Updated: October 10, 2020

How To Re-Design Your Family Bathroom

Upgrading a bathroom definitely is high on the list of renovations that increase the value to your home.  But not only will a bathroom reno increase your property value, it will morning rush hours easier as the kids are getting ready to rush off to school.  How you design a family bathroom may look very different if you have an en-suite bathroom for yourselves.  You can make different choices.  It doesn’t have to be all inclusive if there is one bathroom for the adults, and one for the kids.

 

1. Develop a plan and budget before you start

You need to ask yourself some questions before just diving in.Who uses the bathroom?  Is it the whole family or just the kids.   Look at the floor plan of your existing plan.  Does it work ?  Are there areas that are too tight and family members keep bumping in to each another.  Think it through thoroughly first.  Once you start a reno and change your mind, it can get costly.

Designer Tip:  Your bathroom style needs to be consistent throughout.  If you have a contemporary sink and vanity for example, you need your tub to be in the same style. Check out pinterst and houzz.com to get ideas of what you like and what you don’t like.  You can even google bathroom floor plans to get some ideas of ways to make things work better.    If you not sure of what you are doing with style or DIY, get a professional to help.

2.  The bath and shower area

Most family bathrooms have space for a combination bathtub & shower. There is a huge range in tub styles and price ranges.  Free standing soaker tubs and tubs with claw feet are the trend these days.  Some people are ripping out their combo bathtubs and showers to put in one of these tubs.  Others are ripping out their combo bathtub and shower and installing just showers.

Designer Tip: Homeowners want at least one tub in a house for kids and that should be in a family bathroom.  DON’T rip out the only tub in the house for a large shower no matter how tempting that is. This could potentially attract less buyers and effect the resale value of your home if you’re in a family neighborhood.

If you’re on a budget, just tile the shower and bath area, and keep the rest of bathroom drywall.  A great paint color, or wallpaper can also do wonders to make a space pop without the expense of labour and materials for the tile.  Greens, white, blues and grays are currently popular paint colors for bathrooms.

3.  Upgrading the vanity

If your vanity is tired or dated looking, it’s probably time for a change.  By shopping around, you can get some really nice vanities at a great price.  Most people want double sinks these days in bathrooms, so if you have the space, put in a double sink or a trough sink.  Wall mounted sinks are also a popular choice these days. A marble, grant, quartz or corian are great options for countertop. Vessel sinks with one facet is a contemporary and popular look.  It may not that practical for smaller kids.  Don’t forget to add lights and faucets that will co-ordinate with your new look.

Lighting is not only functional, it can make a real design statement as well.  The best lighting for a vanity is on either side of the mirror. That is where you are going to get the best light.

You can have fun with a ceiling light in the bathroom.  Long gone are the days where it was just ceiling fixture.  Pick one that makes a statement and completes the look.

Don’t forget a fan near the bath area.  If you had a contractor do the work, they will have thought of that for you.  If you did it yourself, you need to install one according to building code regulations.

4. The toilet.

Does your toilet have stains that won’t go away ? Swap out the toilet. Ditch the old toilet and put in a nice new throne, perhaps an elongated model.  Dual flush is a must these days in our eco-friendly world. Keeping the toilet where it is saves a costly relocation where you need to rip up the floor and relocate the flange.

Need extra storage?  Install a large hanging cabinet in the void space above the toilet.

5. The floors.

Porcelain or ceramic tiles come in a wide range of prices and styles. New tile doesn’t have to be expensive; there are loads of porcelain tile options that offer the look of marble but cost far less. A new, larger porcelain tile floor will make a bathroom look bigger. Hardwood flooring is becoming a popular choice in bathrooms but in a bathroom used by a lot of kids, that spells high maintenance.  Consider ceramic tiles that looks like hardwood like the kids bathroom to our right.

If you’ve ripped up the floor, consider installing radiant heating. Electric-source is cheaper than hooking the in-floor heating up to a boiler, and the wires come in sheets that are easy to install.

6. Bathroom Accessories

Your bathroom should be looking pretty luxurious by now.  But now is the fun part – the bathroom accessories – the wall décor, mirror, towels, artwork, and shower curtain.  Your bathroom accessories are the icing on the cake.  The jewelery for your outfit.

Pick your accessories in keeping with the look of your new space. You have just made your family bathroom more functional, more desirable, and you have added value to your home.  Well done!

TWO more REALLY important tips!

Tip #1: There’s NO doubt that renovating a bathroom can add value to your home. But there is also such a thing as OVER renovating for your neighborhood. I staged two houses spent MORE money on their bathroom renovation than what people were willing to pay for in their neighborhood. What happened? Yes they sold their. One homeowner was really disappointed that she didn’t get her money back from the renovation and vowed never to do a renovation again. The other? She didn’t care that she overspent because they were living in the house for a long time and she wanted what she wanted!

Related Reads:

Are You Over Renovating Your Home?

Why YOU Need to Go to Open Houses in Your Neighborhood!

Tip #2: If you’re going to change the footprint of your bathroom, for example, knock down a wall to enlargen the bathroom, or move a toilet or sink etc, its a REALLY good idea to bring in a designer to help you plan the space to make sure that your layout is going to work for your family for years to come and add to value to your home when you’re ready to sell!

 

 

I’m Debi Collinson. Designer. Stager. Real Estate Investor. In 2006, at the request of a realtor, I staged my very first home. Staging houses was just starting to become popular. I was very nervous staging my first house, but the sellers liked their newly redesigned home so much that they turned down an offer for full asking price. I went back to design school and have never looked back. Since 2006, I have been staging & styling spaces to make them look like they belong in a magazine page, and buying “fixer uppers” to fix up & either sell for a healthy profit or to rent them out. I’m currently living in my 8th “fixer upper.” Sign up to receive my e-mails of how to make your home stunning, how to sell your house for top dollar AND how to become financially independent one fixer upper at a time!