6 Bathroom Design Mistakes You Need to Avoid

Renovating a bathroom is perhaps one of the most exciting and at the same time, most stressful renovation projects a home owner can undertake. While you will be finally getting the bathroom that you’ve always wanted, there’s an off-chance that there will be bathroom design mistakes that will stop that from coming true, at least within the budget you’ve prepared.

Committing bathroom design mistakes, unfortunately, is common among home owners. There are far too many tales of woe about renovating a bathroom, mainly related to going over-budget and still ending up with a bathroom they’re not happy with.

When renovation a bathroom (or any kind of renovation in your home for that matter), you have to make sure to not exceed your budget and maximise the return on your investment. More than anything else, you need to make sure that your get the right bathroom design for your lifestyle. Here are some common bathroom design mistakes you need to avoid to do just that.

Fixtures that are too trendy or flashy

Okay, so the year you decided to do a bathroom renovation, illuminated faucets and waterfall shower heads were all the rage. How about, say, five years from now? They’re likely to have gone out of style by then, and you’ll be stuck with passé bathroom fads for the next few decades, or until your next bathroom renovation. When renovating a bathroom, we recommend that you stick to classic styles, neutral colours and quality, natural materials. If you want to be a bit more creative when renovating a bathroom, accessory items that you can easily remove or that are not to costly to replace.

No windows

This is a pretty common bathroom design mistake. I have seen far too many bathrooms that are dark and damp, and rely only on electric lighting and exhaust fans. It boggles the mind that anyone would actually end up designing a bathroom that is dark, damp and with bad circulation.

Understandably, however, some homes don’t have the option for a bathroom renovation that take windows into account. So if it’s just not possible to place the bathroom on an outside wall with windows, at least install a skylight to let the fresh air and natural light in.

Lack of storage

Many home owners fail to see how important it is to have enough storage space in the bathroom. I mean, how annoying is it to go back and forth from the bedroom just to get your hair dryer, on a daily basis? A bathroom with a built-in cabinet with extra storage potential is infinitely better. Shelves and solid doors with sturdy hanging hooks will also do fine for bathroom storage.

A great view in

Who would actually want a bathroom that has a clear line of sight from, say, the kitchen? A bathroom is the most private place in your house, and it’s kind of ironic that anyone in your home’s public rooms has a clear view of the place where you answer the call of nature. When you do a bathroom renovation, consider locating your bathroom away from the kitchen, living room or dining room. If that’s not possible, then at least break up the line of sight by putting some sort of formal separation between both rooms.

Too tiny

There is no need to elaborate how uncomfortable and inconvenient it is trying to do your business inside a bathroom that is just too small for you. It’s understandable though that some have no choice because they have to follow building codes that mandate some minimal spacing guidelines. However, if you have the option for a bigger bathroom, take advantage of that space and indulge yourself.

Bathroom renovations for the short term

Unless you’re planning to sell your house pretty soon, it pays to be a little forward-looking when doing a bathroom remodel. What good is a beautiful bathroom if you can’t navigate your way around it safely when you’re, say 75 years old? When renovating a bathroom that you know you’ll be using for the rest of your life, consider installing grab bars or anything that will make navigating the space easier for a much older you.

If your bathroom renovation is done properly, your bathroom won’t just be a necessary room in your home, but a refuge as well. If you avoid these bathroom design mistakes from the get-go, you can also avoid spending more money on fixing them once the project is finished.

A properly qualified builder or bathroom renovator will be able to assist you greatly in this matter and likely save you a lot of money in the process. If you would like to find one near you, why not give us a call today?