Seven Stylish Ways to Remodel Your Bathroom
We found a great article on bathroom design ideas that we thought you might find interesting.- Kurtis Kitchen & Bath
If you're thinking about renovating your bathroom, check out what experts say are the hottest bathroom trends today.By Lee Nelson | Yahoo! Homes - Thu, May 16, 2013 2:42 PM EDTYou've lived with that pink tile in your bathroom for way too long. You've been longing for a place to relax and be pampered from life's stresses and you're finally ready to renovate your bathroom.But where do you start with a bathroom remodel? According to one expert, you should aim for the "hotel experience.""My clients want that hotel experience with neutral colors and a more luxurious feel with such things as towel warmers, heated floors, and a large shower with benches," says Davia Gallup, owner of Homefront Interior Design in Davenport, Iowa.Keep reading to learn about other bathroom trends that might spark some ideas for your own remodel.
#1 - Neutral Colored and Radiant Heated Floors
If you walk into a spa, you get a feeling of spaciousness without sacrificing the coziness. The subtle colors, natural materials of stone and wood, plus those luxurious cuddly robes, invite you in to relax.So, how can you get that same effect in your own bathroom?"If you want to make the space look bigger, putting a neutral colored floor is one of the ways to do it," Gallup says. However, if you want wood floors in your bathroom, you'll have to be pretty neat because you have to wipe up the water after every shower to avoid damage to the floors.Luckily, there's a way to get that wood look without all the fuss. In fact, new innovations in the tile industry allow you to put down a tile floor that looks just like wood, but still has the easy cleanup of tile."These new floors are really cool looking, and you can't tell that it isn't hardwood," Gallup says.How else can you make this your perfect bathroom? How about keeping your feet warm on cold mornings with a radiant heated floor?"It's not complicated at all to install them for contractors, and you can put the floor on a timer so it's warm when you hit the bathroom floor in the morning for your shower," she says.
#2 - Tranquil Tubs
You've had a long day at work, and all you want to do is soak in your tub with a glass of wine and candles. Sounds like a perfect evening, right?According to expert contractor, Tom Kindred, this is a popular scenario for clients who are remodeling their bathrooms. They request a separate soaking or Jacuzzi tub added into their dream bathroom."I still have many people - usually women - who want that big tub," says Kindred, president and owner of Kindred Kitchens in East Moline, Ill. "I've been designing and contracting so long that I can still remember when people wanted the pink and black tiles and colored bathtubs. But now, everyone wants that spa bathroom in their own homes. They want a place to escape, if only for a few minutes."So, what are some hot tub trends you can incorporate into your bathroom?Gallup notes that there are a variety of tub styles available, many of which "are combining energy, music and light," she says.For example, at a recent expo, she saw tubs that changed the color of your bath water for mood lighting, while others allowed you to sync up your iPad's music and have the tub vibrate to the sounds of your favorite artists.
#3 - Double Sunken Sinks in Master Bathrooms
Don't like to share your sink space? Well, thanks to the new trend of double sunken sinks, you don't have to anymore.And this is a trend that Kindred understands.Double sinks help keep the couple happy because everyone has their own space, drawers and mirror, says Kindred. No one has to fight for their time in the bathroom during a busy morning.In addition to double sunken sinks, Gallup also notes that more of her clients are requesting sinks that are integrated into the countertop - a seamless look with no lip or edges - which makes for an easy cleanup."Rarely do I put a vessel sink into a master bedroom because they are harder to clean and keep neat," adds Gallup.And when you want to add a great faucet, you might want to add polished chrome. The National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA) members note that the use of polished chrome in the bathroom has increased from 46 to 65 percent over the past year, according to a 2012 Top Kitchen & Bath Trends survey.
#4 - Creative Cabinets
You inherited that beloved antique dresser from your grandmother. It just sits in your attic waiting for the perfect place to be part of your family again. Why not redo the guest bathroom by using it as the sink cabinet?Surprised by this suggestion? Don't be. It's actually a growing trend."Everyone wants furniture-looking cabinets these days," Kindred says. "If you are creative, you can use a lot of different types of furniture as the cabinet."If you're looking to add more storage to your bathroom, you may want to consider incorporating a medicine cabinet into your remodeling plans. These purposeful cabinets lost popularity in the last decades, but are gaining momentum again with 66 percent of designers using them in bathroom remodels during 2012, says a NKBA survey.
#5 - Granite Countertops
Can you put a little pizzazz into your neutral bathroom with a unique countertop?Of course you can. It's your bathroom, and designers like Kindred love when homeowners go a little outside their comfort zone. And don't worry, you have plenty of choices when it comes to countertops.To start, Kindred says that granite could offer you the best bang for your buck."Everyone wants granite and that made the granite market competitive," he says. As a result, the demand has driven the price down on granite because more and more places are selling it to make their customers happy.Plus, if you plan on selling your home, granite countertops are what everyone wants when they go looking for a house to buy, adds Kindred.But if granite countertops simply don't fit in with the design or atmosphere that you're going for, don't fret. Countertops can be made of everything including glass, wood, stones of all sorts, mosaic tiles, recycled materials, quartz, laminate, concrete, and Corian®."Some people get confused because there are so many choices," he says. "Talk with an expert about what your needs are and then find out what would be the best for your home and bathroom."
#6 - Double Mirrors - with a Twist
Remember how we said that couples want two sinks in their bathrooms? Well, they also want two mirrors to hang above those sinks.What's more, these mirrors are usually framed by wooden or metal frames to give them the look of being a picture on a wall, Gallup says.But that's not all. Homeowners also want some entertainment while lounging in their bathtubs, and as a result, homeowners can now install mirror TVs in their bathrooms. It's a mirror. It's a TV. It's a mirror. It's a TV. It's whatever you want it to be. When the TV is turned off, it looks just like anyone else's mirror."People want luxury," Kindred says. "I've put many televisions and fireplaces into master baths along with coffee makers and towel warmers."
#7 - Doorless Showers
If glass doors or shower curtains are making you feel trapped when you're washing up, you're not alone.Doorless showers rank in the top five most popular products by clients in 2011, according to the American Institute of Architect's Home Design Trends survey. Doorless showers give off a luxurious quality as they allow for ample room to spread out and relax."People don't want a glassed-in shower anymore," Kindred says. "They want to be able to just walk in and turn on all those different shower heads and rain shower heads for a complete experience."Gallup says her customers are interested in having a spa-like experience with their bathroom remodels, often desiring benches and a variety of rain and shower heads."It's all about feeling like you are in a spa, even though you are in your own home," she says.Source URL: https://homes.yahoo.com/news/hot-bathroom-trends-165116666.htmlYahoo! Homes