other options available that can offer some bathroom remodeling help include simply resurfacing your bathtub instead of replacing it. Resurfacing is only a one to two day process and can generally be done for around $500 or less. Re-grouting or re-tiling walls is another option that can easily brighten the bathroom for minimal cost. Finally, one of the newer methods of giving your bathroom an updated look is the installation of acrylic liners over your old bathtub. Your bathtub is measured to ensure a perfect fit, and an acrylic liner is molded and inserted over the old bathtub. This method can even be extended to the shower and walls and can this give your bathtub, shower and walls a totally updated and new look. Acrylic liners can cost anywhere from $700 to well up into the thousands depending how much you want to have done. Our bathrooms, unlike many other rooms in the home, tend to be very personal to us. It’s the first place we go in the morning and the last place we leave at night. We spend a lot of time in our bathrooms, and we want to come away feeling refreshed and rejuvenated. Great bathroom decorating ideas don’t necessarily have to be expensive, they just need to provide a bathroom that is warm, inviting and comfortable to be in. A well designed bathroom helps us prepare for the day ahead. Update and Enjoy!

Bathroom Remodeling Ideas That Work

December 26th, 2009

Bathroom remodeling is one of the best ways of preparing a home for sale. After kitchen remodels, bathroom remodels are next in raising the sales value of your home. Bathroom remodeling ideas need not be reserved for a house that is to be sold, however. You can enjoy a bathroom remodel now, and know that it will be an advantage when the time comes to sell the home. The home’s bathrooms are the rooms of heavy use. As such, they get a lot of wear and time. They also are seen many times each day. Bathroom remodels can keep your baths looking good and functioning properly. There are many ways that you can remodel a bathroom. Here are a few ideas. 1. Wall Tiles: Most contractors will tell you that 4 by 4 inch wall tiles are outdated. Replace them with 8 by 13 inch glazed ceramic tiles. The new tiles will be attractive and will help prevent mold. They will also keep your lower walls from being damaged by splashes from faucets. As part of your bathroom remodeling, paint the upper walls, and run a decorative border of tiles between lower wall tiles and the upper, painted wall. 2. Floor tiles: Visible, light flooring can create a feeling of increased space. If your bathroom remodeling project is, at least in part, because your bathroom seems small, install 12 by 12 inch light-colored floor tiles diagonally. The lines and the light color will give the illusion of much more space. 3. Heated Floor: Before you lay those floor tiles, consider heated floor as part of your bathroom remodeling project. Your whole family will appreciate them, and when it comes time to sell your home, heated bathroom floors will be an enormous selling point. 4. Vanity: Use your bathroom remodeling as an opportunity to get clean, free lines. Replace the vanity with a new “floating” type that does not touch the floor. Choose one with a granite or marble countertop. If you like the granite when you’re done, your bathroom remodeling project can prepare you for replacing kitchen countertops later. You may want a granite vanity top with one of the new vessel sinks. 5. Faucets: Faucets at the sink and tub are a wonderful place to begin a bathroom remodeling project. Once thought utilitarian, faucets have become stylish fixtures. At little cost, you can replace yours with vintage Victorian faucets, or sleek bamboo faucets resembling the bamboo fountain in an Asian garden. 6. Toilets: Relocating a toilet can call for major bathroom remodeling. Replacing it, however, is a simpler task, and can quickly update an old bathroom. If you want to further update your bath, consider adding a bidet. This bathroom remodeling project may require a contractor. 7. Lighting: Much bathroom remodeling falls short of its goal because overhead lighting is allowed to remain. While moisture resistant can lights above tub or shower can be helpful, an overhead light should be replaced by wall lights to increase the value of your bath. 8. Shower: If space allows, consider adding a separate shower to your bath area. Keep the tub for a spa-like retreat, but install a shower, too, with body sprays. If you like the natural, spa idea, look for a shower that has stone surround tile. This bathroom remodeling idea is bound to increase the value of your home. 9. Colors: The simplest bathroom remodeling project, and often an effective one, is to change the colors in the bathroom. If the bathroom remodel is being done to increase home value for sale, avoid unusual color combinations. Apply the tried and true 60-30-10 rule to your colors: 60 percent of your bathroom should be a dominant color, 30 percent a secondary color, and 10 percent an accent color. Bathroom remodeling ideas are many because people have many different tastes. Different locations also inspire different ideas. Bathroom remodeling in Seattle is bound to be different from bathroom remodeling in Pensacola. Many things will come to bear on your bathroom remodeling ideas, but in the end, you should create something peaceful and functional for you and your family.