Bathroom is one of the most expensive rooms to remodel per square foot. We have renovated and remodeled a lot of bathrooms and we have also seen a lot of bathroom renovation done by homeowners as DIY projects without involving a designer and a professional contractor. Some of them were good and some bad, but even the good ones had sill room for improvement.

So we decided to talk about most common things that we’ve seen not done right when it comes to bathroom renovation.

Here are our 4 top picks:

First Impression

The first impression is key when you walk into any room. We see wrong layout and incorrect space planning very often. Correct layout will make the space more spacious, add functionality and overall is more pleasing to the eye. One important thing to remember is that when you walk into the bathroom the first thing you want to see is the most beautiful feature of your bathroom. That could be a vanity with gorgeous wall sconce or your free stand top with tile behind it. And the last thing you want to see is your toilet.

Sometimes you’re limited in changing your plumbing fixture location and if that is the case, look at the option of where you’re entering to the room. Maybe the door location can be changed. In designing bathrooms wrong location of fixtures in the shower area or wrong layout and wrong height of faucet for the specific sink are the most common mistakes that people make. You can avoid all these by hiring a professional or taking your time and educating yourself so you can make a better decision.

Porcelain VS Ceramic

Usually homeowners choose their tiles based on their look and they don’t realize the actual material that the tiles are made of can affect the longevity of the bathroom. For example porcelain tiles and ceramic tiles could look very similar. The difference is that porcelain tiles are denser and more water resistant. And they are also more expensive in comparison to ceramics and a little harder to cut. Not all porcelain tiles that are labeled porcelain are equal. Some porcelain tiles are not even really porcelain. Porcelain tile should absorb less than 0.5% of water. So check out the spec sheet and make sure you’re really buying a good product that lasts you for years and does what it’s supposed to.

The grout is another thing that homeowners don’t even pay attention to. There are different types of grout for different applications in design.

Bathroom Lighting

We often see the lack of proper lighting in the bathroom. Usually people go for the light on a ceiling or on top of the mirror of the vanity wall. In general we have three types of lighting: task lighting, general or ambient lighting and axial lighting. Most of the time we use all of these three in the bathroom. Task lighting is a lighting you use for some tasks such as doing your makeup or shaving your beard. General lighting is for brightening the area so you can see around and walk in a space safely and the last but not least axial lighting gets put in for more décor purposes. If you hold the light on top of your head, the shadow goes downward and makes you look tired. The best light for doing your makeup or shaving your beard is the light coming in an angle from the side so wall sconces at the right height will do a better job. We also use accent lighting to create drama and showcase the design such as light behind a mirror to showcase a backsplash or the light under vanity to create a floating look. Lighting can make or break the design.

Cabinet Core Material

Usually people don’t pay attention to what their vanity is made of. They choose the look and style and color without knowing what the core material of their vanity is and what other options they could have had and if there is one better than the other. Vanity could be made of hardcore board, MDF, plywood wood, engineered combination board and the list goes on. Each of these might have different rates and classifications. There is a difference between quality and price and it is critical to pay attention to all the details.

People also don’t pay attention to their vanity hardware. They usually pick a nice handle for their vanity without paying attention to their hinges or doors slides. For example drawer slides could be 3/4 accession or full extension. It could attach to the side or the bottom of the drawer. So it’s important to know your options and the difference between them. Ultimately you will pick the one that suits the best for you.

Most of the time homeowners are scared to jazz up their bathrooms therefore they make the most conservative choices to avoid any mistakes and they end up with newly clean bathrooms that have no character. Don’t let it be you. Call Julz Corp at (760) 795-9697 to create a bathroom of your dreams.