CREATIVE BATHROOM DECOR IDEAS
Quite a number of people tend to completely neglect their bathroom renovations but the fact is; this is one area of the house with a great deal of potential as far as redecoration and upgrading are concerned. There are quite a number of ideas with regard to redecorating the bathroom area either when moving house or simply upgrading what you already have. Here are some of the ideas and tips on how to decorate your bathroom with style.
Walls
One of the most common colors for bathroom walls is white and this is mostly because it makes everything look clean and pristine. The only problem with having white walls is that they do not bring about a feeling of comfort and stylishness. A better idea would be to use more neutral colors like silver. A nice modern pattern in this color will make your bathroom stand out. Seeing that the bathroom environment is usually moist; it is important to ensure that the walls are treated for mold before painting commences.
Fixtures
Fixtures are basically the focus points in any bathroom. Installing and changing them is not a very difficult task. You can achieve a very modern look for your bathroom by installing brushed aluminum handles, faucets and shower heads. For shower doors and shelves, adding glass will also accentuate that modern feel as well as installing huge mirrors. Square or rectangular mirrors with straight edges are the best for this kind of scenario.
Furniture
If you have old and bulky toilets in your bathroom, it is almost impossible to achieve a modern look. The solution therefore is to remove them and in their place install smaller, slick surface toilets. In addition, sinks that have been mounted on walls can be replaced with vessel bowl on countertop; this will definitely make the bathroom area look more modern. An alternative to cabinets would be free-standing wooden vanity. The darker the furniture the more modern it will appear.
Lighting
Bathroom lighting is one feature that most people tend to overlook. In order to bring a bit of modernity into your bathroom, consider replacing fluorescent lighting with track lighting. Three piece light fixtures and pendant lighting will also look quite great. For any modern bathroom space, glass embellished metallic lighting is the way to go.
Tile and Granite
Countertop surfaces that feature dated tiles should be replaced with granite. Granite makes surfaces appear sleek and attractive hence greatly contributing to the overall modern appearance of the bathroom. By using black granite, your bathroom will ooze boldness and modernity and will also compensate for the absence of glass features.
What to avoid
If you want to make your bathroom appear modern, there are certain colors that you will have to completely avoid for example yellow, blue, green and purple. Splashing a bit of color here and there is not bad for a modern look; going overboard however will simply mess up everything up. Where possible, fixtures and furniture made from wood should be avoided. As much as metallic fixtures greatly contribute to the overall modern feel, there are some metal coatings that will make everything look a bit old namely: gold and copper.
HOW TO FRAME A BATHROOM MIRROR
A bathroom mirror is not just a functional must-have item in one of the most used rooms in any house, it is also very often the focal point of a design statement that you are trying to make, so it is certainly important that you get it right when framing a bathroom mirror if you want to achieve the look you started out looking for.
UNSIGHTLY FIXINGS
If you have fitted a plain mirror to your wall you probably have some plastic clips showing around the edges as part of the fixing required. These obviously detract from the general look and can be quite ugly, also potentially quite annoying if you have noticed them and your eyes are then drawn to them each time you go to look in the mirror.
REMOVING THE CLIPS
The most effective way of removing and replacing the clips is to use just an ordinary washer. Choose a washer size that is compatible with your original screw hole size and simply replace the plastic clips with washers that when the screw fixing to the wall is tightened, will hold the mirror in place. The advantage of using a washer is that you now have a flat surface fixing around the edges of the mirror that will enable you to fit a frame more easily by gluing the moldings to them.
CHOOSING A FRAME
Adding a frame to your bathroom mirror allows you the opportunity of adding a splash of color to contrast or compliment the decorative scheme that you already have in your bathroom. As an example, if you have aqua blue walls and the bathroom is heavily used by your kids, you might want to frame the mirror with a fun fish print design, you never know they might love it so much that they will want to brush their teeth more often. Whatever you are trying to achieve as a look in your bathroom, a well chosen frame design or color will creative a great finish.
CREATING A FRAME
This is not as daunting a DIY task as it may seem and the essentials for the task are a pack of moldings to create the frame and a miter box, which is a plastic tool that will enable you to cut a perfect 45 degree angle every time with a miter saw that will probably come in the same kit altogether if you pick up the right one. The molding is fixed using liquid nails and you are advised to pick up a caulking gun at the same time, which is not very expensive (about $3) but will make the application far easier.
APPLYING THE FINISHING TOUCH
Once you have created your frame you can apply a paint finish and then add transfers if you like the idea of maybe adding some fun element to the mirror or really whatever takes your eye. The finished project will leave you with a good looking mirror that deserves to be a focal point in your bathroom and will also give you a fair amount of satisfaction at what you managed to create for a fraction of the cost of buying an expensive mirror from a department store.
BATHROOM RENOVATION DO’S AND DON’TS
If you’ve saved up with a home renovation project in mind, or simply come into a bit of cash and want to put it into your largest investment, you’ll be well served by remodeling your bathroom. The bathroom is one of the true ‘money makers’ in real estate.
Good bathrooms in a home are more important than almost anything else, and when renovated can insure you’ll receive top dollar when you finally choose to sell. But how do your structure this project? A bathroom renovation can be as simple as replacing the sink or as complicated as ripping everything down to the bare beams.
Your job will probably be somewhere in the middle, but the way you approach things from the start will have a lot to do with the successful end result, and whether you stick to your budget or not. Here are a couple of bathroom renovation do’s and don’ts to help you on your way.
First of all, make sure you start out with a clear and detailed game plan. No renovation project this complicated should be done freehand, with just your imagination to guide you. Missteps here will cost you major amounts of money, and if you don’t professionally chart out the job, you could end up really disappointed with the results.
A solid plan will also help you budget the entire job more strictly, which will obviously keep some money in your pocket for use in decoration. Just keep in mind that you probably shouldn’t change the layout of the room too dramatically.
Even with a strong plan, a wholesale redesign might come back to bite you in the end. People often move the sink or the shower only to find that they have to rip into the walls and redirect the plumbing. This costly add-on will blow your budget, so try to keep things as simple as possible.
If you’re looking to stick to a budget, or to reduce the estimates you’ve received from professionals, consider handling the demo yourself. Bathroom demolition isn’t terribly complicated, and for the right personality it can actually be sort of fun.
But whether you love the idea of swinging a sledgehammer into the walls or hate the thought of getting all dusty, you’ll always save money on the job by handling the demolition yourself. It takes a while, and the professionals won’t bring anything to the table that makes them any better at this task than you would be.
Of course, that’s as long as you don’t forget to shut the water off. And that means going to the source, not just switching off the pipes under the sink. Forget this step and you’ll end up with aa flood in the middle of your renovation job.
The key to a successful bathroom renovation is choosing the right places to spend your money. You should always update the cabinets, the lighting fixtures and any other fixtures that were inexpensive contractor jobs.
Higher end fixtures will give your bathroom more character and help you up the resale price when you put your home on the market. But there are other things you shouldn’t replace. Consider resurfacing the tub instead of ripping it out for a new model.
A professional cleaning and resurfacing job will make the tub look brand new, saving you potentially thousands of dollars. And don’t replace the toilet unless it is in dire need.
