Back to Basics: A Guide to Simple Bathroom Renovations

Remodeling a bathroom doesn’t always means tearing it apart and starting over. You can relate this to clients who want a new look for their bathroom but lack the means–or the desire–for a major remodel by offering suggestions on how to remake the bathroom without tearing out cabinets and ripping up flooring.

The bathroom is a personal space, but also an area where homeowners want a nice, inviting décor, especially in a guest bath. Some new trends in bathroom remodel are simple yet elegant. Your clients will have some fresh ideas that go back to the basics.

Neutral Doesn’t Have to Mean Boring
Current trends in bathrooms include using neutral colors. White and gray color schemes are simple but also create a clean look. Your clients may like the idea of crisp white, soft creams, various shades of beige, or a cloudy gray to create a bathroom that is relaxing yet beautiful.

Neutral colors don’t have to fall flat if you add some accessories that complement the color scheme. Remind your client that an elegant bathroom with neutral colors can coordinate with anything, so it’s a great investment.

Brass and Gold Fixtures Are Back in Style
Brass and gold fixtures may seem like your Grandma’s bathroom, but they are making a comeback. Instead of offering ideas to clients in shiny polished chrome, go for the more traditional and classic with matte and spun gold fixtures.

Your clients will like the warm, homey feel these colors add to their bathroom. Adding these warmer tones to a bathroom also adds coziness to the room. Remind them also there is a bonus to dumping the shiny chrome—fewer fingerprints and water spots, because these classic fixtures hide them well.

Technology Is Taking Over Bathrooms
Technology can help your clients go the bathroom barefoot and not endure a cold floor, or put more luxuries right at their fingertips. Heated floors and other technological advances make the bathroom more functional for clients.

Heating systems under the flooring not only warm feet on chilly mornings, but also reduce noise and may be good for allergy sufferers because there are no exposed air currents blowing dust around the room. Have homeowners also consider that underfloor heating can be a good investment.

Other ideas your client may like include warmers for robes and towels, toilets with heated seats and lids that automatically open and close, under-counter refrigerators for medications, or maybe even a beverage center.

These ideas are not for all clients, but for those who are technologically savvy or have certain medical conditions, these renovations may be ideal.

Floating Vanities and Open Shelving Are In
Open storage and floating vanities are great ways to save space and create a more open atmosphere for your clients. Open storage also keeps bathroom necessities easily accessible.

Floating vanities are not only spacious but can add glamour to the bathroom. You can choose from a variety of styles for your clients, depending on the look desired. There are so many designs and styles of floating vanities that you’re sure to find one that fits the look your client is going for.

Some floating vanities also offer additional storage to help save even more space and allow for a cleaner or more modern look.

Vanity Lighting Adds Functionality and Style
Better lighting is always a plus, and for female clients it may be a necessity. While traditionally bathroom vanities consist of a countertop, mirror and medicine cabinet, adding specialty lighting can transform the area.

Whether the client wants lighting for applying making and shaving or lighting that creates a certain atmosphere, the right vanity lights can do both. You can discuss the various types of vanity lighting with clients, such as small pendants, light sconces, and light bars, for example.

Fixtures are just the beginning—creating a certain feel also means choosing the techniques and dimmers to create that specific effect.
You can change the look and atmosphere in a bathroom by using simple ideas that can transform the entire room without making dramatic changes to the structure. Your clients will appreciate the simpler ideas that don’t require a lot of time and money to create the bathroom of their dreams.