Apart from the kitchen, the bathroom is the most important room in your home when it comes to renovating. But, not everyone gets it right when doing a bathroom renovation. This means the end result is not pleasing to the eye and doesn’t appeal to buyers when it comes time to sell your home. So we put together what we think are the obvious mistakes and how to fix them.
5 bathroom renovation mistakes and how to fix them
It’s easy to get it wrong but just as simple to get it right.
1. Using too many different materials
Some people make the mistake of using too many different materials when renovating their bathroom. If you incorporate too many materials such as timber, marble, tiles, painted surfaces and chrome, you’ll end up with a look that’s not cohesive and looks cluttered.
Instead, try to tie in the materials that you use in your bathroom with those in the rest of your home. For example, use the same tiles that you have used in the kitchen or at least ones in a complementary style and colour.
Another thing to remember is to keep the colour scheme similar to the rest of your home. For example, if your kitchen has a black and white theme, carry that into the bathroom. The taps should match the same colour and style that you have in the kitchen.
2. Using a colour scheme that’s too dark for the size of the room
If your bathroom is quite small, you want to avoid using dark colours, especially in the tiles and on the paintwork. Dark colours make the space look even smaller.
Instead, use light colours such as white, for the walls, ceiling, floor and tiles. Then, you can accent that with dark coloured taps and fittings such as towel rails. You can even break up the starkness by adding just a few tiles in a different colour as a border.
3. Not having adequate lighting
A common mistake that many people make when renovating the bathroom is that they just have the one overhead light. This is simply not enough, especially when it comes to shaving or putting on makeup.
Instead, try to incorporate some lighting over the mirror that will give better illumination. Remember too, that a large mirror is better than a small one. This is because the mirror will reflect light back into the room and make your bathroom appear larger than it actually is.
4. Having too many focal points
When you’re working with a small space like a bathroom room, there are lots of elements that will compete for your visual attention. These include the bath, the shower, the basin, the tapware and the tiles. If all of these elements are different in appearance it really confuses the eye and the design just doesn’t flow.
Instead, you want to have just one focal point that draws the eye and is slightly different from the rest of the features. For example, keep the bath, basin, shower and wall tiles all in the same neutral tone and then add some interest with different coloured tiles on the floor.
5. Not maximising the wall space
In a bathroom, there’s lots of wall space that is often left empty and not fully utilised. This reduces the amount of storage space and often means that things are just sitting around the basin and making the whole space look overly cluttered.
Instead, consider adding some wall-mounted vertical shelving above or next to the basin. You could also create an interesting niche shelf next to or behind the bathtub. If this is cut into the wall, in between the studs, it gives you additional storage space and looks great too.
You could also consider mounting a ladder-style towel rail to the room instead of just a single rail. This gives you additional vertical space without taking up any extra floor space.
Another thing that people often don’t consider is adding a narrow storage shelf above the door. This is the ideal place to put some baskets filled with rolled up towels or even a couple of pretty plants to add a bit of green.
Can we help with your Swan Hill home?
We’re full of great ideas on how to avoid common bathroom renovation mistakes, so why not give us a call on 03 5032 2507. We’re here to help.
