10 Common Bathroom Design Mistakes And How To Avoid Them
Avoiding these common bathroom design mistakes will ensure that your bathroom is both beautiful and practical. This room is usually one of the smallest in the home, yet it usually serves so many functions. Which is exactly why your design and layout must be carefully thought through. You don’t want to be left with a bathroom that is practically unusable and looks like a mess. And like with many things, preparation is the key to success. No matter if you are installing a whole new bathroom or just making some updates to your old one, there are some things everyone needs to know about designing this room. That’s why today we want to share with you some common mistakes you should try to avoid at all costs if you want an aesthetically pleasing and functional bathroom.
Avoiding these bathroom design mistakes will ensure that your bathroom is both beautiful and practical
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Common Bathroom Design Mistakes
Bathrooms are usually the second most expensive room to make over or remodel after the kitchen. This means that planning the design and layout carefully beforehand is very important. Bathrooms can be a pain to design as there are many things you need to fix about: layout, cabinetry, fixtures, countertops, plumbing, electrical, storage and so on. So, to help you out, we asked designers what are some common mistakes people make when designing their bathrooms, so you can avoid them and save yourself some money and headaches in the future. Let’s see what they had to say:
Bathrooms are usually the second most expensive room to make over or remodel
#No storage space
Clutter will make any space feel cheap and ugly. And it usually occurs when there is not enough storage space. While you may think you don’t need any now, once you start buying essentials, you will regret not putting in more space. The bathroom can collect a ton of clutter, from shampoos to towels, makeup, and cleaning products. There are plenty of things that go in there and they all need a space of their own, so plan accordingly.
Clutter usually occurs when there is not enough storage space
#Wrong size fixtures
This is a mistake that can easily be avoided, yet it is very common and can cost you money, space, and a whole set of problems. Bigger isn’t always better when it comes to the bathroom, especially if you are designing a small space. Fixtures that are too big will make the room feel cramped, whereas fixtures that are too small will make it look uninviting and unfinished. You need to choose somewhere in between. The right sized fixtures will complement the space and the design. So, measure correctly.
Bigger isn’t always better when it comes to the bathroom
#No ventilation
The bathroom is the steamiest room in the house, which is why proper ventilation is a must-have. Good ventilation will help prevent mold from building up in the room and keep your beautiful design features (like the wallpaper and paint) in tip-top shape. If you have a larger bathroom with no windows, you may even need to put two bathroom ducts.
The bathroom is the steamiest room in the house
#Missing drainage areas
Without proper drainage areas, you do not have a well functioning bathroom. Your layout should be planned around your drainage areas, so you can put your fixtures in all the right places. Water damage can be a serious issue in bathrooms, so if you want to avoid this your drainage pipe needs to align properly with the plumbing drain. So, measure the bath and shower carefully before you start installing.
Without proper drainage areas, you do not have a well functioning bathroom
#Bad lighting
Lighting is often left for last and that is a big mistake. Lack of proper lighting or poorly placed lights will make the room feel dark, dingy, and unwelcoming. However, way too much light will give you a headache and feel overwhelming. You need to find the balance. Designers recommend planning for both task and ambient lighting in the bathroom. Task lighting means putting lights for tasks such as grooming and shaving, whereas ambient lighting will add a nice, inviting, and warm feeling to the space. It’s also important to make the most of any natural light you have and plan accordingly to it.
Lack of proper lighting or poorly placed lights will make the room feel dark
#Forgeting about flooring
Water is something you should be always aware of in the bathroom. It will get in a lot of places, this includes the floor. That is why you need to pick your flooring carefully. You need a material that isn’t absorbing, something that won’t cause you to slip so easily, something that fits the room’s and home’s aesthetic and is durable. The bathroom floor will be getting a lot of traffic and is always at risk of water damage, so take the time to make the right choice.
You need to pick your flooring carefully
#Lacking personality
Many people forget that you can also add personality to your bathroom. You can express yourself in every room in your home, bathroom included. This space doesn’t have to be just plain white tiles and plain white fixtures. Add some paint, get some wallpapers, mix metals, add some plants, add some knick-knacks, a painting, create a spa-like experience and so on. Make this room a reflection of your personality. Give it life, don’t put it on the back burner. While you may not spend as much time in it as you will in the living room, or kitchen, you will till be using it daily. So, make it feel and look nice.
Many people forget that you can also add personality to your bathroom
#Not trying samples
While you may think that these tiles, fixtures or paint colors will look stunning in your bathroom, that is not always the case. A lot of places offer sample sizes of their products for a small price. So, it’s best to have some extra in your budget for samples. While you may not want to give extra money, this can actually save you hundreds. Imagine buying tiles only to see they look terrible against your fixtures. Get as many samples as you can so you can really get an idea of how the finished design will look.
A lot of places offer sample sizes of their products for a small price
#No waterproofing
This is something that can cause you a lot of headaches in the future. The bathroom is a wet place. This means you need to really be thinking about proper waterproofing, as things like mold and mildew can occur down the line and are costly to deal with. So, make sure everything is waterproof, from your floor choice to your tile and paint choice. You can also add membranes, like the ones lining your shower, below the countertops, around the sink and in other places where water can leak. Also make sure your tile grout is good, so you can prevent future damage.
Make sure everything is waterproof, from your floor choice to your tile and paint choice
#Bad layout planning
Good layout planning is the key to success. Make sure you pay attention to the smallest of details and think practical. You can’t put your towel rack on the other side of the room, for example. It’s best to put it in between the shower and sink, where you will need towels the most. It’s all about the small things. So, take some time and really think about how you will use the space, where the pipes are, where the outlets are and so on.
Good layout planning is the key to success
These were some of the most common bathroom design mistakes and how you can easily avoid them. We hope you found this article useful. Now when you design your bathroom you know what to avoid and even if you have made some mistakes, how to take care of them.
These were some of the most common bathroom design mistakes
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