Are you planning your dream bathroom remodel, or does your bathroom layout need a revamp? Or do you want to freshen it up with some contemporary, trendy details? With the ever-changing trends, you need to incorporate smart changes and not just go with the flow. These decisions can lead to rookie bathroom remodeling mistakes.
When it comes to bathrooms, always choose the aesthetically pleasing pieces, but also that will serve you the most functionally. Here are the most common bathroom remodeling mistakes that you’ll see and need to consider before re-doing yours.
Remodeling With No Proper Plan
One of the very first bathroom remodeling mistakes you’ll make is not coming up with a plan. It’s best to start every process with a mood board. A mood board serves as a jumping-off point to gather all your inspiration.
Gather all the materials, finishes, colors, fixtures that you want to put in the space. It can get tricky with endless options out there while choosing your bathroom design. The mood board will act as a visual guide to help you collate your ideas into one place.
Working Without Samples
You may notice everything looks completely warped online, especially when it comes to color and pattern; you can’t be sure that everything you see on the internet seems the same in-person. It can help you reach out to the vendor or manufacturer and order the samples online. They can mail it to you directly, or you may collect it.
Once you have all of the physical samples, you can start planning all the trim work, paint, hardware, and accessories. This way, everything will go together as you intend. You don’t want to end up remodeling your bathroom just to realize nothing goes together. A lot of the time, a little legwork can save you from making these costly mistakes down-the-line.
Wrong Tiles and Stone
How do you know what materials to pick when remodeling your bathroom? Shower tile or full slab? We see a lot of full-height slab installations to a shower wall or bathtub wall.
While remodeling your bathroom, you have to get the bathroom tile right. For instance, a full-height slab has fewer grout lines and is easier to clean. If your budget doesn’t permit installing natural stone slabs, you can find some cool alternatives on the market.
On the other hand, porcelain veneer slabs are a good, inexpensive way to mimic a natural stone look without the hefty price-tag.
Incorrect Shower Placement
If your shower has a weird angle, installing small pieces of tile can look cheap, especially when you try to match the edges up together. However, if you have a rectangular enclosure, you can choose either whole slabs or smaller tiles while remodeling your bathroom.
Let’s talk about niches. A niche is a rectangular cutout that you see in showers to put your shampoo, conditioner, and other bath products. You can also design the niche cutout before you install anything on the walls.
The bathroom remodeling mistake here is no clear direction or design when it comes to designing the perfect shower. When it’s not thought out, it could look like a complete mess.
One way to curb this mistake is to center the niche on the wall. Use this rule of thumb to measure the height of your shampoo container and add 5 inches of breathing room in your bathroom.
You can then install a single one in the center. If one niche isn’t enough for your products, you can do a double image in the center and space out.
Messy Edge Details
What is the edge detail? One of the biggest bathroom remodeling mistakes is choosing the wrong material for your edge. Furthermore, selecting the right material but not designing it how you want it to be is even worse.
If you’re choosing a natural stone or slab, you don’t have to worry about the edges. Natural stone is the same whole way through. Now, if you have an inexpensive material like ceramic or porcelain tile, they come with an unfinished edge. As you manufacture both porcelain and ceramic, they are man-made materials.
Typically, these edges are unfinished, and you can see the clay edge. If you still want to install porcelain or ceramic tiles, make sure it comes with a bullnose, aka curvy edge. Once you have your tiles in place, you can install the bullnose at the edge for a finished look.
Unfinished edges are the top designer bathroom remodeling mistake that many homeowners make when they don’t do their fair share of research. These edges come in various finishes and colors, so you can choose the option that best suits your hardware.
On the contrary, your bathroom remodeling contractor is not your designer. They will install whatever you want them to. It is up to you to go into details about how you want your bathroom.
Going Overboard on Accents
You don’t have to put that accent tile right in the middle of your shower wall. Avoid using a contrasting accent tile in the middle of a wall and call it design.
It can look cheap and offsetting a lot of time, especially when it’s in a contrasting tile that has no visual dialogue. Here’s why you should start with a mood board or a digital design plan.
You can play with patterns by using the stone that you already sourced. Create a pattern with that specific tile, but try changing up the orientation for a dynamic look.
If you chose an offset subway tile, try changing the direction; install it in vertical portrait orientation and line it with a cool border. You can also use stripes to create patterns.
Choosing the Wrong Color
We can’t stress this enough, always get samples before committing to the color for your bathroom. Paint them on every single wall in your bathroom to truly see what they will look-like.
Remember, natural daylight and your overhead light will always change the color of the walls. Make sure you specify the paint color last, after picking out all your finish materials so everything coordinates.
You can blend the color with your materials, finishes, and hardware or choose a contrasting color for a bold bathroom remodel design. Don’t forget to paint the ceilings; this will give your bathroom an unexpected pop of color.
