redoing a bathroom---tell me what i want, what i need, and what to stay away from

we are ready to finally gut our disgusting bathroom from the 1960s. we don't have a ton of money for it, but want to do it right.

are there any products/styles/things i NEED to get? anything i SHOULD get because it's practical? anything to STAY AWAY from?

for example--my aunt learned the hard way that light grout on a kitchen floor is a nightmare. it never stays clean and she wishes she knew that before she started. things like that are what i'm looking for!

Re: redoing a bathroom---tell me what i want, what i need, and what to stay away from

I am curious for the same thing.

Any ideas?

Re: redoing a bathroom---tell me what i want, what i need, and what to stay away from

my advice is to really think about your storage needs and dont rush into it. I re worked the layout millions of times until I found the best one for us.
We just installed a new bathroom and I LOVE it. We have an 8 foot wall so we did 2 30 inch vanities, 1 set of drawers and a tall free standing linen closet. I can't believe hte amount of storage we have in there and we didnt add medicine closets.

Also put in ample lighting. We have 2 overhead vanity lights, a light in the center of the room and I asked them to add a light over the shower so it doesnt feel dark (we have a shower curtain). All have separate switches.

really there isnt one thing I dislike about my new bathroom! Its amazing!

ETA: if you seal the grout, it should keep its color longer.

Message edited 5/9/2010 9:32:39 PM.

Re: redoing a bathroom---tell me what i want, what i need, and what to stay away from

We went with comfort height toilets and it's really nice - they are a bit higher - easier to sit and stand if you have back trouble and easier to use as you age.

A gruesome thought but important PSA - If you're going with a shower door that swings, have it swing out, and away from the bathroom entry door. You hope no one ever has an accident or illness that causes them to pass out in a shower, but if they should, it's much easier to get in to assist or for emergency workers if there is a clear access from the open shower to the exit. Just imagine if you were trying to manuver a shower door inward when there is someone passed out on the floor.

Matt finish tile floors will be less slippery when wet - another safety consideration.

If you go with beadboard like we did, we were advised to go with the composite rather than the real wood. It's more stable in the humid envirionment.

Get a good exhaust fan and use it. I've read that you should run the fan for 20 minutes after showering to exhaust the room of all the moisture.

Re: redoing a bathroom---tell me what i want, what i need, and what to stay away from

If you can fit it - consider putting in a double sink. I am sooo thankful for the extra space in the mornings when my husband and I are rushing to get ready for work

Re: redoing a bathroom---tell me what i want, what i need, and what to stay away from

i know a lot of people like them. but get decent sized tile in the bathroom floor. the tile in my old bathroom was small white (like the old black and white popular in bathrooms) well the grout was a nightmare to clean.

eta: grammar

Message edited 5/9/2010 11:20:27 PM.

Re: redoing a bathroom---tell me what i want, what i need, and what to stay away from

double sink

subway tiles

mosaic backsplash

a vanity that looks like a piece of furn. with a granite top - so cool.

Re: redoing a bathroom---tell me what i want, what i need, and what to stay away from

Re: redoing a bathroom---tell me what i want, what i need, and what to stay away from

I would stay away from anything but white or bisque/cream colored fixtures. Anything colored dates the look of a bathroom really fast.

Re: redoing a bathroom---tell me what i want, what i need, and what to stay away from

Definitely make sure you get enough lighting. I LOVE my new bathroom but it's so dark. Also we have ceramic tile and it's much less slippery.
Not sure if you're doing the work yourselves but I wish we would have realized sooner that Home Depot had some of the same tiles we wanted as the tile store but for much less. Also I recommend the built in shelves in the wall of the shower (the kind that are in the wall not the ones that jut out)
Doing my bathroom was the biggest $$ and pain in the *** of my whole renovation. I'm sure I'll think of more.
Call me later and pick my brain!!

PS - Yay!!! you're finally getting your bathroom done!

Maybe next we'll both do the kitchens.

Re: redoing a bathroom---tell me what i want, what i need, and what to stay away from

We are redoing our bathroom right now.

We went with mosiac tile in a neutral color for the bath & vanity area. The floors are getting big tiles also in a neutral color.

We plan on keeping it clean & simple with the vanity choice.

I say stay away from too many trends. Pick one & than keep everything else somewhat simple. You won't get bored of it & it will appeal to more buyers if you ever decide to sell.

Re: redoing a bathroom---tell me what i want, what i need, and what to stay away from

absolute necessity: exhaust fan to remove steam and help with condensation, which prevents mildew and the ruining of your walls and ceiling.

we're about to install one in each of our bathrooms. ours also have lights in them so that helps with the lighting situation. can't wait and sorry that it took us all these months to do it!

Re: redoing a bathroom---tell me what i want, what i need, and what to stay away from

def. need an exhaust fan

we decided to do a rod instead of shower doors bc 10 years down the line, they are not fun to clean and not easy to change. shower curtain makes my bathroom 10 times easier to clean!

Re: redoing a bathroom---tell me what i want, what i need, and what to stay away from

These were my must haves:

Two sinks
Marble countertop
Lots of light (we have seven fixtures in the bathroom)
Classic chrome fixtures
And a large linen closet

I absolutely would not change anything on the above list. The one thing I thought was a must, but looking back, I realize I don't really need is an extra-deep tub. We paid extra to get one and I've used it once in almost a year!

Re: redoing a bathroom---tell me what i want, what i need, and what to stay away from

We're re-doing our bathroom right now and these are the must-have's that we wanted:

Double sink with double vanities and a set of drawer banks (lots of storage)

Double medicine cabinets for storage

Taller vanities (since DH and I are both tall)

Exhaust Fan to help w/moisture

Kohler fixtures

Good luck with your project!

Re: redoing a bathroom---tell me what i want, what i need, and what to stay away from

*radiant floor heating

*Schluter systems. We used the Kerdi in our shower.

*an excellent exhaust fan, low sone

*consider your lighting sources. we have multiple: vanity lighting (3 light fixture on dimmer), high-hats (on dimmer) and then the exhaust/light in the shower.

Re: redoing a bathroom---tell me what i want, what i need, and what to stay away from

thanks so much everyone!!