help remodel my bathroom
 

clarkmeister got some good feedback so I thought our latest project might be threadworthy, particularly since we are in the early stages.

background: I live in a small nyc apartment, we redid our kitchen last year ourselves and we are much happier with it, and now want to do the same thing to our bathroom, which sucks.

right now, we are in the design phase and have some ideas but aren't sure about some other things. I've posted some pictures below, if other angles help or something isn't clear I can post more.

notes so far:

- pretty sure we are going to rip out the tub completely and just have a shower. I talked to a broker and he said he didn't think it would hurt the resale value since it's not really a family apartment or anything.

- I have no idea where to look for a good vanity/sink. we went to lowe's and looked around, both of us like a stone top (possibly cultured marble) with an undermount sink. obviously it's a small space so having a lot of storage and no wasted space is key.

- we are not really sure about having tile halfway up the wall like it is now, would definitely like larger tiles on the floor.

any and all design suggestions are much appreciated! much like friction on inclined planes in high school physics, assume budget is a non-issue for the purposes of this thread.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1346/...20dcff8def.jpg http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1235/...7a71f90099.jpg http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1059/...78d85682da.jpg

Re: help remodel my bathroom
 

If you are going for a contemporary look, glass tile looks really good (e.g. like this )
Small bathroom could be a candidate for underfloor radiant heat - toasty underfoot.

Re: help remodel my bathroom
 

whether you go tub or shower, make sure you go glass door, looks so much better, makes the bathroom nicer, etc.. If money isn't an option, getting the whole bathroom done in marble including a shower is hottttt. Might even give you some extra space for a closet or something...

Re: help remodel my bathroom
 

A large shower is almost always a big hit. Don't use the prefab size - make it the size of the current tub. Has a "walk in" feel that is very appealing.

Lots of options with tile, enough to make your head spin.

Consider alternatives to the standard sink/cabinet (even though nice ones look just fine.) For example, pedestal sink has a classic look, gives a little more room, and offers options for neat little storage cabinets. A "bowl" sink (http://www.nextag.com/bathroom-sink-vessel/search-html) on top of some antique cabinet would be a neat custom thing to do as well.

Re: help remodel my bathroom
 

Are you going to do the remodeling yourself, or hire a contractor?

Re: help remodel my bathroom
 

In terms of shower hardware, I would be sure to consider the BodySpa System or the WaterHaven shower tower (click on detail photos)

With regards to tile, it looks very good on walls in the bathroom. But it's the large tile, not the small/medium tile that looks good. Go visit a high end retail store (and some high end health clubs) bathroom to get a good sense for this look. While marble looks nice, it's slippery, and not very practical for the floors.

Finally, a pedestal sink (no vanity) will make your bathroom look much better (the woman will like it better), but it loses a lot of the functionality and storage (the man will like it less). If you really do rip out the walls, start thinking about shallow hidden closets if you go the pedestal route. Even if you do bring the walls in 6 inches.

One thing to not forget about is the lighting for the bathroom. With small contained bathrooms, you surely want good light that doesn't overheat the room. In my remodeling experience, my lack of foresight for lighting always bothered me afterwards. It's good to have different levels of light so that you can hit the head in the middle of night without feeling like a vampire seeing the sun. Also, a candle wall sconce looks very good in the bathroom, especially when entertaining.

Finally, be sure to use brass hardware, so that it matches your new throne

Re: help remodel my bathroom
 

It would help to see a pic of your recent kitchen remodel to get a sense of your taste.

Re: help remodel my bathroom
 

We had a water leak when we moved into our new house. The master bathroom is gutted. We've been unsure what to do with it. Now I'm thinking rip the whirlpool tub out and go for a small bath tub and large shower. Especially since I never use the bathtub.

We were thinking something with earthy/orangish larger tiles and wallpaper. But we have no clue and little interest. So any ideas would be nice.

Re: help remodel my bathroom
 

Install a urinal.

Re: help remodel my bathroom
 

I've always liked darker tiles like this one as opposed to white:



http://www.bathroomheaven.com/uploads/travl2.jpg

Re: help remodel my bathroom
 

[ QUOTE ]
Install a urinal.

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I loled

Re: help remodel my bathroom
 

I am renovating an entire house starting next month and plan to use tiles like this in the bathroom and kitchen.

Hijack: I was reading that Stainless appliances are "out" and white appliances are back in now with super bright kitchens. Should I make a new thread about this? I got lots of questions but this is my first of many.

Re: help remodel my bathroom
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Install a urinal.

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I loled

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whats funny about this? at my old place, we had one installed for cheap, its awesome.

Re: help remodel my bathroom
 

I'm a fan of the 1"x1" ceramic tile mosaic on the wall above the vanity. It gives lively color to the room without dominating the other features. Very laborious, though because the tiles are so tiny.

This sort of captures what I'm talking about. You know the deal...the mix of color is obviously up to you. But you can steal ideas from images online to get good color combos.
http://www.boomerangformodern.com/ht...elley_4_lg.jpg

Re: help remodel my bathroom
 

I'll post pics of the kitchen asap. Great ideas so far, a few notes

We love the glass tiles, and were thinking of approx brick sized/shaped

Thinking of large marble (or cultured marble) tiles for the floor.

Both of us like pedestal sinks, but it won't really work I'm such a small
space where storage is really necessary. Still looking for a nice vanity
so any links are much appreciated

For the shower, we're thinking no door, just a half glass barrier so you
can step in. Just a small step over divider on the floor, and other than
that it would be tiled the same. Thoughts on this plan?

Z28- we are planning on doing most of it ourselves and farming out
the parts we might be uncomfortable with, like removing the tub.
my dad is really great at this stuff and is going to help us as well.
plus, I really enjoy work like this and learn a lot doing it.

Re: help remodel my bathroom
 

Glass blocks are so 1980's.

I like the idea of no door on the shower. Will it be large enough to not spray out onto the floor? The door is pretty unnecessary in a small space.

Re: help remodel my bathroom
 

Glass is pretty hot right now, and expensive. Most of it starts at $30 a square foot plus installation. I wouldn't recommend installing glass tile yourself unless you have a lot of tile experience. That [censored] is tricky, especially the small mosaics, I would suggest you leave glass tile to a professional.

The latest trend in tile is the textured products.
http://www.stonesource.com/images/pr...y_Mostarda.jpg
more here

I highly recommend the under mount sink. I would also suggest dual sinks and mirrors. It is so much nicer in the mornings when the wife isn't elbowing me out of the way.

Install some power outlets under the counter so you can leave the hair dryer plugged in but you can actually put it away out of sight.

The one thing I regret not installing was a dual flush toilet. It has two flush buttons, one for number 1 and another for number 2. It saves a lot of water over the course of a year.

Re: help remodel my bathroom
 

[ QUOTE ]
I'm a fan of the 1"x1" ceramic tile mosaic on the wall above the vanity. It gives lively color to the room without dominating the other features. Very laborious, though because the tiles are so tiny.

This sort of captures what I'm talking about. You know the deal...the mix of color is obviously up to you. But you can steal ideas from images online to get good color combos.
http://www.boomerangformodern.com/ht...elley_4_lg.jpg

[/ QUOTE ]
A photomosaic with those suckers would be awesome. Do you have a few free months to devote to it?

Re: help remodel my bathroom
 

not talking about glass blocks, its colored tile with a glasslike surface. I hate glass blocks also

Re: help remodel my bathroom
 

[ QUOTE ]
For the shower, we're thinking no door, just a half glass barrier so you
can step in. Just a small step over divider on the floor, and other than
that it would be tiled the same. Thoughts on this plan?

[/ QUOTE ]

Fantastic. I had a larger one than your shower, and it looked great and functioned great. I've seen others and they look great. Only question is, with the size you have, will any water splash out? If any does, it will probably be less than you'd think. Leave the top of the doorway open to the ceiling, so you don't "trap" moisture/humidity at the top of your shower. Even if the ceiling is tiled, it will reduce mildew.

Re: help remodel my bathroom
 

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Glass blocks are so 1980's.

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No glass blocks. Colored glass tile can look fantastic though.

Re: help remodel my bathroom
 

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Both of us like pedestal sinks, but it won't really work I'm such a small
space where storage is really necessary.

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Keep in mind that a pedestal gives more interesting storage options than a vanity. Hanging baskets with towels in them (colored towels become part of the decorating), interesting shelving units down low, etc etc etc.

Re: help remodel my bathroom
 

You might get some ideas from here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stupGCfMVuA

Re: help remodel my bathroom
 

Recently renovated my upper bathroom.

We had picked out a nice vanity for about $2000.

It was detailed wood construction (no particle board) with a granite top.

Then my wife and I were in Costco and they had some vanities (doubles and singles) that were from China. They were well made and also came with granite tops. They cost $400 for the single 4ft and $600 for the double (6ft I think).

It was an unreal deal. I'm in the wood business so I know what to look for in terms of good construction, and these were not cheap Chinese crap, they were good.

So, check out Costco for a vanity.

Re: help remodel my bathroom
 

A friend of mine just finished redoing his bathroom awhile ago and had some cool things added. He put in a frameless glass door which looks great. Instead of a traditional sink he found a sick piece of a tree burl and had it sanded and clear-coated. Then he had a friend of ours make a really cool blown glass sink to fit into a hole he had cut in the burl. THe rest of the bathroom is done in a nice color slate tile(12"x12") with a strip smaller tile going around the middle that is kind of like the glass tile with the oil finish. kind of hard to describe but it looks great.

He also put in the radiant heat and for the window used that glass that changes from clear to opaque. The toilet is from this company called Toto, very nice stuff.

Re: help remodel my bathroom
 

Check PM. I actually work for a company that deals with part of what OP need, so I might be able to help. As far as my personal input, undermount sink is the way to go, and goes best with granite. The small 1x1 tiles seem to be very popular now. I dislike pedestal sinks, although these too seem to be pretty prevalent.

Re: help remodel my bathroom
 

I was in lowe's last weekend and was shocked that vanities were 4-600 bucks with no top, but assumed they weren't as good a quality. I'll definitely do some research on this, thanks for the tip!

Re: help remodel my bathroom
 

check out rubber flooring. softer and durable. non-slip.

http://www.therubberflooringcompany....estic/home.htm

Re: help remodel my bathroom
 

The room is small, so there isn't a heck of a lot you can do with it in regards to it's physical properties. Try to make it less cluttery. The pedestal sink will help obviously.

I say try to introduce color and lighting to brighten it up and give it a less sterile white feel. Also, think about adding some small plants in there. I don't know if you are a "plant" guy, but some people think they are a pain to water regularly, but are cheap and an easy way to add color to the room. But do it delicately. You certainly don't want to walk into the room feeling like you just stepped into the jungle. And if you can, keep them high up, out of your headspace. You'll notice they're there, but they won't be "in the way".

Re: help remodel my bathroom
 

if you go with just a shower consider adding a steam bath. i did it and love the thing. it aint too much money when redoing things. a square box near the water heater that pipes into the shower stall and has a valve that injects the steam. its wonderful and a true steam bath. really helps resale.

you may have enough room for two sinks and that is nice and helps resale as people like their own sink.

for such a small size a custom counter top works.
and exhast vent with push button timer on it.

Re: help remodel my bathroom
 

I know you're worried about storage space with a pedestal, but it's not just raw space, it's the different options it gives.

For example, I was looking at your picture again. You have "all that space" with the vanity top, yet you have the blowdryer cluttering things up. Get rid of the vanity, and all of a sudden you can put alternative storage in there. Hang the blowdryer underneath the sink or under chrome shelving units and it starts looking a lot better.

Re: help remodel my bathroom
 

Turnip - do you own the place?

2 sinks would be sweet...but it doesnt look like you have room for 2

Re: help remodel my bathroom
 

We redid our master bath last year and ripped out the tub to install a shower only. We used a lighter tile for the main floor and shower walls. We used a darker 1" x 1" tile for the floor of the shower. We also installed a seamless glass shower door.

We went with a pedestal sink and toilet from Toto.

The shower has all Grohe hardware including three body sprays and the Thermostatic Temperature Control Valves. The body sprays are useless but the temperature control valve is the best invention ever.

you have a dial to set your temp and another to control flow. You never have to worry about adjusting temperature again and if your old lady flushes the toilet while you're waxing one in the shower, no burns!

Cliff Notes:
Get a Thermostatic Temperature Control Valve

Re: help remodel my bathroom
 

I've seen sinks like the one in the following link popping up around here lately. It's a simple but kind of cool and different look. The link contains many images from a Michelle Kaufmann modular home that might also be of general interest (couldn't find another image- sorry if the link takes a while to load). The bathroom shot is several images down the page.

http://www.inhabitat.com/2007/09/21/...uts/#more-6095

Re: help remodel my bathroom
 

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Hijack: I was reading that Stainless appliances are "out" and white appliances are back in now with super bright kitchens. Should I make a new thread about this? I got lots of questions but this is my first of many.

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ive been doing a lot of house shopping lately and have not noticed that trend at all. seen a lot of stainless on but havent seen any white on newly remodeled. that's from my uncultured observations.

Re: help remodel my bathroom
 

yes we do, and no there's no room for two sinks. it's a small place.

Re: help remodel my bathroom
 

Go to Library and find some books on bathrooms. You need to see like many examples, and find one that works. Get some inspiration. The room seems tiny, so IMO two sinks is out of the question; you would not have any counter space.

Re: help remodel my bathroom
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Hijack: I was reading that Stainless appliances are "out" and white appliances are back in now with super bright kitchens. Should I make a new thread about this? I got lots of questions but this is my first of many.

[/ QUOTE ]

ive been doing a lot of house shopping lately and have not noticed that trend at all. seen a lot of stainless on but havent seen any white on newly remodeled. that's from my uncultured observations.

[/ QUOTE ]

Same. White seems out, stainless in.

Re: help remodel my bathroom
 

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http://www.inhabitat.com/2007/09/21/...uts/#more-6095

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Cool sink.