Master Bath Design

Your home has been in need of a bathroom remodel, and the time to start the process has arrived. Whether remodeling a master bath or a guest powder room, there are quite a few factors to consider. Unless you are a homeowner who has extensive remodeling experience, hiring a professional who works through the process on a daily basis will prevent your dream bathroom from turning into a nightmare.

THE FLOOR PLAN

When thinking of the new floor plan of your bathroom renovation, consider how the space can be utilized best. How many times have you taken a bath in the garden tub in the past year? If you aren't utilizing the tub, there is approximately 5 feet by 3 feet of space that could be used to enlarge the shower, add a linen closet, or add a make-up vanity. Is the toilet the first thing you see when you open the door? Typically the bathroom door remains open, a direct view of the toilet is not the most pleasant view. A killer feature wall, beautiful vanity, or an elegant freestanding tub are all ideal focal points to your bathroom retreat. 

 

MATERIALS SELECTIONS

When selecting materials for your new bathroom think about the overall feel you are going for. Are you wanting a spa-like retreat, a rustic cottage feel, or a sleek modern vibe? The tile, vanity, lighting, mirrors, and plumbing are key factors in creating the bathroom you have envisioned. Something to consider is what you would like the focal point of your bathroom to be. Splurging on a beautiful accent wall, a gorgeous freestanding tub, a sparking chandelier, or eye catching mirrors can be a worthwhile investment to bring a special flare to your bathroom. Spending a few extra dollars on a couple of select materials can be done in a way that doesn't break the bank and makes the space extra special. 

Lighting

Lighting in a bathroom should not only create ambiance, but also provide proper illumination for shaving or applying make-up. Recessed LED can lights throughout the ceiling brightens the space making it feel larger and also saves energy. Adding a dimmer for the can lights allows you to control the mood of the room. Task lighting is also necessary in a bathroom to illuminate the work space of the vanity. Proper lighting at the mirror should brighten the face with minimal shadowing to make shaving, make-up application, brushing your teeth, or hair styling easier. 

Cleaning your tile floors

Ok, we have a question from a customer.  Mrs Wimmer asks us "What is the best way to take care of my tile"?  Well lets start by letting our readers know that we have just completed a full master bath remodel for this client in a wonderful white/gray porcelain 12"x24" tile.  We also installed a honed natural stone fireplace accent wall, as well as a polished natural stone back splash in her kitchen, and a full surround in her guest bath in ceramic tile.  What a pleasure it was to work on her job, and she does have almost all of the different types of materials we sell, all in one house.  

The easiest, quickest and most efficient step to taking care of your tile floors is to regularly sweep, vacuum and damp mop them. Lets start with the porcelain tile. The biggest difference between between porcelain and all the other tile options for a floor is that porcelain as part of its make-up is a almost zero porosity material.  This means that it does not absorb something spilled on it like a natural stone or even a ceramic would.  These tiles are very durable and can be cleaned with almost any household cleaner without any worries about damaging the surface.  What we have to be a little more cautious about is the grout joints.  This is the same for all tiled areas.  Grout tends to be the maintenance area of concern with most tile installs.  We do not recommend using vinegar on your grout.  I know a lot of people always have, but we also get a lot of calls from people that have failing grout that comes out just by running a car key down the joints.  Vinegar is a mild acid and over many years of use will break down the strength of the grout.  We also do not recommend any cleaners with detergents in them as they can leave a soapy residue behind in the pores of the grout that actually will attract more dirt.  We also do not recommend any cleaners with color additives in them (lemon, orange, pine etc...), this color can stain the grout over time.  We have a selection of daily cleaners in the showroom that will provide a strong enough cleaning power but are formulated to work with your grout.  The other solution that we suggest is a mix of ammonia and water.  This will cut the grease and grime and not leave a soapy residue behind. We usually mix it 5 parts water to one part ammonia, and remember we don't want the sudsing or the scented kind.  

When we talk about ceramic we have the same suggestions.  Remember that ceramic is more porous then porcelain and so the absence of color in the cleaner is even more important.  Using a good quality steam mop on any of your tile floors is a great way to remove daily grime, and being that it is just a water vapor it doesn't leave any unwanted colors or suds behind.  

Natural stone is the more delicate flooring that we install.  It has a wonderful look to it that is very rich and natural and not easily reproduced in a man made tile form.  Dust mop interior floors frequently using a clean non-treated dry dust mop. Sand, dirt and grit do the most damage to natural stone surfaces due to their abrasiveness. Mats or area rugs inside and outside an entrance will help to minimize the sand, dirt and grit that will scratch the stone floor. Be sure that the underside of the mat or rug is a non-slip surface. Normally, it will take a person about eight steps on a floor surface to remove sand or dirt from the bottom of their shoes. Do not use vacuum cleaners that are worn. The metal or plastic attachments or the wheels may scratch the surface.Clean stone surfaces with a few drops of neutral PH stone cleaner available at retail stores or at your local tile and stone dealer, or a mild liquid dishwashing detergent and warm water. Use a clean rag mop on floors and a soft cloth for other surfaces for best results. Too much cleaner or soap may leave a film and cause streaks. Do not use products that contain lemon, vinegar or other acids on marble or limestone. Rinse the surface thoroughly after washing with the soap solution and dry with a soft cloth. Change the rinse water frequently. Do not use scouring powders or creams; these products contain abrasives that may scratch the surface.

We also suggest that you have your grout sealed if you are concerned about it being stained.  We also offer an upgraded grout that is less pores and helps to repel stains better then a standard grout does.

Where to start with a bathroom remodel

Well we still have not had any requests for topic discussion (please request something, that was the point of this blog - thanks in advance).  So next we would like to discuss "Where to start with a bathroom remodel". 

We start by asking our clients if there is look that they have seen that stands out to them.  People get inspiration from so many different places.  Sometimes you are out at a restaurant and love what they did in their entry, or bathroom, sometimes its a friends house that just had some work done, or an HGTV show, a magazine ad for a new faucet, a web site like Houzz, etc.  We find this kind of inspiration gives us a direction to start in, now we decide where to go from there.

One of the first things we like to do is come out to the house and do a site measurement of the space.  From this we can better tell what is and what is not feasible.  Sometimes moving a plumbing item is easy, and some times it just doesn't make sense.  We like to see where doors to other rooms are and where the windows are located.  This is something that James does and he can tell us more about what exactly he looks for on a site measure, and then I am going to discuss a little further how we take that information and help come up with a comprehensive design for the space.