The bathrooms is one of the most important rooms in the house. That’s where we start the day, and that’s where we finish the day, washing away the stress when we come back home at night.
We all like a bathroom that feels comfortable, helps us relax, and generally acts as our own private SPA. Sounds like a dream?
What if we told you that this dream can become a reality?
With just a few simple improvements and creative thinking, you can turn your bathroom into a personal relaxing paradise. Here are some key elements to focus on as you plan your Toronto bathroom remodeling project.
Tiles
Many Toronto homes have outdated, bland tiles on walls and floors both. 4 by 4 wall tiles are a thing of the past when it comes to Toronto bathroom remodeling trends – replace them with cool, asymmetrical 8 by 13 ceramics and see an amazing difference. Using tiles of interchanging color instead of uniform patterns is much recommended. Floor tiles can also enjoy a new twist – quite literally: diagonally set tiles are gaining popularity because of their ability to visually enlarge a smaller bathroom. Browns and soft off-whites are recommended for a cozy feel and look.
Heated Floors
While we’re talking about floors, let us tell you of a new amazing heating system. You know, no matter how much heat you drive into the air, the bathroom floor is going to stay cold and clammy. Not with this upgrade. Keep your floors nice and warm when you take a shower or prepare for the workday.
Vanity and Cabinets
Storage space can be a real challenge, especially in smaller bathrooms, but today’s carpentry is capable of maximising usable cabinet space while keeping it stunningly elegant. With a fabulous vanity, sporting a vessel sink set in a lavish marble countertop topped with bronze faucets, you can’t help but feel pampered every time you walk in.
Cozy Lighting
To complete the SPA appearance, you need to set up an elegant lighting scheme. A very popular choice nowadays, with low upkeep and great potential for custom lighting, are pot lights. They are especially good for bathrooms, due to the fact that they are recessed and don’t risk being damaged by humidity as much as protruding light fixtures do. Add a dimmer switch and some color filters for a perfect Hotel Resort feel, and enjoy!
Locating great kitchen counter tops is a lot easier than you may believe. With affordability, fashion, and function, shoppers now have a multitude of choices. This article can assist you in making a good choice when choosing the best kitchen countertops.
Granite Countertops. Accessible in a variety of colors, granite countertops last long and are aesthetically pleasant. They are immune to water spots, heat, and the routine wear and tear.
Marble Countertops. They are quite pleasant to the eye and very resistant to heat and water. Semiannual cleaning and resealing are usually needed. They are rarely scraped and often quite pricey.
Engineered Stone. It has a smooth finish and involves very little maintenance. It is immune to stains, heat, and bacteria. Engineered Stone countertops tend to possess the exact same vibrant appearance as Marble or Granite countertops.
Stainless Steel. Stainless Steel is the most recyclable of all materials. Stainless Steel is presented as a green alternative for the kitchen. Additionally, it adds a contemporary touch to any home. A very small amount of care is needed.
Concrete. Concrete comes in any color and has a modern feel. It is resistant to heat and is a permanent fixture. Concrete counters can stain rather easily and are extremely heavy when attempting to setup.
Butcher Block Counters. These counters are an excellent eco-friendly selection, since no new trees are required to be cut down for manufacturing purposes. Butcher Block Counters are moderately priced and scratches can be removed by simply sanding the wood.
Laminate Kitchen Counters. It offers an assortment of shades and designs. These counters are a very easy to keep clean and extremely affordable. It’s also an excellent do-it-yourself job. Trivets are recommended to prevent heat damage.
Soapstone Counters. Soapstone Counters are visually appealing. It is highly resistant to heat and spots, although prone to breaking and can be quite expensive to fix.
Solid Surfacing Countertop. Solid Surfacing Countertops are also called Corian countertops. This material features an enormous variety of shades as well as designs. There is usually very little maintenance, and it is immune to stains and heat.
Even though deciding on the best countertop for the kitchen will often be challenging, replacing kitchen countertops is among the most effective ways to modernize the design of your kitchen and add value to your property.
You should never think of a bathroom renovation as an extra expense. Even the smallest upgrade adds a tremendous amount of benefit. Remember that you and most other people spend a huge amount of time in the bathroom. What you do in there is your business, of course, but no matter what it is, don’t you want to do it in luxurious comfort?
At the very least, you do not want to do it in a place with a distracting leak, a toilet that refuses to flush, or while looking at a nondescript plain wall. You see, a renovation is not just about form, it is about function as well. Consider some of these benefits involving both those things.
1. Improve Your Own Enjoyment and Relaxation with a Renovation
Your bathroom is not just a place to perform a function. It can be, and that is how some people use it. Consider your own comfort and relaxation. Even small changes can make a huge difference. You can place something soft onto that cold, impersonal toilet seat.
You can make a small space feel larger with changes to colors and patterns. Many people do not think of them that way, but those small changes are, in fact, renovations.
There are also the big changes. Turning the tub into something more spa-like, so you can go from simply taking a bath, to luxuriating in bubbly pleasure. You can upgrade the shower heads and even add more of them, to make a shower much more appealing.
Some people even like to add small screens in the wall or mirror, so they do not miss a show, a game, or just to have something to look at.
Always consider your comforts. Outside of everything else, it is probably the number one benefit to a bathroom renovation.
2. Improve the Appearance of the Bathroom and the Home
A bathroom renovation will, of course, make the bathroom look better. But it will also make your home as a whole look better.
Have you ever gone to someone’s house, admired it and then walked into their bathroom? Was the bathroom the equal of the rest of the home? If it was not, then you should have suggested they think about renovating it.
Appearance is not everything. It is pointless to make a bathroom look better without adding functionality, but appearance does count for a lot. Do not be the person with the gorgeous home and hideous bathroom. This goes for all of your bathrooms as well. Some people will upgrade the main bathroom, but neglect the second or half bath. Your other bathrooms deserve love too.
Besides, a nice appearance also adds to your comfort as mentioned previously. The two can go hand-in-hand.
3. Add Space to Your Bathroom with a Remodel
Space is important on many levels. When you walk into your bathroom, do you have to turn sideways to get something done? If you sit on the toilet, are you literally right next to or within touching distance of some other bathroom fixture? You need some space in there.
This also goes back to your own comfort. No one should feel claustrophobic in their own bathroom. There are two ways to add space with a bathroom remodel.
Add more space with construction
Add virtual space by switching out fixtures and components
Both of these options are viable. If you have the means, then adding literal space can help a lot. If your bathroom fixtures are already up to date, then spacing them out is all you need.
If you cannot add physical space, you can start the process of swapping your components for other, more efficient ones that save space. That is one way to make your current space seem larger than it really is.
In addition, that extra space can turn into space you can use to declutter the rest of your home. You can add more cabinets in the bathroom or additional storage space for towels and linens.
You can move the bulk toilet paper from the garage or kitchen and put it where it belongs. There are a lot of possibilities; it is up to you and your contractor to figure out how best to utilize them.
4. Increase the Value of the Entire Home with a Bathroom Renovation
Most remodeling work increases a home’s value. When selling a home, potential buyers often look to the bathrooms as a statement of the home in general. If the bathroom is nice, they assume everything else is nice as well. Some people go out specifically looking for remodeled bathrooms.
A bathroom remodel can literally pay for itself in its return on investment. It does not always happen that way, but if you pay attention to the details, you can make your bathroom work for you. Even if you have no plans on selling anytime soon, it will feel good knowing that your bathroom put work in for you already.
5. Improve the Cleanliness of Your Bathroom and Home
A more open and spacious bathroom gives you the ability to clean it more effectively. In fact, there is a psychological aspect to a more beautiful bathroom. Simply because it is new and renovated, you may have more of a drive and incentive to keep it immaculate. When dealing with your old bathroom, you can become a little lax in keeping it clean.
Additionally, old fixtures and bathroom components can hide things that contribute to bad hygiene. For instance, rusty pipes carry stuff to your shower, bath, and sink that you probably do not want touching you.
All that buildup on your shower head is not anything you want mixing with your water. These things include bacteria, germs, and pathogens. A quick upgrade, or a complete overhaul, can make that particular problem go away.
6. Improve Your Home Renovation Confidence
Many people want to make large and sweeping renovations to their home. But they are scared of the process, and all that it entails. A good place to start with is the bathroom. As mentioned, you can make small or large changes.
Either way, you will gain the confidence of knowing that not only is it possible to perform a renovation, it is also not as hard as you previously thought. You may just suddenly find yourself wanting to redo the kitchen, convert a bedroom, or finally get around to finishing that basement.
Let your bathroom renovation represent that first step towards turning your home into your dream home.
7. Save Money on Utilities and Add Energy Efficiency to Your Home
You do not have to go completely “green.” However, simply updating old fixtures can help you save money on water. It is also an easy way for you to help your fellow human beings as well. Many people assume that these upgrades will cause you to lose out on your comforts, but that is not true.
Low-flow fixtures sound like they cannot handle comfortable pressure, but they absolutely can. That is why many are trying to move from the “low-flow” title and call them “high-efficiency” instead. The same goes for lighting.
You can also save a lot of money by doing these smaller upgrades yourself. Swapping out a shower head is not the most difficult thing in the world. Neither is putting in some new light bulbs. Of course, if you want to go beyond that, speak to your contractor.
8. Improve Your Overall Health
Much like improving cleanliness, a bathroom upgrade can also improve your overall health. There are two different levels to this improvement; psychological and physical.
Remember that all of those old fixtures could hide a lot of things that can make you sick over time. The same is true of your walls and other immovable surfaces. Mildew and mold can build up without you ever noticing.
Keep in mind that bathrooms represent a moist and humid environment, which is perfect for mold propagation. This is especially true of older homes, or homes that have never had any changes to the bathroom. Over long periods of time, that growth can occur and make you sick without you realizing the reason.
There is also a psychological effect. A newly renovated bathroom that looks and feels good, will make you feel good. It is as simple as that. And while it is not the one thing that can bring you out of a depression, it can definitely lift your spirits a little every time you step into it. When you feel good, you feel better. That is just a fact, look it up.
What Are You Waiting For? Start Your Renovation
You may think that a remodel or renovation will cost too much. It is true that these things can get a little pricey, especially if you need several different subcontractors. But even when the price is high, there is still a good return on your investment over time.
As you can see, you do not have to go all out for your renovation. You can do small things, or just one thing at a time. There is nothing wrong with a slow renovation. You can simply get new faucets installed, or change the shower head.
You can get a paint job on the walls, or add color and decorations. You do not have to break the bank to make your bathroom cleaner, more efficient, more comfortable and better looking.
For larger jobs, always consult with a professional. It’s important that somebody who knows they’re doing advise you on the best way to go about making a major change to your bathroom. There is nothing really stopping you from starting. Do some research, see what is out there, and get to it.
