help remodel my bathroom

[turnipmonster]

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.

[BeaucoupFish]

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.

[AZK]

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...

[jeffnc]

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.

[z28dreams]

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

[Scuba Chuck]

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

[Mermade]

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

[Matt Flynn]

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.

[Elevens]

Install a urinal.

[Keyser.]

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