How to Design Dream Bathrooms for Your new Home
Creating custom, dream bathrooms in your home requires thinking through every step, and combining functionality with style. As you’re building a new home, bathrooms are a vital part of everyday life. A poorly made bathroom can cause stress, especially when sharing a bathroom with others. Here’s some tips to think about as you’re designing your bathrooms:
- Map your space
- Light it up
- Surfaces and textures in dream bathrooms
- How much to invest in sinks and fixtures
- Mix soft and hard
Map your space
It’s important to thoughtfully plan the functionality of your bathroom. If you work away from home during the day, think through your mornings and evenings. How much time do you spend in the bathroom getting ready? Do you put makeup on in your room or in the bathroom? Walk through your space with your contractor and go through your daily routine. Consider your arm’s reach and how much you want to walk from one section to the other. Make note of which items you use the most.
If you style your hair and put on makeup in the bathroom, it will be important to have lots of storage space and outlets available. If you share the space with several people, it might be good to create a separate space for the shower and toilet. (When you gotta go, you gotta go.)
Do you share the bathroom with multiple people who also get ready in the mornings? If you need to get ready while your partner or roommate showers, you could create a separation or private shower space. Or, you could make sure to incorporate enough bathrooms in your home for everyone to have their own space. In some homes, the vanity is actually separated by a door, so that each person has their own vanity while sharing one shower and toilet. There are many creative ways to work around schedules for busy families and full houses.
Before mapping everything out, make sure you know where the plumbing system is and that everything lines up accordingly.
Light it Up
Have you ever emerged from a wonderful shower to realize you missed a whole section when shaving your legs? Having insufficient light in your bathroom can cause more problems than you may realize. If you get ready in the bathroom mirror and your lighting is off, your entire face could be off.
It’s important to install lighting right next to the mirror in your dream bathrooms, and preferably warmer bulbs. Another option is to add windows and allow natural light to come in to save money on electricity. And don’t forget to add some recessed lighting above the shower and bathtub!
Surfaces and textures in dream bathrooms
With the excess water and condensation in a bathroom it’s important to choose the right surfaces for countertops, shower walls, and flooring. Porcelain tile is a popular choice as it is waterproof, stylish and cost effective. Vinyl plank is another great option as a waterproof surface and comes in thousands of options. If you can afford it, natural stone is also a nice option since it is hard, durable and aesthetically pleasing. Obviously, solid hardwood and carpet are poor choices for bathrooms, but there are ways to make it work.
Porcelain is also the most popular option for shower tile, while ceramic tiles are less dense but still a doable option. Laminate and tile are the cheapest and easiest options for vanity countertops, while solid surface countertops come in a variety of colors, shapes and textures. You can take things up a notch with natural stone countertops, using slate, soapstone, limestone, travertine, marble, onyx, or granite. For the ultimate countertop, quartz is considered the best material for functionality and appearance.
How much to invest in sinks and fixtures
Here is an area where you can get creative in your dream bathrooms. The sink is a fun way to change things up, but if you don’t have the budget you can also go the functional route and spice things up in a different area.
- Drop-in sink: The classic, cheap way to install a sink is the drop-in sink. It’s what you’ll find in most bathrooms because of its convenience and price.
- Pedestal sink: If you want to create a unique look while saving floor space, a pedestal sink is still on the cheaper side. It also makes for a clean, minimalist or vintage look in the bathroom.
- Undermount sink: If you’ve got a bit more money to spend, an undermount sink creates a seamless look and is an upgrade from the drop-in sink. You can also get metal undermount sinks, creating a bold, industrial feel.
- Vessel sinks: This is where you can get creative and spend a little extra to spice things up. A glass vessel sink adds a touch of elegance and color while changing things up.
Mix soft and hard
When choosing bathroom decor and surfaces—the dream bathrooms we all love have the perfect mixture of soft fabrics and hard surfaces. To keep the bathroom functional, you need hard surfaces like porcelain, glass, and wood that are water resistant. Add a nice rug, shower curtain or plush seat in the bathroom to balance out the hard surfaces and make things feel a bit more homey.
Build Your Dream Bathrooms with Chadwick Homes
Are you looking for a custom home builder that can design you the perfect home on the lakefront? Do you want a home with modern touches and features? Tired of home builders who promise to “customize your home” only to have 3 designs to choose from?
Don’t worry. We’re here to help. We’ll present you with actual architects and build you a home that is truly one of a kind. Contact us today for a free consultation and we’ll get started on your dream home!
