How to Design Your Dream Bathroom

1. Welcome and Introduction: Okay. Hi, I'm Erica full Gilman, and I want to warmly welcome you to my course, how to design your dream bathroom. After our kitchen, there is no question that our bathroom is the second most hardworking room in our home. There are so many important activities that take place here, including, but certainly not limited to showering, bathing, putting on makeup, brushing their teeth, shaving, and relaxing. So it's obvious that we need to have a bathroom that meets are very important functional needs in the best and most efficient way possible. And because we most certainly start and end our day here, It's important that we create the right mood to help us feel. Well however we want to feel. That could be anything from energized and inspired to relaxed and peaceful. It stands to reason then that the design selections we make for our bathroom are going to be important for invoking whatever mood it is that we are trying to create. To that end, this course has been designed to do just that. To create your dream bathroom. Whether that's a primary bathroom, a secondary full bathroom, that kid's bathroom for a guest bathroom. And whether it's a full remodel or just a refresh. This course will cover all of the important information you will need as you make each and every decision from your floor plan and fluorine to your shower and vanity, and everything in between. The choices are numerous to say the least. And this type of information and preparation is so important in a bathroom remodel. I'm sure it's no surprise to anyone that bathroom remodels can be incredibly expensive. Depending upon your selections, it can often be the second most expensive room in the home after your kitchen. Fortunately, renovating your bathroom does add value to your home. So it's money well spent. That said, we of course, don't want to make any costly mistakes. Even if you decide to work with a designer or a design build firm. I want you to know all of the choices available to you and understand how a bathroom remodel process works so that you will feel confident every step of the way. And more importantly, that you end up with exactly the bathroom you want with no second guessing. To that point, you'll start this course by learning about some of the most luxurious and worthwhile bathroom upgrades available today to get you excited about what is possible in the world of bathroom design. After a couple of quick lectures, including the history of bathrooms, which is just plain interesting, and covering some important bathroom terminology to ensure we are on the same page throughout this course, we'll dive into a number of important pre-planning topics, including how to define your vision for your dream bathroom. Discuss realistic budget expectations. The typical order of work. Important questions to ask your bathroom contractors. And I will help you narrow down your ideal style and color schemes selections. In the next section, I'll be covering all of the important functional decisions you'll need to make, including excellent floor plan options. The important measurement you need to know, including those of you who are interested in universal design. I'll cover the pros and cons of wet room bathrooms, the best storage solutions. I'll give you the important information you need to make decisions regarding heat sources, bathtubs, showers, exhaust fans, toilets, vanities, cabinet tree countertops, sinks, backslashes, faucets, lighting, fluorine, outlets, window coverings, and even seating. With all of the important functional decisions made. It will then be time to turn our attention to form. Yes, the plethora of aesthetic choices that are available to you, including tile selections, whether or not wood finishes are a good idea in the bathroom. And a number of wall finished options from panel molding and brick, wallpaper and paint. I'll then give you some foolproof approaches on how to effectively mixed metals in your bathroom and help you understand the right type of artwork and greenery to consider adding, which will be your finishing touches, will end the course with a special lecture on kids bathrooms with practical functional anesthetic tips. So your kids can love their bathroom as much as you do. There's no doubt that this is a lot of information. So to help you apply these learnings as quickly as possible, as part of this course, you'll receive a customized bathroom design planner that will walk you through all of your important bathroom design decisions and the best news. By the end of this course, you will have your own customized design plan. I'm also happy to help out new designers. So please feel free to use this tool with your own clients. As comprehensive as this course is. Please be aware of that. I won't be teaching you to use any specific online bathroom design program. There are plenty of free, easy to use design programs that are available to you. Of course, I can't help you with the floor plan of your own bathroom as every bathroom is unique based on your needs and layout options. Rather, I'll share with you industry standards and guidelines to help you maximize functionality and minimize mistakes. Now before we get started, for those of you who haven't met me yet through one of my courses. I am the owner of error codon interiors design is my work and my passion, whether that's working with clients or teaching individuals like you. I feel honored to be able to help make the world a little more beautiful each day through interior design. So wherever you are, a sincere thank you for choosing this course. And let's get started on designing the bathroom of your dreams. 2. My Favorite Luxurious Upgrades in a Bathroom Remodel : If you are working with an interior designer for your bathroom remodel, one of the best questions you can ask them as if this were your bathroom remodel, what luxury upgrades would you be considering? Designers are generally up-to-date on the newest, most luxurious products and finishes. And although you may not share their love of a rainfall shower head, this question will not only tell you what's hot and new on the market today, but we'll also provide you with some insight into which upgrades may be worth considering. Because not all of them are. So in this lecture, I am going to share with you the seven upgrades that I would love to use if I were remodeling my own bathroom, as well as two honorable mentions, Most of my favorite upgrades also have great resale value. Of course, there are many more options than just these nine. And I assure you that throughout the course, I'll be covering all of the other options, some of which may be your favorite. So let's get started. The upgrade that I most desire and is not only luxurious but practical, is radiant floor heating. Now, honestly, if budget were no object, I would use radiant floor heating in my entire home. But it is ideal for a place like your bathroom. First, It's a small space comparatively. And second most bathroom floors are composed of naturally cold materials like tile and stone, which is definitely not pleasant to step on with bare feet in the middle of winter. And just like with your homes thermostat, you can program the floor heat to different temperatures throughout the day to reduce costs. You can even zone the heating in your floor so that only the most commonly used areas of your bathroom floor are heated. Further controlling costs, because heat rises, radiant floor heating will also heat the entire bathroom provided the room is properly insulated. However, if your fluorine is over a cement slab, it won't work as efficiently as a cement will absorb some of the heat. Technically, radiant floor heating can be either Electric, which uses electric cables to generate heat, or hadronic, which uses heated water run through flexible plastic tubing to provide heat, typically from a boiler system. Hadronic is generally the better choice for a whole house floor heating. However, if the bathroom is the only place you'll be installing floor heating. Electric is usually the more affordable and easier option to install. Keeping on the theme of warmth, my next luxury upgrade would definitely be a towel warmer. Sure. Who doesn't love the idea of wrapping oneself in a cozy warm towel when getting out of the shower or bath tub. But did you also know that a towel warmer will help you avoid mildew growing on your towels and in your bathroom. And you can also use this fixture to dry swimsuits and wet clothing. So this upgrade is not only luxurious, but quite practical. If you love this idea, Just a few important notes. Thick towels work better than thin towels. Warmers made from aluminum and brass will heat up more quickly than those made from steel. Although steel will retain heat longer. Also, many models with higher power consumption can also act as an effective second heat source for your bathroom and may be sufficient as a primary heat source for a small bathroom. Just like floor heating, towel warmers can be hadronic or Electric, and they are also available with programmable timers and adjustable temperature settings. Towel warmers can be wall-mounted, floor mounted, or freestanding, plug-in or hard wired, and are available in traditional or contemporary styles. Finally, if you don't have the wall space, consider a canister tell warmer, which is quite compact and can be a great choice for smaller bathrooms. Next on my list is built-in bluetooth speakers, which are especially great for singing in the shower. Now, you might be familiar with portable waterproof shower speakers that section onto your shower wall, but they don't always provide the best listening experience. They of course, have to use batteries. And if they get too wet, they are prone to falling down. The next step up is freestanding single speakers that are water or weather resistant. But this obviously needs to sit somewhere and in a small room like a bathroom, all flat surfaces are generally valuable real estate that you likely won't want to relinquish to a speaker. So instead, for all you shower singers and or a podcast listeners, definitely consider built-in speakers steam and humidity resistant or waterproof built-in speakers are typically installed in your ceiling. Usually you're looking at a single stereo speaker or two speakers can be installed for large bathrooms, which will give you a true stereo sound. Of course, it's probably no surprise that you can also find built-in speakers that have the ability to be linked to a voice assistant, such as Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa, speaking of singing in the shower, let me talk about a few of my favorite shower luxury features that I think are completely worth the time and money. First on my list is a purplish shower, also referred to as a barrier free shower. While this type of shower definitely requires careful pre-planning and working with a qualified professional, especially if you want to install one on the second floor, given that the shower floor needs to be recessed into the bathroom floor, they are definitely worth it from an aesthetic and functional perspective. Aesthetically, you can't beat the streamline look of these showers, given that you can easily run your tile seamlessly across your bathroom. Although be sure that you use a tile with a proper C OF or coefficient of friction rating. So the tile isn't dangerous when wet. They are also particularly ideal for any style that uses a lot of straight, clean lines and minimal visual clutter, such as contemporary, mid-century, modern, scandinavian and Zen. Functionally, this is ideal for both universal design and aging in place bathrooms with no curb to create a challenge, individuals in walkers or who are wheelchair bound, will be able to much more easily access their shower. Another functional benefit is that they are easier to clean than traditional showers given the easy access. However, unless you are willing to ensure that your entire bathroom floor is pitched appropriately towards the shower drain. A minimum depth of 36 inches is generally recommended for a Kerberos shower to allow you sufficient space to slope your drain properly. As a result, these showers often work best in larger bathrooms. Please note that this is different from a wet room, which I'll talk about later in the course. Karplus showers can be installed with or without a door or just a shower screen panel. Although personally, I would only consider going without a shower door if I lived in a climate that was warm year round, if you love the idea of a Kerberos shower, then definitely consider a heated floors as well, including the shower area. These go great in tandem. In conjunction with the Kerberos shower, I would definitely want to install a linear shower drain. While Kerberos showers and linear shower drains often go hand in hand, they are independent features and one can be used without the other. Linear shower drains are exactly what they sound like. Instead of a traditional round or square drain in the middle of your shower. Linear shower drains are linear in shape and if paired with a Kerberos shower, the drain should be installed parallel to the shower door wall or parallel to the wall opposite the door. Much like Kerberos showers, linear drains look great in contemporary, modern and similar aesthetic styles. Now only do they look great. I love them because you aren't constantly stepping on them like you do with a traditionally placed centered drain. One of the reasons that they are often installed in tandem with a Kerberos shower is because the only require pitch in one direction. This means that you can use larger format tile in your shower, like you do on your bathroom floor, instead of the much smaller tile that are often used as they are easier to install any flora that pitches in multiple directions towards the center. Despite all of these benefits, you need to think of a linear drain install as similar to a Kerberos shower. A lot of pre-planning needs to happen and typically only makes sense when you are undertaking a complete bathroom remodel. They are also definitely more expensive than traditional shower drains. My next upgrade in a bathroom remodel would be a must have for me and that would be to upgrade to a frameless shower with half-inch thick glass, frameless showers with half-inch thick glass for the door and the surround just look more elegant and luxurious and they feel more substantial. Of course, the conversation around possible half-inch class only happens when we were talking about frameless showers as the showers require a minimum of three-eighths inch thick glass to ensure structural integrity and durability. Although sometimes if the door or shower enclosure is quite large, the installer might very well recommend half-inch thick glass to minimize flex. The bottom line is that if you want to go with a frameless shower and have the budget to upgrade to half inch given the higher material and installation costs, I don't think you'll regret it. Moving on from showers. The next upgrade on my list is a smart toilet. The world of design has everything from smart thermostats to smart refrigerators. So why not a smart potty? And there are a plethora of options to choose from with excellent features like a heated seat, heated water jets, automatic lid opening and closing, adjustable air dryers, built in deodorizers and hands free flushing just to start. Not only are these just plain cool, think about the hygiene factor. Never having to touch the lid, the seat, or the flush handle will really help to limit the spread of germs. Additionally, with water jets, this will help to cut down on toilet paper usage and can minimize irritation to the skin when you have a gastrointestinal illness or a condition that often requires excess toilet paper usage. There are also models was self-cleaning features awesome. Of course, you can buy an entirely new toilet, but truthfully because many of the smarts are in the seat, you can also just purchase a smart seat attachment to upgrade your existing toilet. I'll get more into smart toilets later in this course. But suffice it to say this upgrade definitely deserves a top spot on my list. Now those are truly the top seven upgrades I would be strongly considering doing in my next bathroom remodel. That said there are two other upgrades that deserve honorable mentions. And then the right bathroom and with the right personal needs would be excellent upgrades to consider. The first honorable mention spot goes to a fireplace. Yes, you heard me right. A fireplace no longer limited to rooms like our living rooms and bedrooms. Fireplaces can be an excellent choice for a large bathroom. And how luxurious would have fireplace be while so keyed in a beautiful tub. And with today's plethora of wall-mounted or built-in prefabricated gas and electric fireplaces and fireplace inserts, there is bound to be a great option for you. If this is something that you're interested in, because they go so well with a tub. They are often installed in the wall just behind or next to the bathtub, if you prefer a fireplace with a mantle, those are available as well. There are also double-sided models available if you are installing it on suite bathroom. If your fireplace needs a surround or you just prefer the look of one with your 0 clearance fireplace apart from tile. Other great fireplace to round options include granite courts, marble and soap stone slabs. And finally, a fireplace in any room, including your bathroom, makes an excellent focal point. Now for some important safety tips, whatever type of fireplace you want, just be sure that it is specifically rated for use in a bathroom. Many are not. Many. Gas fireplaces will also need to be properly vented, which will significantly add to the installation cost. However, there are also vent less fireplaces available. But please know that certain states in the US, as well as other countries, have banned these types of fireplaces being used as there is controversy regarding their safety. Specifically, some say that as long as you use it on a limited basis and according to manufacturer guidelines, they are perfectly safe. But others say that any amount of gas byproducts that these units create is never safe in your home. Because of this, you'll find that if they are allowed in your area, this type of fireplace should have a built-in oxygen detection system, and I would also look for one that has a built-in carbon monoxide detector. Some manufacturers will also recommend leaving a window cracked to allow for some fresh air. Finally, they are often not recommended for individuals with breathing conditions such as asthma. In short, definitely do your homework if you decide to go this route. Many of today's gas and electric fireplaces can be controlled via remote control. Your smart phone or through wall-mounted thermostats and timers, which means that just like with your heated floor, you can set the fireplace to come on at specific times. Now that is luxury. My second honorable mentioned bathroom upgrade is an under counter refrigerator. Now, I know your gut reaction may be. Why in the world would I want this? Well first, there is a practical advantage if you have medications, vitamins, or facial products that need to be refrigerated, How convenient would it be to be able to keep these in your bathroom? Second, keeping your perfumes and certain beauty products chilled can lengthen their life and make them easier to use. Third, if you love spending time relaxing in your bedroom or so cleaning your tub, how great would it be to be able to keep some cold beverages nearby, like water, juice or adult beverages. Fourth and finally, if you have the space for a coffee bar in your bedroom, that you'd be able to keep milk or cream easily nearby. Isn't convenience part of what makes something luxurious? Absolutely. Here are some practical tips if you want to consider this upgrade. First, I would recommend going with a model that is appliance panel already so that you can conceal this appliance by seamlessly integrating it with your cabinet tree. Also know that you can also go with a refrigerator drawer or drawers, although this is a fairly pricey option. Finally, unless you have a water closet that keeps a toilet well separated, I personally wouldn't keep any food here. So there you have it. My favorite night bathroom upgrades right now. I hope you enjoyed this lecture as much as I did. 3. The History of Bathrooms : Before we dive into the vast world of bathroom design, I want to first briefly discuss the history of bathrooms. Why? Because honestly, I find it quite interesting and I think you might too. And it's incredible to see the progress that bathroom design has made over time. So let's start with the ancient world, specifically around 2500 BC. Most people are familiar with the popularity of the Greek and Roman communal thermal baths that were used not only for cleaning themselves, but also for socializing. What you may not know is that wealthy families also have thermal baths in their own home. One of the oldest private bath tubs that has been found is in the Palace of Knossos on the island of Crete, dating back to 1700 BC. What's so fascinating about this bathtub is how similar the actual tub and the plumbing were to what we use today regarding toilets, you may be surprised to know that they have been around for a very long time. Here we have group toilets from the ancient Greek city of Philip II, DVD back to 356 BC. And here are remains of ancient group toilets from dukkha in Tunisia that date back to the second, third century AD. However, we saw individual toilets in multiple places long before that, such as this one that was found in a table of Ramsey's a third in Luxor that dates back to approximately 1100 BC. And it looks like the basic structure of toilets didn't change too much. As here we have a toilet built into a fortress wall from the Middle Ages. Can you imagine the poor people who walked under that area at the wrong time? At any rate, we do have evidence showing that primitive flush toilets had been around since roughly 3100 BC. Incredible going back to the Middle Ages, contrary to popular folklore that people didn't bathe during this period, this actually is not true. In fact, soap began to be produced during this time and many towns had communal bath houses for the commoners to use. However, wealthier people during this time would generally be than their homes, usually in a wooden bathtub in their bedroom, in front of a fireplace. Moving specifically to North America, it actually wasn't until the mid 1800s that major cities began building sanitation sewer systems, and that any homes had indoor plumbing. And at this point in time, it was only the luxury homes that had this. Prior to this point, people washed up in the wash basin, either in their bedroom or kitchen, bathe in front of the fireplace and use a chamber pot. But the bathroom we think of today with a bathtub, sink, and toilet, did not become commonplace until 1920, when thankfully, building codes began requiring that new homes have indoor plumbing. Then in the 1920s and 1930s, glamorous Hollywood movies and bathroom fixture manufacturers began suggesting that bathrooms could be beautiful, which resulted in major bath manufacturers offering different color bathroom fixtures for the first time. Between the late 1920s and the 1950s, the bathroom industry really took off, had between the fifties and seventies, color exploded in the world of bathroom fixtures, had bathroom design. And the rest they say is history. 5. Define your Vision for your Dream Bathroom: An important way to begin any remodel is to spend some time defining your vision for the space. Now, I'm not referring to a vision board, although feel free to do that if you'd like the idea. But rather I'm talking about spending some time writing down the answers to some key questions that you should consider. This can and should also include finding some images of what you have in mind or what inspires you. Pinterest is a great vehicle for doing this, but feel free to use any technology of your choice. Now before I get into the six questions that you should use to help you define your vision. I want you to understand why this step is so important to do. Honestly, I cannot underscore this point enough. That said, do you think this process is important because a, it ensures that all of your bathroom functional needs will be met. Be it saves you time by more easily narrowing down your fixture and finish selections. See, it ensures that you are happy with your bathroom remodel at the end of the project or a D All of the above. A high-five to you. If you said D, All of the above can nearly guarantee that if you skip this step, is likely that putting together your bathroom design will be more difficult. Take more time, and you're likely to regret that you did or did not do something once you remodel is complete and nobody wants that. So let's get to the six very important questions that I would be asking you as your designer. And therefore other questions that you should be asking yourself. First, what words would describe your ideal bathroom space? Some words to consider include spiral-like, functional, natural, organic, dramatic, elegant, spacious, inspiring. You get the idea. Words are so important because they help you and or your designer create a mental picture of the space you ultimately want to have. And more importantly, the mood you want to create. Next, what interior design style or styles do you want for your bathroom? First? Definitely consider the style of your home. Unless you're planning to remodel or redecorate the rest of your home, particularly your kitchen. You want a bathroom that is going to flow with the rest of your home. Styles to consider for your bathroom include, but are certainly not limited to traditional, transitional, contemporary, mid-century modern farmhouse, industrial, coastal Sheikh, Scandinavian and Zen. I'll get more into styles in an upcoming lecture. Once you know the mood and style you want for your new bathroom. Next, you want to figure out the color scheme. Both style and mood will inform your color selection. For example, if you want dramatic, go with dark colors or strong contrast, such as black and white. If you want a sport like relaxing bathroom, then light neutrals such as white, cream, beige, gray, and gray are obvious choices. If it's an odd suite bathroom, you should also consider the attached bedrooms color scheme. You want these two spaces to flow. So I would repeat some of the same colors in both spaces. Your color scheme should also include the wood and metal finishes you want to use for your bathroom. Next, you want to think about your must-haves for this bathroom, not only for you, but for anyone else who is using the bathroom and is old enough to voice their opinion. This could be a double vanity, more storage space, courts, countertops, a luxurious tub, or a rainfall shower head. There's generally no right or wrong here, provided you don't have any structural or budget limitations for these must-haves. The next question would be considered by just the designer. But if you're a DIY in your bathroom, you need to think about this as well. And that is what do you want to be the focal point for your bathroom? Since all rooms really should have a focal point. Ideally, a focal point is placed opposite the entrance to the room, although it doesn't have to be. Some potential focal points for a bathroom include a feature wall, a unique sink, vanity, mirror, shower, bathtub, or it could even be a striking floor tile. Lastly, you want to consider whether or not you will be moving within the next five years. This is going to inform how much money you may want to spend, as well as a specific design decisions you might make. For example, if you plan on moving within the next few years, I would advise you to go with neutral colored finishes and inject personality in places like your art work or anything that can go with you, such as seeding. 6. Realistic Budget Expectations : Now let's talk about what your dream bathroom is going to cost you. That's a bit of a misnomer because obviously what your bathroom remodel will cost is highly dependent on a number of factors, including but not limited to the size of your bathroom, whether it's a refresh or a complete remodel. If you are DIY in some of the labor, if you are moving plumbing and where you live in the world. That said, if you live in the US, I can give you some idea. According to n-k BA or the national kitchen and bath Association, in 2019, the average price for a primary bathroom remodel was 32000, with the low end of the range close to 10000 and the high-end going up to more than 50000, the average cost to remodel a full bathroom was 18 thousand, with the range between 5000 and 35000 for a powder room, you might be surprised to know that homeowners spent an average of $12 thousand with the range roughly between 3000 and $30,000.30,000 would get you one incredible little powder room in my area. Now if you live outside the US, odds are you can go online and find some rough estimates from your local or national kitchen and bath associations. When working with clients, I always tell them that their budget needs to include a 10 to 20 percent contingency budget, not only for things that will go wrong and trust me, they do, but also for surprises that you may uncover during the remodeling process, such as mold, bad plumbing, electrical deficiencies, rotting, Joyce, et cetera. So this means if your budget is 20 thousand, then you should plan on spending two to $4 thousand more on the unexpected. Now if after you've mapped out your vision and you realize that you're going to need more money than you planned on spending. I do have some money saving tips that may work for you. If you are thinking of replacing your generic frameless wall mirror with a more stylish frame. Mere purchase a frame from an online company instead, that will custom make the frame for you that easily adheres to your existing mirror. If your toilet works well and is not moving, replace just the seat and lid. Of course, if you're replacing the fluorine, you'll need to move your toilet. And just remember that you'll need a new wax ring seal since it cannot be reused unless you use a wax free toilet bowl gasket. At any rate, I digress. The point is, you can save some money with this approach. And if you liked the idea of a smart toilet, but don't have it in the budget. You can also just purchase a smart toilet seat and still get some of the functions that you would with a smart toilet in lieu of a custom vanity, consider retrofitting a vintage dresser, which would work well in a number of different styles, including traditional farm house, bohemian, and Art Deco. If your bath tub shower or bath tub shower combo are in good shape, definitely consider a refinishing, are re glazing it instead of replacing it. There are many companies that do a great job with this service. You can technically also refinished a bathroom sink unless it's vintage, I would not spend the money given that sinks are fairly inexpensive. Now if we're talking in your entire vanity, then refinishing the counter, re facing the vanity and changing the hardware may be a great solution if the functionality meets your needs and the cabinet box and drawers are in good shape. My final tip in this area is to determine what your most important fixture is. This may be your focal point item or it may not be. But in this example, let's say it's the bathtub which you also plan on having as your focal point. If that's the case, put your money there to get the bath tub of your dreams, and then look for more budget friendly items for your remaining fixtures and finishes. Finally, let's talk about the typical timeline for completing a bathroom remodel. In my experience, an average timeframe for a bathroom remodel is four to six weeks. It can be closer to four weeks if you have a crew that is only working on your project and closer to six weeks if they are working on multiple projects simultaneously. Of course, this timeframe is just for the actual labor. There's also the time it takes to create your dream bathroom design and order your fixtures and finishes, which may have long lead times, especially if you are ordering anything custom. 7. Order of Work in a Bathroom Remodel : If you are intending on acting as your own general contractor, meaning hiring and managing all of the subcontractors yourself. Then this lecture is for you. Even if you plan on hiring a general contractor or GC, I think it's still good to know how bathroom remodels are typically managed. Let me start out by saying that this information is based on a few assumptions. First, that this is a complete bathroom remodel rather than just a refresh or facelift. Second, that your design and to scale floor plan have already been completed. Third, that you've hired your GC or all of your subs forth, that the appropriate permits have been pulled. Fifth and finally, that you've not only ordered and received all of your fixtures, finishes, et cetera, since delivery times can be unpredictable and particularly long for custom products. But then you've also actually looked at all of the materials to ensure that you have the correct items and that there isn't any damage. Now let's talk about how a bathroom remodel is done. First, we have demo day. If you have the energy and the physical ability to do this DIY and your demo can definitely save you some money. If you go this route, you'll want to think about how you will dispose of the old materials. The obvious approaches are to either rent a dumpster or just haul everything to the dump yourself. But I encourage you to consider donating anything usable to a place like Habitat for Humanity or the reuse people of America. Finally, if you live in the US and you're homeless built before 1980, please be sure to have a professional check for us best dose or lead-based paint in your bathroom before you begin, as this will require special handling. After Demo Day, we move into rough in work, which begins with any needed framing, as well as blocking for grab bars, even if you don't think you'll need them until several years in the future. Why do you think we install the blocking now? I'm sure you guessed that you do this so you don't have to tear out your tile or drywall to install this require blocking When you do need grab bars. Moving on, we then bring in the plumber, followed by the electrician to begin their work. The plumber will do all of the rough and work for the new plumbing, including installing a new shower pan and built-in tub. If you are including one, the electrician will install all of the electrical wiring, electrical boxes for the new fixtures and outlets. If you need new ducting for your exhaust fan. This would be done during this step as well. Before you can move on from this step, you'll likely need a rough in inspection to ensure that this work was completed according to code. You can't move forward until this has signed off. Now we can move on to step three, which would include installing the installation, hanging the new drywall, Medina and Sandy. Of course, for any areas that are going to be tiled, you'll need to install a backer board and a moisture barrier or waterproofing membrane. While hanging drywall is a fairly straightforward DIY task with plenty of tutorials on YouTube. I recommend hiring an experienced contractor to do your med work to avoid bad looking walls as far as the installation of doors and windows. Some pros say to install these after drywall, otherwise they will get very dusty if not properly protected. Others say before your door and window person will tell you what they recommend. Door and window casing, however, are installed after the drywall. Step 4 is tiling, which includes installation, crowding, and ceiling. Just like Medina, I would always leave the tiling to a professional preferably a professional tile center who only does tile. Correcting a bad tile installation is an awfully expensive proposition. Step five is painting your walls and ceiling. This is another possible DIY job. Although professional painters are one of the more affordable subs and they work quickly. If you do DIY this, just expect to do touch-up work after everything is installed. Step six is the installation of most of your major fixtures and finishes, including your cabinet tree, vanity, countertops, toilet, bath tub, shower door, and a towel warmer if you are using one. Now let's talk about what to do if you are installing a fluorine material other than tile, do you think you should install the fluorine before or after the aforementioned items? There actually isn't a specific right or wrong here. That said, my recommendation is to install the fluorine first as it will be much easier to change the vanity and any cabinet tree down the road without having gaps in your fluorine. I'll talk more about this later in the course. Our final step, step 7, is to install all of the remaining smaller items, including your mirror, cabinet hardware, towel bars, toilet paper holder, rope hooks, light fixtures, light switch, receptacle plates, et cetera. It's a lot, but so worth it for a beautiful new bathroom. That said a few final points. Please note that if you had a rough and inspection, a final inspection will likely be needed at some point near the end of the project. This can vary by area in terms of what order to pick your fixtures and finishes in. I would think about what you want to be your focal point. For example, if it's statement fluorine, then I would select that first. So you get exactly what you want within the style and color scheme you selected. Or if you want a gorgeous countertop, then select that first and then figure out the best vanity and fluorine to go with it. Finally, don't forget to adequately protect your house during the remodel. This means protecting your fluorine with a temporary floor covering. And if it's an odd suite bathroom, be sure to cover your bedroom furniture with dust sheets. 8. Important Questions for your Bathroom Contractors: At this point, you may or may not know if you want to hire a GC for your bathroom remodel. If it's a small bathroom and you're just replacing or rear-facing fixtures and finishes. You can probably manage it yourself if you'd like. If it's complete remodel and or a larger bathroom, a GC will likely be well-worth the cost. The other nice thing about working with a GC is your opportunity to do a punch list at the end of the remodel, instead of you having to go back to individual contractors for any fixed items, you just notify your GC who will handle everything for you until you are satisfied. Now let's say you decide to go it on your own and be the GC. Maybe you even want to DIY some of the work. Odds are still very high that you will hire a professional at some point in your bathroom remodel. To that point, if you are doing electrical work or plumbing, please be sure to hire license electricians and plumbers. It's just not worth the headache to do otherwise. Regardless of how you go about finding your professionals, even if it's a strong referral from a friend or family member, it's so important to fully vet a contractor, which includes asking for references, seen pictures of their completed work, and gain at least three bits for each specialty area. You should also never, ever assume that you and the contractor are on the same page. Rather, you really want to spell everything out, including expectations so that there are as few surprises as possible. In the resources section, you will find a list of the questions I've compiled that either ask or I would recommend that you ask every contractor you hire. I won't go through every question in this lecture as I believe many are straightforward, but I do want to highlight a handful of the questions I recommend asking and why. The first question I want to highlight is the one regarding permits. A licensed contractor should pull them for you. And if they aren't willing to, it's possible that they either aren't licensed nor experienced, or trying to avoid responsibility. I would also recommend asking to see the premise before the project starts. Now let's talk about the best way to communicate question. This is a particularly important question. You definitely want to know the best way to get a hold of your contractor for any urgent issues. Additionally, if you hire a GC, I would expect to have a minimum of weekly on-site meetings to review the work together. But having them show up each morning is even better just to ensure that the subs know exactly what they are supposed to be doing regarding their cleanup procedure. This is particularly important if you are remodeling and on suite bathroom, subcontractors will use the adjacent bedroom as a staging area for tools and materials make it either very difficult or practically impossible to use that bedroom for the duration of the project, I personally would want to find someone who will clean up sufficiently that I can still use the bedroom. But it's your choice. Of course. Moving on to the budget question, the main two points I want to make here are as follows. Note the word detailed. You don't want just an overall number, but rather you want to see detailed line items as this will help you to compare bids more effectively. Additionally, make sure that the contractor has a built-in a 10 to 20 percent contingency budget for unexpected expenses, which are most surely to happen. Finally, let's talk about why asking for pictures of their work is important. But YC in their work in person is better. Details can sometimes be difficult to see in a photo. Details like is there tile lipid, which could be a too often common problem by inexperienced the title centers or are the cock lines too thin or cracking? So while pictures of other work is a bare minimum requirement for me in person is always the better way to go, if possible. 9. Interior Design Styles for Your Bathroom : As I mentioned earlier, defining the interior design style for your bathroom is an important step in your planning process. If you already have a distinct style in your home, then I would either use that style or a complimentary style in your bathroom. Or if this is an odd suite bathroom, then you definitely want to take into consideration the style in the adjoining bedroom. If you don't have a distinct style or aren't sure what it is, then I know from experience that clients often struggle with this decision. But define the style upfront will serve two important functional purposes. First, it will help to ensure that your final bathroom design feels harmonious and cohesive. And second, it will really help you to narrow down your choices when shopping, which trust me, you will be thankful for given how many choices you have for every single detail of your bathroom design. In my online kitchen course, I talk about how to approach choosing a style of your kitchen, which is to ideally match it to the architectural style of your home. The reason for this may be obvious because kitchens and bathrooms are composed of primarily fixed fixtures and finishes that you can take with you when you move, potential new owners may find a kitchen and bathroom that are out of sync with this value of your home to be a distraction from its appeal. That said, of course it's your home and you don't have to abide by that recommendation. And certainly if you don't plan on moving for a very long time or forever, or you live in a condo or a flat with no exterior elevation that contend with, then the choice is solely yours. So how do you choose? I'm going to share with you the four most popular, but not necessarily trend, these styles that I've been seen in bathroom design for a while. First, we have the contemporary style bathroom and likely no surprise there. While contemporary can certainly do bold more often than not, because of its significantly pared down aesthetic, contemporary spaces give off a feeling of peace and tranquility, especially when you stick to the lighter neutrals for your color palette. If you like a boulder look, consider a heavy contrast color scheme, such as black and white, or go with a strong statement, mirror or light fixture. Common metal finishes in this style are usually Chrome, dark Peter, and black. As with everything contemporary, these bathrooms are definitely less is more. But that means every finish and fixture needs to be just about perfect. A lot of potential pressure for sure. A contemporary bathroom is also about very clean lines. Minimalists fittings and sleek hardware, such as extra long pulls or going without the pulls altogether with pushed to open hardware. Features like floating vanities and Kerberos showers with or without a door are perfect in this style. I think one reason that style is so popular is because it really lends itself to all of the latest technology, including but not limited to, smart meters, smart showers, well, smart anything, touchless faucets and built-in speakers. I also love including plants and in contemporary bathroom, which can help the space from feeling a bit too cold or unwelcoming. In short, when I think of a contemporary bathroom, I think clean, sleek, and striking. Next on my list is a transitional style bathroom. That transitional style is a mix of traditional and contemporary influences. Neutrals dominate this style, including darker colors at times, like deep chocolate brown and black. For non-neutral colors, calming colors like blue are particularly on point from metal finishes, I would use nickel, brass, or black. The simple clean lines are both curved and straight with little detailing on areas like your vanity, shakers, towel cabinet doors are a common choice in this style. Lighting can lean more contemporary or more traditional. It's up to you. So a linear pendant looks just as good as a crystal pendant. Same for your fittings. You can either go with something more contemporary or more traditional. Marble or courts or person that looks like marble is a great choice for transitional, but so are porcelain tiles with simple patterns in the beige, gray or white family. For window treatments, you can go with something a bit more polished and traditional, like a hobbled Roman shade, or even a little more casual, like a woven would shade. Both would work great. When I think of a transitional style bathroom, I think calming classic and chic. Moving on, we have the traditional style bathroom. I find that clients either loved this style or they don't. And if they love it, It's usually the predominant style they have in their home anyway. The traditional style has endured for decades and for good reason. This elegant style loves neutrals, particularly white and warm neutrals with beautiful fittings. Fixtures and finishes such as a clock bathtub and natural stones like marble and Travers team. Satin or brushed nickel, foil rub bronze and antique copper metal finishes are the norm. Curves dominate over straight lines, and this is a style we'll see more ornate detailing. In areas like the vanity, the lighting is more elaborate, with crystalline glass being commonly used materials. I love a chandelier and the right bathroom. And you'll typically see more elegant window treatments like drapes and Roman shades. When I think of a traditional style bathroom, I think elegance, luxury and timeless. Last and most definitely not least, we have mid-century modern, often referred to as just modern. This bathroom style has a lot in common with contemporary, meaning, a clean stream light aesthetic with minimalist fittings and floating vanities. However, while with contemporary, you will see curved lines. Modern bathrooms generally are all about the straight lines, particularly horizontal lines. Also, as I mentioned, while a floating vanity would certainly be at home here, I would strongly consider a vanity with the classic modern splayed legs, which will really drive home your style choice. Tile with contrasting grout is another popular choice for this style. Additionally, would particularly walnut and other midtone woods are very popular in this style. So to carry this in the bathroom, consider your vanity, other cabinet tree, open shelving and your mirror frame for light fixtures, mid mod dominates are some of the best looking fixtures across any style. I would absolutely use mid mod fixtures in a modern bathroom. While white, gray, and black are common neutrals used in his style, if you like color, modern does not disappoint. Those midtone would look great with all shades of blue, particularly awkward, but also green, burnt orange, and deep bread. And definitely try to use some patterns, such as geometric patterns for your fluorine or backsplash. Brass of course, is the predominant finished color from modern bathrooms, although black and chrome are used as well. For those of you who love the style, you also likely know that this style has a strong organic feel. Use of natural materials, which most people just absolutely love in their bathrooms. When I think of a modern bathroom, I think bold, stylish, and organic. Now while these are the top four styles that have been dominating the bathroom design world for a while. By no means are they the only styles available to you? Other great styles to consider for your bathroom in no particular order include farmhouse, industrial, Scandinavian, Bohemian, rustic, modern French, coastal Sheikh, Mediterranean, and zen. I recommend that you go ahead and download the attached document called the ultimate bathroom design style guide. In the resources section in which I've listed all of the styles and the coordinating selections and finishes that go best with each style. Then as you listened the future lectures, you can circle those selections and finishes that you are most drawn to so that by the end of this course, you are well on your way to having designed your dream bathroom. 10. Beautiful Bathroom Color Schemes by Style : Just like with choosing your style, choosing your color scheme before you get started serves the same functional purposes. It ensures you end up with a harmonious bathroom design. And it makes your shopping much easier when you can narrow down your selections based on style and color. So in this lecture, I want to talk about color in two different ways. First, we'll talk about excellent color combinations, including metal finishes based on the style of your bathroom. Second, I'll share with you some guidelines that may help you to narrow down your color scheme selections, even within that style. Okay, let's get started. First, we have contemporary, a simple palette like gray and white with Chrome finishes. Black and white with Chrome or black finishes would be obvious choices. But I'd likely want to bring in some warmth through color. If U2, like this idea, consider gray, white and beige with a bit of black and chrome finishes. Beige and white with black or Chrome finishes. Beige, brown and white with Chrome finishes, or grayish, deep brown and white with Chrome finishes. If transitional is what you love, then consider white, gray and deep brown with black or nickel finishes. White beige and deep brown with nickel finishes. White, gray and black with nickel or black finishes. And brass would be a great choice here as well. Or white with various shades of gray and nickel finishes. Moving on, we have traditional, if this style is for you, here are some winning color schemes to consider. White, gray and deep brown with nickel finishes. Or if you prefer warmer neutrals, keep the deep brown and pair it with white, beige and nickel oil rub bronze or antique copper finishes, white and various shades of gray with nickel finishes or white or cream with various shades of gray and either nickel or bronze finishes. Moving on to mid-century modern, consider black and white with Chrome, black or brass finishes. Black and white also pair beautifully with the classic mid mod walnut finish. And either Chrome or brass finishes. Choose brass if you want to add more warmth to this scheme. Blue, gray and white with bras and black finishes, or 40 more calming neutral color scheme. Consider gray, white, and mid-tone would with Chrome finishes or double down on the gray and just add in some wood finishes for warmth. If farmhouse is what makes your heart sing, consider brown, white and gray with oil rubbed bronze or black finishes. White and beige with nickel finishes. Or a white brown and black with black finishes. For fans of the industrial style, great color schemes for an industrial bathroom include white, gray and beige with black or Chrome finishes. Black, white gray and deep red with Chrome finishes. For some additional warmth, add in some wood to this color scheme. For the Scandinavian style fans out there, white, beige, and gray is by far the most utilized color scheme. And often it's a matter of which neutral you want to emphasize most. It could be white or beige or gray. Even though this style is simplicity to its core, what's not to love? It's bright, crisp, and perpetually in style. Moving on, we have Bohemian, which has been going through quite a transformation over the last few years. Previously, Bo who was all about bright vivid colors and lots and lots of patterns. A beautiful eclectic style bordering on chaotic at times. It wasn't for the faint of heart. But because there are so many wonderful elements about this style, we've quickly seen the rise of beau WHO Sheikh, which is pared down the color scheme to a lot more neutrals, but kept the commitment to plants, textures, and eclectic style furnishes with iconic pieces like the peacock chair. You throw one of these in your bathroom and we all know instantly the style you're going for. So if you love Bobo, but not the bright color palette, Consider a color scheme of white, black, and beige, which has become a classic Bobo chic color scheme. Alternatively, if you want color, green is a great one to use given its association with plants, or bring in some color through an area, rug or artwork. A freestanding copper bathtub is also the perfect choice for this style. Now, for all you fans out there of the rustic style using reclaimed wood or tile that mimics the look of reclaimed wood is an excellent choice, paired with any shade of white or light gray and Chrome finishes. Another great look is a warm gray paired with stone, tile and copper finishes. Modern French is another style with a pretty straightforward color scheme. You're generally looking at all white. Or my absolute favorite, black and white. Black marble paired with white marble is perfectly on point for this elegant style. Metal finishes are generally going to be Chrome or nickel. Some classic style elements to include would be a crystal chandelier, luxurious drapes, if that makes sense for your bathroom. A decorative privacy screen or a classically French style wall mirror. Now if you live by the water, you may have the coastal Sheikh style going on in your home. If so, bring your bathroom in line style wise with colors that reflect what we most love about the beach, the water, sand, sky, palm trees and awesome palm leaf beach umbrellas. That said, some beautiful color schemes to use in this style include white, blue, and beige with blacker Chrome finishes, or simply white and beige with antique bronze finishes or Chrome finishes. I would definitely include some beautiful palms, if possible, in this style bathroom. If you have a Mediterranean style home and we'd love to incorporate the styling your bathroom, you likely know that a warm color scheme is typical, incorporating lots of beige and rich would tones, as well as terracotta and darker reds and black as an accent color. You'll often see in places like wrought iron light fixtures. That said, it's not uncommon for the style to use a lot of white and some blue for accents as well, such as blue Mediterranean tile that can be incorporated into a backslash or floor. Common architectural features include arches and pillars. Finally, if a Zen style bathroom is calling your name, we again have a very simple color scheme approach. All white with some light wood accents and Chrome finishes is an ideal palette, as is white and would tones with Chrome finishes or white, gray and light would, again with Chrome finishes. Don't forget the greenery. Now let me share some helpful guidelines to help you narrow down your choices even further. First, keep your color palette to two or three main colors. Possibly for, for a large primary bathroom. More than this and your bathroom aesthetic will feel overwhelming. Additionally, if this is a bathroom that is connected to a bedroom, choose a color scheme that will blend well with the attached bedroom so the entire space feels cohesive. If your bathroom completely lacks natural light, you'll likely be more pleased with the outcome by choosing a lighter color palette. Finally, remember that color affects our mood. And given that this is where we start and end our day, keep basic color psychology in mind when selecting your color palette. Specifically, warmer colors create energy and excitement and a space. Whereas cooler colors evoke feelings of communists and serenity. In general, people tend to tire of warmer colors long before they grow tired of cool colors. So for a room like a bathroom with all hard finishes, a cool color palette is usually the better choice, particularly for resell, if that's important to you. That said, this does not mean that you can't bring in warmer colors. Certainly this can be done via places like artwork and window treatments. 12. Bathroom Floor Plan Options/Ideas: Given that movie major fixtures like toilets and bathtubs will add thousands of dollars to your bathroom remodel. It's always best to leave your existing layout intact only if it meets your functional needs, of course. But if it doesn't, and you're not quite sure how to fix these problems than this lecture is for you. I'm going to be discussing some common functional floor plans that we use for each type of bathroom, specifically a primary bathroom, full bathroom, three-quarter bathroom, and Powder Room, also known as a half bath or guest bath. Once you find a layout you like, It's important to always check with your plumber to ensure your new floor plan will work. Let's start with the primary bath, commonly referred to as the master bathroom, which is the largest bathroom in the house and often isn't on suite bathroom to the primary bedroom. In this bathroom, you will generally have a shower, a bathtub, a toilet, and two sinks. Or some will forgo the bathtub and just go with an extra large shower. Let's look at a few floor plan options together. First, let me just say that I am a big fan of water closets. I know not everyone likes them, but I definitely do. So if I have enough space, which is a minimum of 30 inches by 60 inches, I will try to include one. My other goal with a primary bath is to have a great focal point, which is typically placed opposite the entrance to the room. That said, let's look at a few great options. This first plan is one of my favorites. Here we have the bathtub as the focal point of the room and split vanity is opposite each other. We also have a water closet, which could use a regular door or a pocket door, and a large walk-in shower. In the second design, the vanity is a focal point. I've included a sit down area for makeup, a large walk in shower, any freestanding tab. I've also placed a floor plant in this corner. And in this third design for a smaller primary bathroom, I like this one because it makes the vanity area the obvious focal point to the room. It also includes a large walk-in shower, no bathtub, but I've included a linen closet. Let's move on to the full bathroom, which often uses a tub shower combo combined with a sink and a toilet. This first layout is a classic one, which places all three fixtures on one wall cutting down on your plumbing costs. So it's functional and cost effective. In the second design, I've placed the fixtures opposite each other. However, just know that your plumbing costs will be higher by involving two walls instead of one. In this third design, because we have more space, I've included a double vanity with a linen closet, and we have enough space for a small table in between the toilet and tubs shower combo. Now let's look at some three-quarter bath floor plan options, which again is a bathroom with a shower sink and a toilet, but no tub. This is typically a bathroom that you might see attached to a guest bedroom. The first floor plan is likely your most cost-effective option as again, it has all of the plumbing along the same wall. In the second plan, I've included a three-by-three shower, which is the minimum shower sites from a universal design perspective, which provides more room for a larger vanity. And you could even have enough room to add a linen closet. In this final floor plan, I've created a split bathroom layout with a private three-by-three shower and toilet area separate from the vanity and linen closet. Being able to close off the toilet shower area with a pocket door from the vanity area allows multiple users at the same time, of course. Finally, let's talk about three simple floor plans for powder rooms, which again, is a smallest bathroom in the house, typically only about 20 square feet and it's not uncommon for the door to swing out instead of in because the space is typically so small because we are only talking about two fixtures, a sink and the toilet. There really are only about three workable configurations for a narrower or powder room. The obvious floor plan is to have the two fixtures facing each other. In the second configuration, when the room is shaped more like a square, a typical and more affordable option is to place this sink and toilet on the same wall. But if you have a bit more space, then you can place the sink and toilet on adjacent walls, like we see here. 14. Universal Design for Bathrooms : In 2011, the Centers for Disease Control came out with a report illustrating how dangerous residential bathrooms can be by reviewing emergency department reports across the US. In that report, how many individuals do you think sustained non-fatal bathroom injuries in one year? Was it a 90000? Be a 160 thousand or a C 230000. If you guessed C, you are correct. Roughly 230 thousand individuals sustained non-fatal bathroom injuries. They also found that these injuries increased with age and that over 80 percent of them were caused by Falls. Not surprisingly, the activities at most commonly resulted in a trip to the ER included showering, bathing, using the toilet, and getting out of the shower or bath tub. With that in mind, universal design is an important approach that can dramatically improve the safety in our homes and allow seniors to age in place, as well as remained as independent as possible. As I mentioned in an earlier lecture, universal design is a broad concept meant to include everyone regardless of age, size, ability, or disability. More specifically, universal design has the following goal. The design of products and environments to be usable by all people to the greatest extent possible without the need for adaptation or specialized design. While universal design is a concept that can be applied to a home's entire interior design. In this lecture, we are going to be discussing what it means and the concept of bathroom design. One of the biggest challenges in universal bathroom design is a space requirements needed. For example, for wheelchair users, a minimum 60 inch turning radius is required in order to make a 180 degree turn, which translates to an open space of 30 inches by 48 inches in front of each plumbing fixture. Although these areas can overlap each other. That said, let's go ahead and talk about the other several elements of universal design that can be applied to bathrooms. First, we have walk-in Kerberos showers. Not only are these wonderful fixtures for any member of the household, but they bring both accessibility and comfort for anyone with a disability or who uses an ambulatory device. If you can leave off a door that is ideal for access, but if not, ensure that there is at least 32 inches of clearance when the shower door is open, which usually means specifying a door that is at least 36 inches wide. Additionally, it is recommended that a wall mounted seat or bench be included to allow users to sit comfortably while bathing, and that blocking be added behind the walls for future grab bars. Alternatively, you could purchase a low threshold shower stall unit, which includes a seat and grab bars and can easily replace an existing tub shower combo. Next, we have wall-mounted sinks and vanities with CDN space below for those individuals who have a difficult time standing in front of the sink. To make these accessible for seeded individuals, the front of the sink should sit no more than 34 inches from the finished floor and have 17 inches of depth tab space for their needs. The hot water pipes should either be insulated, covered so the CDD individual does not accidentally burn themselves. Be sure that wall mirrors are large enough so that individuals of all heights, including those who are seated, can easily see themselves and use easy to grasp a cabinet hardware specifically pulls instead of knobs. For faucets, touch activated, touchless, single handle or pull lever faucets are recommended for your sink. Along the same lines. Lever handles for your doors are better than round door knobs. If you go with a single handle or pull lever faucet, look for one that has a hot limit, safety stop, and prevent users from being scalded the shower, ideally, you should install a handheld shower head on a vertical slider bar that allows the users to adjust the height. This is great for cleaning to. You should also use lever handles in the shower so that individuals can adjust the temperature and volume levels easily. A shower system with a thermostat mixing valve is an excellent investment as it allows you to manage the temperature and volume separately. If you are interested in a bathtub that meets universal design, that's going to mean a walk-in bath tub in which you walk in first and then you wait for it to fill while you sit comfortably on a built-in seat. This is what is ideal for individuals with mobility issues. Some of these units also come with hydrotherapy spot jets. Alternatively, to simply make getting into a bathtub easier, go with a raised tab with a platform or deck, which allows you to sit on the deck, swing your legs over and lower yourself into the tub. Blocking for grab bars should be installed at the appropriate places near the tub. Regarding toilets, universal design recommends using a comfort height toilet with a seat that is 17 to 19 inches from the finished floor rather than the traditional 14 and 15 inch high toilet, so that an individual can more easily get on and off. Wall-mounted toilets are also a great choice as it can easily be hung at the ideal height. Also look for toilets. I have easy to flush handles and elongated seats. Definitely add in woodblock in behind the adjacent wall for the ability to install a future grab bar, which should sit 33 to 36 inches above the finished floor. Finally, as a reminder, for easy wheelchair access, there should be a 60 inch diameter from the front of the toilet seat to the opposite wall. If you want your fluorine to meet universal design standards, choose a tile or fluorine material that has an anti slip finish and meets ADA or Americans with Disabilities Act requirements. Alternatively, small tile such as one by one or two by two tiles, are a great choice given how much grout will be used, essentially making the floor and non slip. It's the reason why this size tile is often recommended for shower floors. Now let's talk lighting. There is no question that as we age, our lighting needs increase. A 60-year-old will need three times the amount of light as a 20-year-old in a bathroom, you can hopefully use a combination of natural and artificial lighting. Either way, you need to consider both your ambient or general lighting as well as your task lighting needs. One great task legging option that everyone can benefit from is a swing arm lighted mirror with a magnifier as it allows you to pull the mirror to where you need it instead of having to lean over the vanity, the seat better. Some models also come with motion sensors, which is a nice feature for every type of user. From a universal design perspective, you should use rocker switches instead of toggle switches for ease of use. Night Lights are incredibly important in bathrooms, and my favorite approach to meet this need is to install LED strip lights on the toe kick of your vanity that have a motion sensor. Of course, you can always just install a night light with a motion sensor near the entry door to your bathroom. If privacy is an issue, consider window film or light filtering shades to maximize natural light. Grab bars are a very important aspect of universal bathroom design. Fortunately, there are many styles and finishes to choose from, so your bathroom does not have to look clinical or commercial. Remember, even if you don't need grab bars now, it is wise to install blocking behind drywall where you may need to install grab bars in the future. Additionally, the world of grab bars is constantly growing. Some manufacturers have begun incorporating grab bars into fixtures like hand-held showers, towel bars, and soap dishes for a more discrete approach. Finally, contrast is an element you should consider with regards to universal design, specifically by including strong contrast in your color, such as between your walls, floors, cabinet, tree, and countertops. It helps those with visual difficulties move around the bathroom more safely and easily. 15. Wet Room Bathrooms – Pros and Cons : Depending on where you live in the world, you may know exactly what a wet room is, as it may be fairly common, or it may be something you've never seen in person and or can't quite visualize for those of you in the latter group, you might recall that gave a quick definition of this type of bathroom back in the lecture on important bathroom terminology. So let me go ahead and expand a little further on this definition. A wet room bathroom is a completely waterproof bathroom, meaning that it's constructed with materials that are designed to get wet. More specifically, this means that there is not a shower tray and often the shower is not fully enclosed. Rather, the shower is either separated with a glass shower screen or something comparable, or there's no separation at all. And the fluorine runs throughout the entire bathroom, uninterrupted. Rainfall shower heads are also fairly common in this type of bathroom so that the spray goes down rather than out to minimize shower spray to the rest of the bathroom. In order for the water to drain effectively, the fluorine needs to gradually slope towards the drain. Additionally, all of the walls, fluorine and ceiling will need to be waterproofed with either a physical membrane or liquid sealants. Waterproofing a bathroom is known as tanking. Walls and fluorine should be fully tiled and any windows will need to be waterproofed as well. Radiant floor heating is also usually recommended so that any water left on your floor or will evaporate more quickly. If this sounds like this is not an easy DIY project, you would be correct if you want to go with a wet room bathroom, I strongly encourage you to hire licensed and experienced contractors, specifically plumbers, electricians, carpenters, for this type of renovation. So let's talk about some of the pros to this style of bathroom. First, if you have a smaller bathroom, not having a shower enclosure will make your bathroom feel more spacious, especially since you are running the same fluorine throughout the entire bathroom. Also because there is either no shower glass or less shower glass cleaning your bathroom just got easier and quicker. And having your entire bathroom waterproofed should also cut down on future bathroom leaks and increase the overall longevity of your bathroom. Finally, if you or your loved ones have or may have mobility issues, this dial of bathroom is ideal. Now let's talk about the cons. First, the cost, because you will need to waterproof and tile the entire bathroom. This style of bathroom will be more expensive than a traditional bathroom. Second, without a shower enclosure, the spray and the higher humidity levels may result in everything getting wet, including your towels, tissues, and toilet paper. Excellent ventilation and goods storage solutions will be a must. If this is your only bathroom, you, when your guess run the risk of having a step on a wet floor to use the bathroom. Of course, installing a single pane of glass to separate your shower will help to a certain degree in this situation. If this is not your forever home and this style of bathroom is not common in your area. Consider the potential resell implications of forgoing the traditional bathroom, especially if this is your primary or your only bathroom. Although on the flip side, having a bathroom that is fully waterproof may be attractive to buyers as well. Finally, there are some materials that are more challenging to use in a wet room. For example, if you want to use natural stone due to its poorest nature, it will need to be sealed properly and regularly and you'll need to use a slip resistant finish if you are using this on your floor. If it's highly textured, it will be more difficult to clean. Additionally, be aware that some stones like slate, may deteriorate over time in a wet room bathroom. If you don't choose a high-quality version of that slate. One excellent alternative to a full wet room bathroom is to section off your shower and bathtub in the same space with a single pane of glass and a curb. This still creates a feeling of openness and it minimizes the area that you'll need to waterproof and tile. We've just touched on the challenges you may have with stone in a wet room. So now let's talk about the materials that are ideal for wet rooms. As I'm sure you can guess, porcelain or ceramic tiles are common and work extremely well. But there are other options including Korean concrete, rubber, and vinyl, as in luxury vinyl tiles or luxury vinyl planks. These are all great fluorine choices. Whatever you choose, ensure your fluorine has a high slip resistance rating. There is a common misconception that wet rooms can only be installed on the first floor. This actually isn't true. As long as your wet room is built correctly, you can install a web room on any floor of your home. In terms of subfloor, it also doesn't matter if your sub floor is wood or concrete. Again, just make sure that you hire knowledgeable, experienced contractors to do the work who understand how to install an appropriate drainage system and waterproof this type of bathroom. Speaking of drainage, this is a very important part of a wet room bathroom, as I'm sure you can imagine. When thinking about drainage needs, you'll definitely need to consider the flow rate of your shower. If you plan on using a rainfall shower head with a higher flow rate than a typical shower head, you want to ensure that you have sufficient drainage traps to handle the additional water? Again, I can't emphasize enough the importance of working with experienced professionals. If a wet room is the bathroom for you. 16. The Best Bathroom Storage Solutions : Rarely do I meet a client who doesn't live storage as one of the top challenges with their current bathroom. To that point in this lecture, I want to talk about my favorite bathroom storage solutions for bathrooms of all sizes. First, in general, I advocate a mix of open and closed storage. Many designers would say that the smaller the bathroom, the more closed storage you should have. They say this for aesthetic reasons. A lot of visual clutter. Well, visually reduce the size of your bathroom. I don't disagree. That said, I also believe in maximizing functionality. So I think you just need to be smart about which items should be behind closed doors. What makes sense to leave visible and easily accessible? Also, I think it's important to remember that if you are using open storage solutions, such as open shelving and attach arrays, you can use items like baskets or other containers to corral smaller items together and reduce the overall visual clutter of your space. Speaking of attached arrays, these open sided bookcases, as well as leaning ladder bookcases, can be excellent storage solutions, particularly for small bathrooms, since you are using vertical wall space to create storage. And I prefer Italian arrays to bookcases because you have easier access to the items. They are great place next to a vanity to hold items like cotton balls and Q-tips and decorative jars, lotions and soaps, but can also be excellent storage solutions for towels and toilet paper. Personally, I prefer when toilet paper is stacked in a basket, but that might just be me. For a more custom solution. Nothing beats the look of built-in shelves or cubbies. And if you are particularly space constrained, you can build them in-between wall studs. However, if you have the floor space built-in open cabinet tree like we see here, can be a gorgeous and functional choice for a primary bathroom. And if you like this look but want a more affordable solution that frees up floor space, then some open shelves can be a great solution for many bathrooms. Again, open shelves can be a great place for extra towels, pretty toiletries, and greenery. What about over the toilet storage? Truthfully, these types of units are looking pretty dated. So a better solution is to use floating shelves or recess shelves above the toilet. Now let's talk about closed storage solutions for those items that we don't want to display. Let's start with vanities. Rather than a traditional vanity cabinet, consider selecting a vanity with deep drawers, just like what we are seeing in kitchen design by going with drawers instead of cabinets, you will also get more storage space out of the same area. And of course, do use drawer organizers to maximize your storage and minimize headaches in the morning looking for items. Whether that's drawer dividers which can be custom-built, are purchased separately to use in regular drawers or individual storage containers. Taking the time to include this type of organizational system will definitely be time and money well-spent. If you go with the traditional vanity, which includes a cabinet, great storage solutions exist for you as well. If nothing else, be sure to include an additional shelf to tier, pull out organizers or stacking bins. Lazy Susan's also work well in cabinets for storing smaller items like perfumes and nail polish. If your space constrained, be sure to maximize the back of your cabinet doors with hanging baskets for your smaller items or a small hairdryer. Apart from vanities, consider other close storage solutions like recess cabinets. This is a particularly great look for contemporary styles. Go with push to open cabinet hardware for an ultra streamline look. Alternatively, you could plan on adding a linen closet. Builders commonly build these with wire shelves, but I prefer regular shelving for both function and aesthetics. Even though you can improve the functionality of wire shelves by adding liner that is specifically made to create a smooth, solid surface so you're smaller items don't fall through. Of course, you can also purchase a freestanding linen cabinet in a number of different styles, provides completely closed or partially closed storage. Finally, let's talk medicine cabinets. I'll tell you right now that many designers and homeowners really dislike the much maligned medicine cabinet. Why? Because for years these were just so generic, so uninspiring, and they were taken up prime wall real estate in our bathrooms where we can be placed in a beautiful mirror instead, I'm sure you see the dilemma. And truthfully, many people lived just fine without a medicine cabinet. But let's be honest from a pure functionality standpoint, these little cabinets are pretty awesome. They have these perfect little moveable shelves for things like our toothbrush plus medicine, et cetera. They are hung at the perfect height. So what's a person that do? Well, I'll tell you, I think if you really like the idea of a medicine cabinet, but don't want to sacrifice style. You are in luck. Manufacturers have clearly hurt our design complaints because we are starting to see more attractive medicine cabinets coming out all the time. So it's definitely something to consider as you plan your bathroom remodel for towel storage. We've talked about using a tag, arrays, open shelving, and built-in cabinet tree. Of course, there are other options including baskets, decorative stools, wall-mounted towel racks, and wide racks can be an excellent way to store rolled-up towels. And how q is this crate for a more rustic style bathroom? So what about use towels or tell bars or tell hooks better? Do you think it's a towel bars? Be towel hooks or see, it depends. You are correct if you answered C, It depends and it definitely does. If you have the space and especially if it's a primary bathroom, towel bars, in my opinion, are the better choice, especially if it's a towel warmer. However, ladders and hooks are great for space constrained bathrooms. And if this is a kid's bathroom, kids do a much better job hanging their talent hook then on a ladder or a towel bar. Just be aware that tells don't dry as well on hooks. So if you live in a more humid area, towel bars are usually going to be the better way to go. So now that we've reviewed all of the common bathroom storage solutions, how do you decide how much storage you need? Just like with a kitchen remodel, I tell clients to write down everything they used in their bathroom and everything that they need to store and be specific. For example, how many rolls of toilet paper do you like to keeping your bathroom to? Six or 12? Also write down whether you want those items to be enclosed or open storage. With this detailed list, I would do a visual representation either on your computer or with pencil and paper to begin designating where you plan on storing your items. With the storage you know, you will be using, such as a vanity and linen closet. If you realize you don't have enough space with these pieces, then consider the additional storage options available to you and plan your remodel accordingly. 18. Bathtub vs Shower – Let’s Talk Bathtubs : In a primary bathroom, if you are a bit space constrained, should you go with a bathtub and a smaller shower or just a large shower? The age old question? Well, not really, but I will say it's not uncommon for a client to ask what I think is the better choice. And here's pretty much the answer I give every time. As long as you have at least one bath tub somewhere in your home, because this is usually important for resale. The larger shower is usually the better choice. Unless you're someone who absolutely loves to take baths on a regular basis, in which case, the answer is obvious. I used to wonder why this question was so common, but now I believe it's because bathtubs, particularly freestanding bathtubs, are just so pretty a look at and they absolutely ous feelings of luxury and relaxation. But they are space hogs and they are a pain to keep clean if you don't use them often. So again, unless you know, you will be taking baths at least somewhat regularly, I would skip it unless you have space for both a large shower and a bathtub, then go for it. Now for all you bath lovers out there, let's go ahead and spend some time talking about bathtubs. Your first choice, of course, will be whether you want a freestanding top or a built-in tub. Although freestanding tubs are currently the more popular option, there are some real advantages to built in tubs. First, built-in tubs are usually more affordable and they take up less floor space. If you bathed kids often built in tubs will make it easier to keep the splashing water contain. Also, the area around a built-in tab is much easier to keep clean than a freestanding tub. Finally, the water will tend to stay warmer longer in a built-in tub with the help of the insulation in the surrounding walls. All that said, this is the one area of bathroom design where form often wins over pure function. Most people love the look of a freestanding tub. And for that reason, I'm going to spend the majority of my time breaking down the different options available to you. So if you choose to do so, you can incorporate this beautiful fixture into your bathroom design, but also ensure that it's functional for you, which means that it's time to dive into the details. Specifically, we'll discuss size and clearance style, material, tub fillers and faucets, excellent add-on luxury features and storage. First, let's talk size and clearance. As I mentioned earlier, most bath tubs are space hogs and take up quite a bit of our floor space for clearance. You want to ensure that you have at least four inches, ideally 12 inches or more, between your freestanding bathtub and any walls for cleaning purposes, and a minimum of 21 inches, ideally 30 inches of clear floor space in front of your tub. One of the most common mistakes made by homeowners is not to measure all of your doorways and hallways to ensure that you can get the bathtub where it needs to go. That is one expensive and time-consuming mistake. Also, if the tub is heavy and you are installing it on the second floor of an older home, you need to consult with a plumber or engineer to ensure that your fluorine can handle the additional weight. You'll also want to ensure that you have the manpower to get the bathtub up your stairs. Because most people like to lounge in their bathtubs for quite awhile. I would visit a bathroom showroom. So you can test drive different sizes and styles of bathtubs by climbing into them and see how comfortable they feel to you. Someone who's quite tall will likely need a longer bathtub than someone who's not. Now let's talk about bathtub style. If you like the idea of a freestanding tab, I am sure there is a style for you. If your style is on the traditional end of the spectrum, consider cloth that pedestal, single ended or double slipper. If your style is more on the contemporary and then I would use a double ended or single slippers style. If you are short on space than a Japanese soaking tub with its integrated seat, maybe the tub for you. For ultimate comfort. Most designers would agree that single or double slipper tabs are the way to go as they are considered more ergonomic than other shapes. Moving on, you'll need to decide on your material. Bath tubs are available in acrylic, porcelain, fiberglass, cast iron, solid surface, copper, stainless steel, stone, stone, resin, wood, and concrete. Let's quickly break down the pros of each material. Acrylic is affordable, durable, lightweight, non porous, low maintenance, retains heat and it's easy to repair. Porcelain, also called porcelain enameled steel is affordable, durable, low maintenance, easy to clean, and fairly easy to repair. Fiberglass is affordable, lightweight, low maintenance and easy to repair. Cast iron is durable, non porous, easy maintenance retains heat, easy to clean, and easy to repair. Solid surface, which is a composite material made from a mix of acrylic and resin, is durable, non porous. Low maintenance retains heat and also easy to repair. Stainless steel is durable, lightweight, non porous, and low maintenance. Copper is durable, non porous. Low maintenance retains heat, easy to clean, easy to repair, and visually striking stone, which can be marble, granite, sandstone or travertine, retains heat, is durable, easy to repair and visually striking. Stone resident is durable, non porous, low maintenance retains heat, easy to clean, and easy to repair. Wood is lightweight, retains heat. Visually striking and versatile, meaning it can be made into any shape or size. Concrete is durable, retains heat. It's versatile and visually striking. Based on these factors, we have a tie between acrylic and copper tubs. Although because of the price points, acrylic is often the more popular choice. Despite the longer list of pros, this doesn't mean that either of these bathtubs or the right bath them for you. Whatever material you are drawn to, just be sure to thoroughly research the cons as well, so that you pick the right material for you. Now that you've selected your size style immaterial, it's time to talk tub fillers and phosphates. There are three main types, freestanding, deck mounted and wall-mounted. First, we have freestanding tub fillers, also known as floor mount tub fillers, which work with most styles of bathtub. And of course, these fillers come in many different styles. One word of caution from a professional plumber, be aware that the plastic gaskets you used for freestanding fillers are very likely to leak at some point in the future. Clearance also needs to be considered. It's important to check the manufacturer recommendations, but in general, freestanding tub fillers need to be installed roughly six inches away from the nearest wall, six inches above the top brim and a minimum of three inches away from the tub. All that said, there's no question these fillers are striking if you have the space moving on, we have deck mount tub faucets, that mountain to the rim of your tub. This will only work if you have a tap deck on your tab. A tap deck is a flat portion on your tub brim for mounting a faucet. Also, there are two types of deck mountain tub faucets. One type will have to pre drilled mounting holes that are seven inches apart, center to center. These phosphates can be paired with tubs that have pre drilled holes. If your faucet doesn't have standards seven inch apart mounting holes thing you'll need to purchase a tap deck with no brilliance so that your plumber can drill the faucet holes based on your specific faucet. Finally, we have law mounted faucets. Of course, your tub needs to be installed close to at least one wall for this to work. Many clients like this because there are no exposed pipes, so it gives the overall tub a nice clean look. However, be aware that this type of faucet is often more difficult and expensive to install as it will often require reworking some of the plumbing. There is one final type of faucet that you will commonly find with a cast iron clubfoot tab, and that is a tub wall mount faucet. And just like the name implies, will be installed into pre drilled fossa holes on the inner wall of your tub. So assuming you have more than one placement option, where should you place your faucet? If you place it in the middle of the tub, two people will be able to recline comfortably, but you may be limited to placing it on one side or the other based on your available real estate. So there are your basics, but there are some excellent add on luxury features that you may not know about. First, in addition to traditional soccer tubs, there does exist a jetted freestanding tubs. Specifically, there are Whirlpool tabs which feature high pressure air and water jets to massage you. There are air tubs which use millions of heated air bubbles to provide a gentle massage and experience. And there are combo tabs which gives you both freestanding tubs are also available with integrated aroma therapy. Diffusers are pumps, chroma therapy that changes the color of your water to improve your mood. He did backrest with your choice of temperature setting and acoustic systems that combine songs with vibrations. Wow, Along those lines, Kohler has a luxury smart bathtub called the Kohler stillness bath, which combines water, steam, lighting, and aroma to, as they say on their website, transport yourself to a world of decadence serenity. Finally, let's quickly talk storage for holding your reading material and beverage of choice, a bath caddy or style appropriate side table works great for your bath products and small towels. The same side table or two can work or you can install a niche on an adjacent wall. These are typically installed approximately 36 inches or 91 centimeters off of the finished floor, but should be adjusted based on the height of the tub and the individuals using it. 19. Bathtub vs Shower – Let’s Talk Showers : Now let's talk showers. You may be wondering why I said earlier that a larger shower is usually a better choice of her bathtub if it wasn't obvious, the answer is, for lots of reasons. Showers are practical for quick bathing, they typically use less water unless of course, you take really long showers and they are simply cleaner than baths as any dirty water quickly runs down the drain. And if you're into cold exposure to boost your immune system, nothing delivers a shot of cold water quicker than a shower. That said, let's dive into the world of showers, which provides so many great options. And I'm going to guess probably more than you even realize. We are going to be discussing different types of shower enclosures, glass options, shower fittings, steamy showers, smart shower systems, and a quick discussion of niches and benches. First, let's talk about the different types of shower enclosures available to you. If you watch the lecture on wet rooms, you may be wondering, well, why do I even want an enclosure? Isn't that just more for me to clean? Well, yes. But there's some real advantages to enclosures, such as saving money on waterproofing, preventing water from entering the rest of the bathroom, and keeping the shower warm by helping the trap in the steam. A very real consideration for those in cooler climates. That said, the first consideration we have to decide on is the shape. Do you prefer rectangle, square, quadrant, or half circle? Rectangular gives you the most space and is the most common, at least here in the US. Squares, quadrants and half circles are great because they fit well into corners. However, be aware that half circle enclosures are fairly pricey because the installation is trickier. Quadrants are considered an ideal choice. If you're working with limited space, then you'll need to decide if you want framed or frameless premed enclosures are more affordable and they are quite ubiquitous given their longevity. However, be aware that the frame may corrode over time. Framed enclosures can come in multiple finishes, including Chrome, bronze, brass, or black. Speaking of black, a very popular choice right now, are black framed shower doors, which in my opinion should be called black grid shower enclosures. At any rate, they look so good in many styles including industrial, urban, modern, mid-century, modern, transitional, and even traditional. On the other side, we have frameless. Frameless is considered a luxurious, higher end choice and definitely helps to create an open, expansive feeling in a bathroom, brainless are also considered easier to keep clean and there is a smaller chance of mold buildup. Now let's talk about doors. First. Know that you can have a left-handed or right-handed door. Meaning is it going to open from the left or the right? Of course, you can forego the door altogether, which is what we often see with what rooms. Although you can also have a Dorling shower, which includes a more traditional enclosure, this is generally called a walk-in shower. Walk-in shower's generally only work with larger showers so that the shower spray stays within the shower enclosure. But if you prefer a door and many people do in order to keep as much of the heat as possible inside the shower, then your options generally includes sliding, hinged, pivot and bifolia. Sliding has traditionally been the most common door and doesn't take up any additional room since it slides along the frame. This door is composed of two or three panels and it's the best choice if your shower is wider than 60 inches. They are, however, considered the most difficult to keep clean because you also need to clean the track. A hinge door is held by hinge joints. And if you go with a frameless shower, this is a type of door you'll be using. It's also the door that requires the greatest amount of clearance as a need to swing open to at least 90 degrees, so best used in large bathrooms only. However, they also provide the widest entrance and are good for individuals with mobility issues. A pivot door, as its name implies, pivots on two pins which are located at the top and bottom of the door frame because the far edge of the door pivots back into the shower. You don't need as much clearance as you do with a hinge door and a biofield shower door, because it folds back on the hinges rather than opening into the room is great if your space constrained. If you do go with a sliding or bifocal door, make sure to purchase the model with high-quality rollers for smooth gliding and durability. Also look for a model that has quick release rollers to make your shower cleaning easier. For a large shower, you may also want to consider a dual entrance shower, which really gives an open area and luxurious feel to your space. Now let's talk about the different classes available to you. In terms of thickness, this varies by region. In the States, you generally have three-eighths and half-inch. Half-inch is considered the most luxurious, and of course it's the most expensive. But if it will fit in your budget, I highly recommend making this upgrade. In Europe, the range is from four millimeters to 12 millimeters. Although often the recommendation is to go with at least eight millimeters. Shower glass is usually tempered and it can also be coded to make it easy to clean. For opacity, there is clear glass, tinted, frosted, rain textured, ACH or cast with patterns and even colored. If this is a shared bathroom and you need or want privacy in the shower, go with frosted. Rain textured edge or caste. Be aware though that when going with an opaque glass, a small bathroom will appear even smaller. So it's a trade-off between privacy and perceived expansiveness. There is also a low iron option, which increases the clarity of clear glass. A great choice if you have a beautiful colorful tile in your shower that you want to be clearly visible. Low iron glass, also known as high-definition glass, also allows more light to shine through. Now let's move on to shower fittings. Shower systems come with so many options now, you can have multifunction rainfall shower heads, which gives you multiple settings to customize your spray pattern. And some are even low-flow dual shower heads, body sprays or jets for an all over soothing effect. And a hand-held showers, which in my opinion are a must for larger showers as it makes cleaning your showers so much easier. When choosing a shower system, just make sure you are aware of the water needs for your new system, particularly rainfall shower heads, you may need to update your waterline from half inch to three-quarters inch. And you may also need a larger hot water tank heater. Also, do be thoughtful about the placement of your shower controls. Don't leave this decision to the plumber or contractor because they may not choose what's ideal. And what is ideal is to not get wet when you are turning on the shower. So mounting them offset might be the better choice. Now let's talk steam showers and smart shower systems to luxury upgrades that you should be aware of. Let's start with steam showers. For those of you who may not know exactly what this is, steam showers are showers that can disperse. Theme three, steam head for an extended period of time without having to run hot water for a long time. To work properly, your enclosure must be completely enclosed, insulated, and sealed. Once you are done with the steam, you can then take a quick shower. Many consider a steam shower to be the ultimate and relaxation. And they are said to have many health benefits including helping clogged sinus is improving dry skin and providing relief to soar stiff muscles. You can also find high-end models like the Mr. steam system that will disperse essential aroma therapy oils to enhance your experience and includes special colored lights that are vapor sealed to provide chroma therapy, as well as integrated speakers. So you can listen to your favorite music. Don't forget to include a shower seat so you can properly relaxed. To turn a shower into a steam shower. You have two options. You can purchase a standalone steam generator or you can purchase a steam shower kit. A generator is what you would use if you want to turn the new shower you are building into a steam shower. The generator is installed behind the wall of your shower and only the steam head and control panel are exposed. Alternatively, a steam shower kit is the entire unit, meaning not only the steam generator, but also the enclosure. And your entire shower system, meaning your shower head, shower controls, et cetera, whichever route you go. My most important advice is this. Absolutely hire a professional for a steam shower installation. That said, This all sounds pretty great, right? For the right client, it definitely is, but it also comes with a pretty big price tag. In the States, it will add at least a few thousand more to your remodel, but could easily cost much more depending upon the size and features you choose. Good news though seems showers do seem to hold their value and are considered good for resale. So at least there's that. Now let's talk smart shower systems with the rise and smart home technology. Are you at all surprised to know that there are now smart showers? Of course not. But let's talk about what is available to you if you so choose. There are systems in the market today that allow you to control your shower with your voice, with smart home assistants like Alexa, through a smart phone app or through digital control panel. Smart shower systems allow you to do things like start and pause your shower, set your shower to a specific temperature and flow rate. Schedule the length of your shower. Notify you when your shower is ready according to your preferences, and pause it until you get in so that it doesn't wastewater. All of these selections can be saved as presets for future use. Many of the brands will also tell you that their system will actually save you water. And you'll see figures with savings of 3% monthly, upwards of 50 percent annually. Because these smart shower systems come with a digital Control Panel. Be aware that they do require electricity. So plan on involving an electrician if you want to install one of these systems as well, of course, as a plumber and a carpenter. Finally, just like high-end bathtubs and steam showers, you can also purchase a shower systems that have integrated LED chroma therapy lighting to the rainfall shower head. We've covered a lot with regards to showers from the basics to pure luxury. To bring us back to basics, I highly recommend including a shower niche and a bench. These are practical, highly useful upgrades that have an excellent return on their investment. As far as Nietzsche's, there's actually a lot I could go into. But to keep this moving, just be aware that you can either custom build one or you can purchase a prefabricated one from materials like stainless steel. If you custom build one, you're most affordable option would be to go with a size I will easily fit between two studs. So 12 inches wide by 12 inches high or 12 inches wide by 24 inches high and 3.5 inches deep are fairly common sizes. They are typically installed 48 to 60 inches from the finished floor. If you have a lot the store, you might go with the vertical niche and add shelves or build two or three on top of each other or two next to each other in between the studs. If you add shelves, know that the glass can be difficult to keep clean and soap bars tend to slide off. Stone can also be slippery. Steel often works well. Niches are often installed on the focal wall, but to avoid the spray can be installed on the wall opposite or adjacent to the shower head, but shouldn't be installed on an exterior wall for insulation reasons. If you want a niche to span the entire length or nearly the entire length of your shower. Know that this will be more expensive as you'll need to add structural reinforcement to your wall to do so. From a design standpoint, some prefer the nice to completely blend into the wall, and others will choose to have it stand out by using a material like a mosaic tile or go with a middle option in which the material is just a bit different than the shower walls. Another storage option that has gained popularity and bathroom design, shower ledges. It's a particularly great look for modern and contemporary bathrooms. Regarding benches, and kVA recommends that bench be between 17 and 19 inches high and 15 inches deep. Okay. Now that we've reviewed all of these available options when it comes to showers, how do you go about making decisions? Well, first, I would start by writing down your must-haves and your wishlist for both form and function. Then ask yourself how many people are going to be using the shower and bathroom, both individually and together. This will help determine storage needs in the shower, the number of shower heads, and also whether or not you need privacy in the shower. What is the interior design style of your bathroom? What is your bathrooms color scheme including finishes. And finally, how much space do you have? As this will help dictate with size and shape, will work best. 20. Exhaust Fans – Your Bathroom’s VIP : I'm guessing, you might be wondering, why am I doing a lecture on just bathroom exhaust fans? Well, I'll tell you, not having proper ventilation in a bathroom is a very common mistake that individuals make. And unfortunately, not all contractors do a good job of addressing this very important issue. So why do you think having proper ventilation is so important in a bathroom? Is it a it's required by building code? Be it reduces moisture in the air. The mother of mold and mildew, see, it eliminates bad bathroom odors. D, it improves the air quality by reducing fumes from household cleaners. E, it will help to protect and prolong the life of various bathroom finishes such as wood or F all of the above. I'm sure you all got this one right? Yes, of course, it's all of the above. And now you know why I'm doing a lecture on just this one topic beyond the building code requirement for proper ventilation, the most important function that ventilation provides is avoiding mold and mildew growth, which can absolutely wreak havoc in your bathroom by eating away at your walls, your trim, and your ceiling. Yikes. Interestingly, some building codes don't require an exhaust fan. They only require ventilation, which can be achieved through the use of a window or fan, which honestly is not the best idea. Who wants to open their window when it's cold outside or when there's inclement weather, not me. So do yourself a favor and be sure to install the right type of exhaust fan in your bathroom. And when I say bathroom, I mean, every bathroom in your home, including your powder room, as humidity builds up in the presence of water, including small bathrooms that stay closed most of the time, like our powder rooms. Okay. Before I get into exhaust fans in detail, I do want to mention that sunlight is the best mold killer, which is why you should incorporate a window or two if you can. Skylights are also fantastic. So let's talk fans. This is exciting stuff. First, make sure that you look at the fans exhaust capacity, meaning how much air permit the fan will move and the fans noise level. You want to ensure that your fan has an appropriate CFM or cubic feet per minute for the size of your bathroom. The rule of thumb is to have one cfm per square foot for bathrooms up to a 100 square feet, but at least 50 CFM for bathrooms that are 50 square feet and smaller. If your bathroom is over a 100 square feet, the common approach is to size it based on the fixtures. Specifically add 50 CFM for each of the following fixtures. Toilet, shower, and bathtub. If you have a jetted tub, add an additional 100 CFM. So that means if you have a bathroom that has a 120 square feet, that has a toilet, shower, and bathtub, you would look for a fan that it has at least 150 CFM. If your calculation requires you to round down or round up on your CFM, you should always round up. Be aware that if you have a water closet that should have a dedicated exhaust fan, bathrooms with ceilings higher than eight feet require additional ventilation. You can use this formula to arrive at your required CFM. Multiply your square feet by the ceiling height, divide by 60 as in 60 minutes, and then multiply by eight as in the target number of air exchanges you want each hour. So let's say you have a bathroom with a 150 square feet and a 12-foot ceiling. A 150 times 12 is 1800, divide 800 by 60, that will give you 30, and then multiply 30 by eight and you will arrive at 240 CFM. I know that if you are in Europe instead of cfm, they use meters cubed per hour to arrive at this number. They do the same initial calculation of length times width times height of the bathroom in meters. But then they multiply it by eight or 10, which is a number of recommended exchanges per hour. That said there are minimum for any bathroom fan is 54 meters cubed per hour. Please know that you'll need to consider the size and length of your duct. Specifically if you are in the US and you have a fan that is 50 CFM, you should be fine with a four-inch round duct. However, higher cfm fans may require five or six inch round ducks. Don't try to force air through a smaller duct than is recommended by the manufacturer. Also be aware that if your ductwork is significantly longer, you'll need to purchase a fan that is powerful enough to remove the air from your bathroom and move it effectively through your events. In terms of noise for quiet ventilation, I would look for a fan that is rated one stone or less, which is equivalent to the quiet hmm of a refrigerator. Average noise level would be between 1.53 zones. The nice thing about looking for a fan that is one song or less, means that may be energy star certified, which is always a good thing. Considering energy star rated bathroom fans use roughly 70 percent less energy than conventional fans. Outside the US, the fan noise is measured in db instead of sounds. Anything 35 DB or lower is considered quiet. And some say don't go with a fan higher than 45 dB. Now you may not want the quietest fan for your powder room, especially if it's right near your living room. Your guests may very much appreciate a louder fan. So keep that in mind when purchasing fans for your bathroom remodel projects. Ideally, your exhaust fan should be above your shower or as close as possible to it. That said if your fan is above a shower or a bath tub, it will need to be connected to a GFC II protected circuit. As I mentioned in an earlier lecture, exhaust fans can also come with add-ons such as heat and lighting. If that's the case, know that your fan will likely need a dedicated circuit. They can also come with a motion sensor timer or a dat, a humanist that ensures that your fan runs whenever it needs to by sensing the level of humidity in the air. This is great if you have kids in the house who may forget to use the fan when showering. If you have a fan with the timer, the general rule of thumb is to run your bathroom fan for 20 minutes after use to avoid buildup of humidity, which again, can breed mold and mildew. This is especially important for bathrooms with no windows and some fans or even Bluetooth enabled, allowing you to play music while enjoying a shower or bath. Finally, there is an independent certification program for exhaust fans known as the HBI certification program. If you see a fan that is HBI certified, you will know that it's gone through a thorough, rigorous review and testing process to meet industry standards. 21. Toilets - The Hardest Working Fixture : What is the hardest working fixture in our bathrooms. But toilet of course, this poor guy puts up with plenty of abuse and keeps coming back for more. So in this lecture, I want to help you find the best toilet for your home because a good toilets should last you ten years or more with little maintenance. When I'm toilet shopping, I'm looking first at it's flushing performance because even though there are some amazing new features on toilets today, which we'll talk about in a minute. None of that matters if it doesn't flush well. Thankfully, in addition to online reviews, there are also independent test results of flushing performance that you can review online before you buy. Totally worth the time and effort. Noise and bowl cleaning are also important considerations. And sites like Consumer Reports.org has rated these characteristics as well. Now you may be wondering, but Erica, what about water usage? Surely our toilets are some of the biggest water hogs in our household. Well, you would be absolutely correct. Fortunately, most countries have regulations that dictate how much water can be used per flush. In the US, the federal standards since 1994 has been no more than 1.6 gallons per flush and many are below that. Even at this lower amount, toilets still account for roughly 30 percent of a household's water usage. If your toilet uses one-point to eight gallons or less, it is considered high efficiency and qualifies for the water sense label. That said, definitely do your homework because sometimes these high-efficiency toilets don't work as well as toilets with a slightly higher gallon per flush. It's good to know that there are two types of toilets, gravity fed and pressure assist. Gravity is by far the more popular toilet, at least here in the US. Based on my research, pressure assist toilets flush more efficiently than gravity toilets. They do this by using compressed air to significantly improve or boost the flushing power. As a result, pressure assist toilets do a great job of removing the waste thoroughly. They are less likely to clog and they use less water. Another bonus. Also, if you live in a hot humid area where the outside of your toilet tank is prone to condensation or sweating, you won't have this problem with a pressure AST is toilet. That said, pressure assist toilets are pricier and noisier than gravity toilets are generally more difficult and costly or to repair, unfortunately, more prone to needing repairs because of the additional parts. And within these two toilet types, there are also two types of flushes, single flush and dual flush. You may have seen dual flushes in commercial settings, basically one button for liquids and another button for solids. The obvious reason for this is that the liquid button uses a lot less water to flush. So overall, you should see a decent water savings around 25 percent or less than a typical 1.6 gallons per flush toilet. Naturally, this flexibility does come with a price tag, but given the water savings, you'll realize at some point it should pay for itself. How quickly is up for debate. I ever anywhere from 2.5 to six years. If you're considering one of these models, I would also encourage you to try to see it in person, to try out the buttons are handles. Some models can be somewhat difficult to use. Dual flush toilets can also be more difficult to clean and require cleaning more regularly as a retain less water in the bowl. These toilets may also not work well with older homes. If you hate cleaning around the base of the toilet. And I know I do. You may want to consider a wall hung toilet, which is a one-piece toilet that hangs on your wall. These toilets are also great for small bathrooms and styles that are on the modern and contemporary end of the spectrum. They are pricier, heavier. Therefore, Nina's sturdy wall can be more difficult to install and require a wall drain instead of a Florida dream. If you like the sleek look of a toilet with a hidden tank, but don't want to worry about whether or not your wall can hold the weight. You can also purchase a floor standing toilet with a concealed tank, also known as a back to wall toilet. They definitely are space savers and they are easier to clean, but they are definitely more expensive and you'll have to install a custom access panel. These toilets are not common here in the US. Alternatively, you could get a one piece toilet instead of a two-piece toilet, which is easier to clean as there is no seem. Rather the tank and bull or integrated. Again, you'll pay more for this convenience. In an earlier lecture, I stated that the ideal toilet seat height for those with mobility challenges is between 17 and 19 inches from the finished floor as it's easier on the backend your knees. However, this height can be a challenge for kids and shorter individuals. So what's the best way to make a decision? Test drive it. Go to a local bathroom retailer and sit on toilets of various heights. I know a bit embarrassing. Okay. A lot embarrassing for most people, but totally worth it. Be aware that toilets have different rough and links. So if you are keeping the toilet in the same spot, measure the rough and distance so that you don't have to move the flange if you buy a toilet with a different roughened length than what you previously had, especially if you live in an older home. What about round versus elongated toilet seats? This really is a personal choice, but you elongated seats are said to be more comfortable than round seats when seated. However, remember that you need a minimum of 21 inches, but ideally 30 inches of clear space in front of your toilet. If you have a tight space, you may have a problem with the elongated toilet seat. So measure carefully. If you have a bathroom that falls in the contemporary side of the spectrum, Consider a toilet that is skirted, which conceals your trackways. Finally, if you have a man cave or any other room in your home where the men of the home spend a lot of time. You can also purchase residential urinals, which can be a convenient and appreciated feature. They also are compact and use little water and there are even waterless models available. Now let's talk about the fun stuff, the upgrades, of course, first, let's talk about toilet seats. There are actually quite a few options available to you. We have soft clothes and quick release for easy cleaning, of course, but we also have heated seats. Seats with a built-in night light. And for the ultimate and luxury, a bad day seat, which have options such as a heated seat, built-in night light, multiple warm water spray options including a massage wash mode, an air dryer, a deodorizers, and a self-cleaning feature. Talk about fancy. Of course, they are also really practical. You'll use less toilet paper and they can be great for kids and people with mobility issues. Now of course, there are also smart toilets, which is more than just the seat we just talked about. And of course has more features. What more you ask? Well, apart from all the features listed for the bodacious eat, some smart toilet models also have pre-sell cleaning, post self-cleaning, overflow protection, the ability to add presets for different members of the family. Emergency flushing system if the power goes out. And my two favorite features, a touchless open closed lid and a hands free flush. Kohler has a smart toilet called the nummi to 0 that even has ambient mood lighting built in surround sound speakers and Amazon Alexa voice control. So you can do things like check the weather or listened to the news. Wow, just wow. This is either fantastic or ridiculous. I can't decide. Anyway, you might be interested to know that smart toilets are also typically smaller than traditional toilets. So great for all size homes. Now let's talk about the downsides with these awesome parties. They are quite a bit more expensive obviously, but as I alluded to earlier, they also require electricity, so a bit of an additional cost and they require specific maintenance and repairs. Despite the additional overhead, the popularity of smart toilets are currently on a big upswing during bathroom remodels, at least here in the US. 22. Vanities, Cabinetry, and Mirrors, oh my! : Let's spend some time talking about bathroom vanities, bathroom cabinet tree in general and Meir's, it's important to remember that vanities and mirrors in particular can really help to reinforce the style of your bathroom. So it makes sense to spend some time thinking about what type of vanity and near or mirrors you'd like to include. First, let's discuss vanities and common measurements, whether it's a single or a double vanity bathroom vanities are usually 21 inches deep and roughly 22 and a half inches deep with the countertop. In terms of width, common stock vanity sizes range from 24 inches to 80 inches. If you would like to have a cabinet and drawers in your vanity, look for a vanity that is at least 36 inches wide. If you are looking for a double vanity, while you can find some as narrow as 44 inches, getting closer to 72 interests is considered a more comfortable with with sufficient counter space for two simultaneous users. That said, if you have the space, separate entities in a primary bat is a high-end, luxurious look, giving each user their own area and storage. If you only have a single user, 42 inches is a very comfortable with, in terms of height, a finished height of 36 inches. It's considered today's ideal height, also known as comfort height. If you plan on using a vessel sink, take that into account plus counter height to determine the appropriate vanity height. Even though 36 inches is ideal for most individuals. If your families on the shorter side, you may prefer a Finnish height of 30 or 32 inches. Naturally, the most affordable vanities are stock or pre-made vanities, which will let you select a size, finish, and possibly countertop material. And there are some decent options in this category. However, don't shy away from a semi custom or custom vanity as it may not be as expensive as you think. Semi custom vanities typically allow you to select a size, style, finish, materials and storage options. Custom, allow you to customize well everything. Of course, you can also repurpose a piece of furniture like a beautiful antique cabinet or dress her into a vanity. And that can make quite the design statement. Definitely don't go with the most inexpensive vanity possible. A higher-quality vanity not only looks better, but will also last longer, should have better storage. And remember, that's typically the main piece of furniture in your bathroom and often your bathrooms focal point. So what should you avoid with lower-quality vanities? Personally, I would avoid particle board of entities as they are easily damaged by water and steam and can sag over time under a heavy countertop material like stone. Instead, I would use high-quality MDF with a quality finish such as a high pressure laminate, thermo foil or wood veneer. Or you can go with solid plywood, solid hardwood or rubber wood. In terms of affordability, high-quality MDF is nearly always the most affordable. However, if eco friendliness is important to you, then I would stick with a solid hardwood or rubber wood. In terms of categories, you'll primarily have either freestanding or wall-mounted vanities. Although there are also free standing or wall-mounted corner of entities available for particularly tight bathrooms with freestanding, also known as floor mounted. You can choose to have legs or not. Legs are a great choice if you're trying to reinforce a specific style or create a feeling of spaciousness in a small bathroom. As the more fluorine you can see, the larger the space will feel. Wall-mounted or floating vanities are also a good choice for small bathrooms for the same reason. And they also look fantastic in more modern and contemporary style bathrooms. Of course, just like with a wall-mounted toilet, know that for a wall-mounted vanity, you'll need to add specific reinforcement in the wall to support the cabinet weight. However, to get that contemporary, more spacious look, you will of course, be sacrificing some storage space. While the cost of free-standing and wall-mounted vanities are comparable, you will pay more for the installation of a wall mounted vanity. Some of today's upgrades for bathroom vanities include hidden and integrated electrical outlets in drawers are cabinets for things like an electric toothbrush and a hairdryer, shallow or tilt outdoors for smaller bathroom items. Charging stations for smartphones and tablets. And of course, don't forget all of the additional storage solutions you can add to your vanity that I spoke about earlier in the course. Now let's talk cabinet tree. If you're lucky enough to have room for additional cabinet tree in your bathroom beyond the vanity, I would consider a mix of open and closed storage to give you the most flexibility. Bathroom countertop cabinets are an excellent upgrade worth doing for a large double vanity, both functionally and aesthetically. While they work well with any style, they are ideally suited for more formal styles. The door style you choose for your cabinet, tree, and vanity will help to reinforce the style of your bathroom. Common door styles include shaker style doors, which worked really well in a number of styles. But my favorite include transitional English country and coastal Sheikh bathrooms. Flat panel or slab is ideal in contemporary mid-century modern. Industrial and Scandinavian style bathrooms. Recess panel doors are great for transitional style bathrooms. Raise panel doors work well in traditional, Mediterranean and modern French bathrooms. Cathedral doors are commonly used in traditional bathrooms. Beat board is ideal for farmhouse and French country style bathrooms. And distress doors are perfect for all rustic styles. Glass front doors are a lovely upgrade as well for countertop cabinets and other cabinet tree. And if you go with frosted glass, you don't have to worry about keeping those shelves looking photo ready all of the time. In addition to door style, you should also be aware of inset, partial overlay or full overlay cabinet doors. As this will also contribute to the overall look and style of your bathroom. Inset doors are set into the cabinet base frame and sit flush with the cabinet when closed, which gives your cabinet a completely seamless higher end look. Of course, that higher end look comes with a cost. This is the most expensive option and you will have a longer lead time. You do lose some storage space with these doors. And if you live in an area with high humidity, inset wood doors may cause rubbing between the door and frame. Naturally, you will need to use cabinet hardware in order to open the doors. Insect doors can be used with most dials. A great alternative to inset, and the most common option is full overlay because they completely covered the face frame. You can still achieve a seamless look and you don't sacrifice storage. You should also use hardware with these doors in order to open the doors easily. This style door works with any style of bathroom. Finally, we have partial overlay doors, also known as traditional or standard overlay, and are the most affordable. As you can see, the style door leaves some of the face frame exposed and hardware is now optional. This type of door works best with any styles on the traditional end of the spectrum, as well as the more rustic styles. Potential smart upgrades for your bathroom cabinet tree include slight out drawers and interior electrical outlets. One of the most luxurious upgrades you can have in a bathroom cabinet or even in your vanity, is an electric warming drawer for your towels in robes. These prices units allow you to warm not only tells and robes, but also bath slippers and sheets, and generally come with a programmable timer. Because these are commonly sold as kitchen warming drawers. Be sure to select one that can be adaptable to the bathroom and is also panel already so it can be seamlessly integrated into your vanity or cabinet tree. Now let's talk bathroom mirrors. One of the most common mistakes made with vanity mirrors is that they don't work comfortably for all users. Meaning they're either too short for the talus member of the household or they're too tall for the shortest member. Measure carefully, you may need a taller mirror than you may think. And framed mirrors should be hung with a couple of inches of the backsplash or roughly 40 inches from the finished floor. Definitely consider using a statement framed mirror rather than a traditional frameless bathroom mirror. This can not only help to reinforce your bathroom style, but also can be an excellent Vocalpoint, particularly if your vanity is opposite the entrance to your bathroom. However, if your bathroom is on the smaller side, sometimes a wall to wall mir is the best approach to create a feeling of spaciousness. Options for bathroom mirrors have definitely come a long way. And yes, we even have so-called smart mirrors. Mirror options include anti fog technology, integrated lighting, smart Touch to control the lighting levels and Kelvin rating. Smart memory functionality to remember your favorite settings. Integrated TVs, Wi-Fi to surf the Internet, Bluetooth speakers to listen to music, hands-free speakerphone so you can answer a phone call. And finally, USB charging ports. In the world of makeup mirrors, we are way past models that simply adjust lighting and magnification. Now there are mirrors with infrared sensors to detect when someone is approaching, to automatically turn on the light. Skin care analysis technology to help spot things like dark spots and fine lines. Wireless charging for your smartphone, and the ability to stream YouTube videos so you can follow along with your favorite makeup tutorials. I think you would agree that smart technology has truly arrived. 23. Bathroom Countertop Options Abound: Now that we've covered vanities, let's go ahead and talk about your choices for countertops. Because there are many, probably more than you realize. A countertop can either come with your vanity if you are purchasing the stock or pre-made vanity, or they can be purchased separately, which is what you'll definitely need to do if you go with semi custom or custom. In this lecture, I want to break down the pros and cons of most of the bathroom countertops available to you, as well as which design styles each material works best with. First, let's talk about courts. As courts is by far one of the most popular materials for a bathroom. For those of you that don't know, ports is an engineered stone product that is roughly 90 percent ground-up courts and other stone materials. And the remaining 10 percent is composed of pigments and resins. Unlike granite, which is as equally popular as courts is for kitchens, courts is usually the preferred material for a bathroom given its superior water resistant properties. Courts is also very durable, stain resistant, available in a good array of colors and patterns and fairly consistent and look and pattern to a sample. But for all those advantages, courts is definitely pricey because courts is available in a variety of colors and patterns. This material works well with nearly any style of bathroom. Next, we have natural stone, which includes granite, marble, courts cite soapstone, limestone, travertine, slate, and Onyx. All beautiful choices. If you are looking for low or non porous materials that resists staining soapstone in Slate are both good options, although slate will need to be sealed and resealed as it is slightly porous. Contrast this with marble, limestone and travertine, which definitely need periodically ceiling as they are porous or highly porous. Limestone and travertine countertops can be made from slabs, but are often made from tiles. Like courts. Most natural stones are fairly expensive. Regardless of your style, There's likely one or more natural stone countertops that will look great. Solid surface countertops, such as Korean, are a composite material that is non porous, easy to clean, easy to repair, and comes in a variety of colors. If you like, the idea of an integrated sink, solid surface is usually your answer. Although courts and porcelain can work as well. That said, solid surface is not great with heat. So if you're prone to laying your curling iron directly on your counter, this may not be the best choice for you. Also, most would agree that while their products are supposed to look like stone, they aren't really pulling it off yet in terms of quality, solid surface sits somewhere between Stone and laminate. Speaking of laminate, this product, which is layers of paper and residence glued to a substrate like MDF or particle board forums is one of the most affordable materials available. And these products are really making good strides in improving their aesthetics. More specifically, companies like for mica and Wilson Art have come out with products that look like granite. Marble would concrete, and even stainless steel. Today's high pressure laminate is lightweight, easy to clean, great for DIY installation, and comes in a variety of colors and patterns. But there's no question it has its downsides because it's lightweight. It doesn't have the same substantial feel that other materials have, nor the longevity and it's also not heat resistant. As a result, I probably wouldn't use it in a primary bath, but it could be fine in a lesser use bathroom of your home or your powder room. Between solid surface and laminate, there are countless color and pattern options available making these products and viable choice for any interior design style bathroom. Next we have ceramic and porcelain. And while I'm sure your mind jumped to the traditional tiles that were so common in decades past. These have largely been abandoned his countertops, mainly because of the onerous task of keeping the large amount of grout cleaned and sealed. While porcelain, ceramic tiles can still be a valid choice for the right countertop project. What I really want to talk about our porcelain slabs as this product has been gaining slowly in popularity. Made to look like many different materials, including, but not limited to marble, granite, and concrete. What's great about persons labs is that they are non porous, easy to maintain, stain, scratch, heat, water and UV resistant, which as an aside is why it can also be a great choice for outdoor applications. Porcelain slabs are also uniform. Another bonus and a great option if you want to book match slabs on a bathroom wall, which is incredibly striking. Finally, porcelain is considered a more eco-friendly material. So what are the downsides? Well, they are pricey comparable of courts and they can be somewhat fragile. Think blunt force from O heavy falling object, but also particularly during the fabrication process, because they are still a relatively new product, especially in the US. You may have difficulties finding unexperienced fabricator for this material and given its fragility during the fabrication process, you will definitely want to find an experience Pro, the majority of the person slabs here in the US resemble marble. So this could be a great option if your style is traditional, transitional, contemporary, and modern French. Now let's talk wood. There is no question that wood is beautiful and exudes a warmth both visually and to the touch that is rarely achieved by other materials. It can be a DIY installation. It's more affordable than stone, and I love that. It's a more eco-friendly option. And the look of a live edge would countertop is gorgeous. But given how porous this material is, what do you think about using this in the bathroom? Can would be successfully used as a countertop in a bathroom? Would you say a, yes. B, no. And see, are you crazy for all you would affix you're not, it was out there. You'll be happy to know that the answer is yes. Yes, it can. Thanks to improved water resistant and waterproof finishes that are available, such as water locks and poly urethane. Just do your homework as some perform better than others. And you should plan out recoding in the future, regardless of which finished you choose. And even with a high-quality finish, wood is still susceptible to scratches. If you know something about what countertops, you likely know that there are different grains available. And most people select face grain vanity countertops as they are usually considered the most attractive. In terms of wood species, hard words are considered the better choice, such as birch, maple, cherry, walnut, or mahogany. If you like the idea of a wood top, a vessel sink is often recommended as traditional under mount sinks leave the edges more susceptible to possible damage from moisture over time would countertops look fantastic and farmhouse, rustic, transitional, modern French urban, modern, industrial and Bohemian style bathrooms. Moving on, let's talk about concrete, which no surprise, can be an excellent choice for industrial, farmhouse, rustic, and contemporary style bathrooms. Concrete is super versatile as it can be dyed many different colors. It can be molded into many different shapes. And it can be inlaid with a variety of materials, making it one of a kind concrete and would look particularly beautiful together. Concrete can also technically be DIY and you'll find plenty of examples and tutorials of these projects online. That said, I personally think concrete should be left to a pro for installation as there are a number of ways that this can go wrong. But of course that's your call. If you go with a pro, know that this counter top option will be pretty pricey. Concrete countertops are definitely prone to staining if not sealed properly. So they must be received periodically and repairing them when a cracker tip occurs can be challenging. That said, concrete can be mixed with other materials like fiberglass to make this material much more durable and less likely to crack or chip. For more eco-friendly options, considered recycled glass or paper stone. First recycled glass. These lovely countertops are made from, you guessed it, recycled glass that is crushed and embedded into clear acrylic or concrete. Recycled glass countertops are very strong. They have a lot of aesthetic options available, and the acrylic ones are easy to clean. If you choose the concrete option, just like with regular concrete countertops, they will also Spain if they aren't sealed periodically. Paper stone, which is a composite material made from recycled paper and a non petroleum eco-friendly resin is VOC free and is green guards certified. This product is also incredibly durable and easy to repair. That said, colors are limited and this product will patina or darken over time. 24. Selecting the Right Bathroom Backsplash: In addition to providing protection to your walls, backslashes can also be such a beautiful design opportunity for a bathroom regardless of size. In this lecture, I want to talk about different height options for your backsplash installation. The different options available, specifically materials and shapes, keeping in mind the style of your bathroom. And I'll share some important guidelines to follow. First, let's talk about installation. There are a few different options and we'll talk about the pros and cons of each. First, we have the more traditional installation of the standard four inch backsplash above the countertop. This look is often achieved with your countertop material, but can also be done with tile. Although this approach is favored by builders because let's be honest, it uses the least amount of material possible. This look is considered a bit outdated. Instead, designers generally favorite taking the tile to the ceiling if possible. Very much like in your kitchen. This is a particularly great approach if your vanity is your focal point and if you want to emphasize the height of your bathroom ceiling or make a smaller bathroom field taller. If you go with this approach, it looks best to omit any side splashes so as to not detract from this focal wall if you feel like you absolutely need a side splash, I would likely keep it to two to three inches and use the same material as my countertop. Alternatively, consider taking the height of your backsplash to eight or ten inches for a more updated look. You can also run your splash up to this height from the floor for extra wall protection. Now let's talk about all of the fabulous options available to you, starting with materials. The most common material that we have is Tile. Of course, that one material alone has endless options, not only for material, but also for shape and color. Subway tile, which is a rectangular tile whose length is two times the width, is still a popular choice. But instead of the traditional brick or running bond pattern, we are seeing a lot more variety in the patterns being used, such as vertical running bond, also known as vertical offset, as well as more elegant patterns like herringbone. Three by six is the most common choice for bathrooms. But of course, you can go smaller or larger depending upon the size of your project. Smaller or a mid-size work best for smaller bathrooms or a small amount of real estate. And mid-size or larger tiles work best for larger installations. Of course, Subway is only one of the many options in the world of tile backsplash is, and I think the reason why so many people gravitate towards Subway simplicity when you look at what's available entitled today with all the different materials, shapes, colors, and patterns, most people get very overwhelmed and I totally get it. So let me help make this decision easier for you. If you are someone who likes a simple maintenance of tile, but are looking for something other than Subway. The easiest way to instantly narrow your choices is to consider the style of your bathroom. Let's start with the materials. Porcelain, ceramic work in any style. Glass works best in contemporary coastal chic and Zen. Travertine looks great with any old world styles such as Mediterranean. And tq mirror is gorgeous and traditional and transitional. Natural stone is beautiful in traditional, transitional, contemporary and modern French. Tumbled stone looks right at home and rustic and Mediterranean style bathrooms. I would use metallics and contemporary, transitional and industrial. Now let's talk shapes. Whereas Subway can work with most styles, other shapes are definitely more style specific, case in point arabesque, I would use this classic shape and traditional transitional and Mediterranean style bathrooms. Geometric shapes such as diamonds, hexagons, elongated hexagons and trapezoids are ideal for contemporary, mid-century modern and Bohemian spaces. Fish scale or scallop looks great and coastal sheikh of course, but also in traditional and transitional. Penny tile works well with mid-century modern, industrial and coastal Sheikh. Leaf shaped tile feels right at home in Zen and can work really well in traditional and transitional styles in terms of grout color, if you want to accentuate the shape of your tile, go with a contrast in grout. Otherwise, I would go with a similar grout color to your tile. Moving away from tile, other backsplash options for your bathroom includes stone or porcelain slabs, wood or shipped lap. Brick, bead, board, pebble, rock, washable wallpaper, or concrete. You can also use mirror as your backsplash. Now let's talk about some important guidelines when it comes to bathroom backslashes. First, either your countertop has a strong pattern or your backsplash has a strong pattern, but never both. Its best to Perry strong pattern with a solid color that you pick up from the pattern. Of course, you can always just use exact same material for both, such as granite courts or marble. Along the same lines, contrast between your countertop and backsplash nearly always looks great and makes it easier to coordinate to materials as trying to match colors can be tricky. Choose your grout color according to your style. Matching the grout to one of the colors in your tile works in any style. But it's common to take this approach if you have a more formal or traditional style contrasting grout on the other hand, because it will give you a bolder look. I tend to use this approach with styles like contemporary, industrial and mid-century modern. Before making your final selections, always take samples home with you of both your favorite countertop and backsplash selections for two main reasons. First, the lighting in the store will always be different than your lighting in your bathroom. You want to make sure you look at the two materials together in your bathroom lighting to make sure they work well together. How do you know if they work well together? Either select a backsplash that is one of the colors in your countertop. Or simply ensure that the undertones are either both warm or both cool. Second, you want to ensure that these materials coordinate with the other colors and finishes in your bathroom, including your vanity color. Finally, if you want a DIY, the installation of your backsplash by an additional 10 percent more material than you think you need to cover breakage and waste. 25. Bathroom Sinks Galore: With your countertop and backsplash options, hopefully narrow down. Let's go ahead and move on to your sink. You have a few decisions to make in this area, namely mountain style, shape and material. Let's start with mountain style. The most popular, at least here in the US, is the under mount sink. I love them because they are easy to clean and easy to install, but not so easy to change out. Unfortunately, for obvious reasons. Under mountain sinks work with stone courts or solid surface countertops. They won't work with laminate or tile countertops. Then there are drop-in sinks, also known as Self remains sinks. Again, very easy to install. In fact, if you have an existing vanity and you simply want to replace the sinc, this option is a good way to go. You should be aware of though, that these things are considered outdated. So a free sale is important to you. This is something to consider. Moving on, we have vessel sinks. If making a statement with your sink is high on your design list than a vessel sink is the way to go. So many beautiful options with vessel sinks. And given that they sit higher than the under Mao or drop-in, you won't have to bend over in the same way when brushing your teeth or washing your face. They are also easy to install and easy to change out. Said because this sink sits on top of your counter or is semi recessed into your counter. You will need to go with a semi custom or custom vanity if you want the finished height of your vanity to be 36 inches and you will need to use a special vessel sink faucet that's it's high enough to work effectively with a vessel sink or go with a vessel sink that has an integrated faucet or PFOS at holes or a wall-mounted faucet. There's also more to clean with this type of sync, not just the interior but also the exterior. Finally, some people feel that these things are a fad. Only time will tell. But given the incredible design impact they can make, I do think they'll be around for a while. Now let's talk about integrated sinks, also called integral sinks, which basically means that the counter and sink are made from a single piece of material. Some obvious benefits include the fact that they are easy to clean, which also means great for kids. And they give a clean, seamless aesthetic, which is ideal in more contemporary styles. Because many of today's integrated things are made from higher end countertop materials like quartz, marble, concrete, and copper. The cost for an integrated sync can be high. They clearly aren't easy to change out, which may be a problem if you end up with a stained or scratched sink because the material you chooses better as a countertop rather than a sink. Before I jump in the materials, don't forget that there are also pedestal sinks, console sinks, and wall mounted syncs. These types of things are ideal for a smaller bathroom, such as a powder room, but not a great choice generally for most other harder working bathrooms in your home, given the limited counter space and the obvious lack of storage space, also be aware that if you go with a Console sink or wall-mounted sync, your pipe fittings and supply lines will be exposed. Now let's talk shape, which is commonly round, oval, square or rectangular. But if you are going with the vessel sink, your sink may also have inorganic silhouette. The most important factor usually driving this decision is a style of your bathroom and a type of sync you want. If your style is closer to the traditional side of the spectrum and you want an under mount or drop in that oval is generally the way to go. Conversely, if you like that style sink, but your style is more towards a contemporary side of the spectrum, then rectangular is usually the better choice. Round and square sinks are commonly found as vessel sinks, ADH pedestal sinks. Although you can find under mountain drop in sinks in these shapes as well. Again, I would consider the style of your bathroom when choosing between round and square sings round for more traditional, square for more contemporary. Finally, I want to mention trough sinks, which can be a great solution if you want to sinks but are limited on space as they can be made for two faucets, but with a much smaller footprint. They can be great for kids. Bathrooms. Trough sinks come in many styles, including different melody and styles, but they obviously can take up quite a bit of counter space. And if you're already space constrain, this may further exacerbate your problem. Finally, troughs things with two phosphates are a minimum of 48 inches or a 122 centimeters, but can be much larger as we see here. Now let's talk materials, which is definitely the most exciting element, especially when we were talking about vessel and integrated sinks. Before we get into these more exciting materials, we should start with the more popular and common materials, including porcelain and ceramic. Both porcelain and ceramic or extremely durable, easy to clean, and are available in multiple colors. One key difference is susceptibility to staining. Ceramic is more prone to staining them porcelain, although be advised that porcelain is not stain proof. Either of these materials work for any style bathroom. Next, we have metal sinks, including stainless steel, copper, and bronze. While stainless is the most popular metal in kitchens. They had been slowly growing in popularity as well in the bathroom. As you may know, stainless is durable, recyclable, affordable, and resistant to germs, stains, and erosions. However, if you live in an area with hard water, you will likely see some spotting and it will scratch with heavy use. Although scratches can generally be repaired with the right kit, copper and bronze are generally used for vessel sinks, although you can find these things as under mount or drop-in. Copper and bronze have many of the same pros and cons of stainless steel. But be aware that both copper and bronze will develop a darker patina over time. I love metal sinks in industrial, farmhouse, rustic and contemporary style bathrooms. Moving on, let's talk about concrete sinks on the pro side. Just like with concrete counters, concrete is versatile for molding into different shapes and sizes. The ability to be customized with color and inlays, and they make quite the design statement. And of course we have the same cons. Namely the requirement to seal and reseal this porous material. Repairs for cracks and chips can be challenging and the price tag is usually pretty high. For a more low maintenance option, consider a concrete looking courts sink instead. Just like with metal sinks, concrete fits perfectly with industrial, farmhouse, rustic, and contemporary style bathrooms. Now let's get into more unusual materials for vessel sinks. First up is high tempered glass, and this glass may be clear or opaque, such as frosted, as often available in a wide array of colors. Using tempered glass means that it's stronger than regular glass, but know that it will break if dropped or if something heavy falls on it. Fortunately for safety reasons, it will shatter into smaller cube shaped fragments if broken. Tempered glass sinks look great and contemporary coastal chic and Zen style bathrooms. Next we have natural stone, which includes but is not limited to grant it. Marble, travertine, onyx, green jade, limestone and soapstone Don't can be used in integrated sinks. Stone, in my opinion, is ideally suited for a vessel sink. As each sink is unique and truly a piece of art, they can be completely polished or the exterior can be left unfinished. For a more dramatic look. Stone sinks are durable and chip and scratch resistant, but because don't is porous, it's imperative that you seal this sink upon installation and reseal it periodically according to the manufacturer's recommendations, this material would be an excellent choice for a powder room. If you love stone that are looking for a more affordable option, consider stone composite. You won't get the same organic shapes like you do with a pure stone sink. But you still have the look and feel of stone. You can also find under mount and drop and sinks in stone composite materials like regular stone, stone composite syncs are durable and chip and scratch resistant stone composite syncs can work in most design styles. If you love the look of a width sync, you do have some good material choices in this area, specifically teak and bamboo. Tq is naturally moisture resistant, mold and mildew resistant and contains natural oil that keeps it from cracking or becoming brittle. Teak sinks will generally darken over time. Bamboo has some nice eco-friendly properties, including its low water needs and ability to grow quickly. And a big plus if it's made from recycled material, bamboo is also quite durable. Be aware of that leg with many natural materials, would sinks will need to be sealed and resealed or recoiled periodically? Would sinks are an excellent fit if your style is contemporary, mid-century modern farmhouse, industrial, coastal Sheikh, Scandinavian, Bohemian, rustic, or Zen. Finally, we have fire clay. This is a common material we see for kitchen sinks. They can also find this material and vessel bathroom sinks. Fire clay, like its name suggests, is a special clay that is fired at a very high temp, 2100 degrees Fahrenheit to be exact, and looks like an AML. This production method produces a heavy duty sink that will last a long time. Fire clay is non porous, easy to clean, scratch resistant, and not likely to discover or corrode. However, without proper care, it will stain and the finish will wear down. So do follow manufacturer recommendations carefully. Fire clay can work in nearly any bathroom style. 26. Bathroom Sink Faucet Considerations : When it comes to bathroom sink faucets, we definitely have a number of form and function considerations to make. Fortunately, many of these decisions can easily be made based on the style of your bathroom and what's important to you when it comes to features. That said, Let's start with form considerations and specifically let's discuss style options and finishes. In terms of styles, there are really four different types of faucets, traditional, transitional, contemporary, and industrial. And what's great is that regardless of your style of bathroom, one of these four style of faucets prepare nicely with it. In terms of finishes, warm metal finishes are really popular right now, but of course, never make a selection based on a trend alone. Choose what you like best and what works well with your style. Chrome and stainless work well with any style of bathroom. Whereas bronze is a better choice for more traditional styles. Brass looks fantastic with mid-century modern, traditional, transitional and modern French and matte black works well contemporary Scandinavian and industrial style bathrooms. If you like your faucet to have an age patina finish over time considered and lacquered breaths, which starts with a bright finish and develops a warm, dark patina. If this is a kid's bathroom, consider a brushed finish which is better at hiding fingerprints and water spots. Finally, if you love the idea of mixing metal finishes in your bathroom like I do, I'll be talking more about how to do this effectively later in the course. Now let's talk function considerations. And specifically we will cover installation type, number of handles and extra options available to you. With regards to installation type, if you are replacing an existing faucet, then this decision will be determined for you as your new faucet will need to line up with the number of holes you have in your countertop or sink. Specifically, widespread center set, which has four inches of distance between installation holes. Many widespread, which also has four inches single whole bridge faucet, which has eight inches vessel or wall-mounted. Although if you want to go with a single hole, Fawcett, but you have three holes in your sink or counter-top. There are models available that come with a deck plate so that you can make the transition from three holes to one. If you are able to make this decision yourself, first start by considering how many handles you want to have. If you prefer to handles, widespread is generally considered the best aesthetic choice for most styles. Although a bridge faucet is a beautiful choice for traditional bathrooms. If you prefer a single handle, a single hole will work. And if you have a vessel sink, you'll need a vessel faucet. Wall-mounted faucets are stylish, easy to clean, and great space savers for small bathrooms. These phosphates can work with regular or vessel sinks. Just be aware of that wall mounted phosphates have a more complicated installation. So be sure to hire a plumber with experience in this area. Now let's talk about additional options in the world of faucets. First up is the waterfall faucet. As the name implies, these faucets dispense water in a waterfall motion, which is not only incredibly satisfying visually, but it's also quite pleasing to listen to. These phosphates, which are either deck mounted or wall-mounted, are also available with LED lights, which will turn the color blue when the water is cold, red when the water is hot, and green for when the temperature is mid-range. Waterfall phosphates come in all styles and are available in single or dual handle. Now for some words of caution, water spots are going to show up much easier on the open spout, particularly if your water is on the harder side, unless of course you wipe down your faucet after I've reuse. Additionally, because these phosphates are already on the pricier side, I would plan on going with a higher name brand so that the faucet functions well, not all do. Finally, there's definitely a chance that these phosphates will look dated in the future, especially the ones with LED lights. So unless you absolutely love it, I would likely go with a more traditional faucet. One of my favorite features to consider, particularly for a guest's bathroom, is a touchless faucet. These phosphates, which can be electric powered or battery powered, typically have the water set at a consistent temperature. Although many models allow you to adjust the temperature manually. If you like this idea, consider pairing it with a hands free soap dispenser. For your own bathroom, you may prefer a touchless faucet that also has a touch activate feature, which just requires a tap to turn it on. You can either preset the temperature or you can use the handles to adjust the temperature. If killing germs is important to you, consider this ozone activated antibacterial bathroom faucet by cash CDO. This faucet works by injecting a stream of ozone into the faucet water stream, which is supposed to kill up to 99% of all bacteria. Speaking of water stream for the most water efficient faucet, if you are in the US or Canada, look for the water sense label that ensures your faucet has a high efficiency water flow rate of 1.5 gallons per minute or less. Outside of these countries, each region has their own labeling system that helps consumers identify water efficiency of consumer products. Finally, let's talk construction because choosing a faucet based on just looks is a mistake I don't want you to make. Rather, I highly recommend spending a little more money to purchase a faucet with solid brass construction and ceramic disc valves, which are virtually leak-proof. 27. Bathroom Lighting is Everything : In a bathroom, lighting is everything. Why do I say that? Well, think about what takes place here. We have shaving, makeup application, dental care, and other grooming activities. So sufficient and effective lighting is critical or else we risk injuring the world with bad makeup application or an even shave. It's also the room where we start and end our day. And given the fact that lighting can affect our mood, we should make sure that our lighting serves us in the best possible way. Additionally, let's please not forget that bad lighting can also make you look much older than you are. Much, much older. Finally, remember that the bathroom is one of the highest accident-prone rooms in our home. So good lighting definitely increases our safety. To that point. In this lecture, I'm going to break down how to create the best lighting plan for your bathroom, focusing primarily on your primary bath and full bathrooms. All mentioned ideal lighting for guests bathrooms towards the end. Now if you've taken any of my other courses, I'm sure you've heard me talk about the three layers of lighting, ambient lighting, task lighting, and accent lighting. This is how designers plan lighting for any room of the home. Let's start with your ambient lighting needs, also referred to as general lighting. By far, one of the best sources of ambient light is natural sunlight. After all, if you are applying your makeup, natural light allows you to easily see what you are going to look like outside. Unfortunately, no artificial light captures it quite as well. So Windows and or skylights are a wonderful element to having your bathroom. If privacy is a concern, consider using privacy film, bottom-up shades or light filtering window treatments. If you're doing a complete renovation, I would consider adding additional windows if it makes sense, for the floor plan. Apart from natural sunlight, other nice sources of ambient light for a bathroom include recess. Can lights flush or semi flush mount lights, Cove lighting, or even a large pendant or chandelier, assuming your ceiling is high enough. And if it makes sense for the style. Just a reminder from an earlier lecture. If you include a chandelier or large pendant in your bathroom that also has a bathtub. A common code requirement is at the bottom of the fixture to be at least eight feet above the bathtub or three feet from the edge of your tub? I always put my ambient light fixtures on a dimmer, especially for in the mornings, the middle of the night and for taking a relaxing bath. Now let's talk task lighting. There are a few areas where you need task lighting. First, the vanity, of course, Scott says, are far and away the best source of task lighting for a vanity, particularly for applying makeup as constants, will provide even illumination to your entire face and will greatly reduce or eliminate shadows. Ideally, Scott says should be installed 36 inches to 40 inches apart from each other on either side of a mirror. For tight spaces, they can be hung as close as 28 inches apart. Also be sure to hang the scans so that the light source is roughly eye level, which is usually around 66 inches from the finished floor. Although it could be as high as 70 inches if the members of your household or taller. If you have a double vanity with two mirrors, then you should include three sentences so that each individual has two stances on either side of their mirror. Your mirror in relation to the scans is important aesthetically, aim to have this constant sit roughly in the middle 1 third of your mirror. If you have your SCOTUS at the right height, but they are hanging near the top of the mirror. You either need to hang your mere higher or you need a taller mirror. If you don't have room for sponsors on your wall, your next best options are to hang penance or use a backlit LED MIR, or use a lighted mirror. If using pendants, a hang them so that the light source is again at eye level. If you decide to use it bath bar, install it roughly 78 inches from the finished floor. I also find that long linear LED models provide more even illumination. If you want or need to use small recess cans as task lighting over your vanity, then install to reassess cans with narrow beams on either side of your sink and install them at the midpoint of your vanity, meaning half the depth of your vanity by having the lights positioned between you and the mirror. This will help to reduce some of the unflattering shadows that we would get when a candidate is directly above or behind our heads. The next task area we need to talk about is your shower. You definitely should have some task lighting over your shower. By far, the most common light fixture over a shower is a recessed candlelight. Or two, if you have a larger shower that sealed to prevent water intrusion, the same type of fixture can be used over a bathtub if ambient lighting doesn't provide sufficient light. Dedicated task lighting over a bathtub is always nice for reading and shaving. Again, be sure to put all of your tests flights on dimmers so you can control the lighting first thing in the morning or late at night. Finally, if you have a water closet, you should include a ceiling light in here as well. A good option is an exhaust fan with a light built in. Since she'll need both a fan and a light in there. If you have a larger bathroom with no separate water closet, make sure that you have sufficient lighting over the toilet. If ambient light or adjacent task lighting from the vanity is not sufficient, then install a recessed can over this area, but place it in front of the toilet rather than directly over the toilet. So let's talk about accent lighting. What do you think? Where do you think we could put in some accent lighting? While it may not be obvious, we do have a few opportunities. If you have built in open shelving, you can use LED strip lights on each shelf to up the wow factor. If you have a shower niche, you can install waterproof LED lighting. Your bathtub is your bathrooms focal point. Consider installing in floor up lights behind it to accentuate it. If it's a free-standing tub or LED strip lights around the bottom. If it's a built-in tub. If you have a beautiful texture wall treatment behind your tub, install wall grazie lights or floor up lights to accentuate the texture. Finally, if you have any artwork, you can definitely use a picture light or a recessed directional candlelight for dramatic effect. Some sort of night light is also a smart choice for all of the bathrooms of your home. One of my favorite options is to install LED strip lighting with the motion sensor on the topic of your vanity. Or if you don't have a toe kick, then under your countertop edge or the bottom of your vanity, if you have a floating vanity, this is great for you and any children who need to use the bathroom in the middle of the night or in your powder room for your guests, so they can more easily find the wall switch, as we've talked about earlier. You can also buy a smart toilet or toilet seat that has a built-in night light. Speaking of smart bathroom lighting options are also getting smarter. There are a variety of companies, including colder and Philips, that are coming out with smart lighting options such as mirrors, their voice activated to adjust the lights in the mirror, and with built-in motion sensors to turn on a soft night light for you. Oh, and this color model also has an integrated stereo sound system. I expect smart lighting options to only grow in the future. Now let's get back to your guest's bathroom, aka your powder room. Very small guest's bathroom. The only lighting you need is a pair of SCOTUS or hanging pendant on either side of your mirror. Or if your bathroom is narrow, they can be mounted on the sidewalls over the sink. If you have a large powder room, I would include a recess can light over the toilet. And don't forget the LED Strip lying on a motion sensor in the toe kick of your vanity, if possible, to make it easy for your guest to find the switch. Let's spend a few minutes talking about Kelvin ratings, also known as the color temperature of your light bulbs. For your guest's bathroom, aim for a Kelvin rating between 2700 and 3000 K, which provides a warmer, flattering light for your primary and full bathrooms. Many professionals will tell you that's ideal to mimic natural daylight in a bathroom, which is around 5000 K. However, that's a very white light and for many too jarring, you may find that somewhere between 3000 and 3500 K is a good compromise. The bottom line is that this comes down to personal preference, and I recommend trying a few different temperature bulbs to see what you like best. Additionally, do pay attention to the CRI, or color rendering index of your LED light bulbs. Aim to buy bulbs that have a CRI of at least 80. Although 90 is better to allow you to see your colors more accurately. If you are in the US, light fixtures are UL rated for dry locations, damp locations or wet locations. A dry locations only rating is the most common fixture you will find and is intended for indoor areas that are not normally subject to dampness. Although occasional dampness combined with adequate ventilation is okay. So this type of fixture could be used in your bathroom in areas such as above your vanity, unless you have a small bathroom or moisture builds up readily and you don't have adequate ventilation, in which case, you would want to go with a damp rated fixture. Damp rated fixture is to be used in areas that are normally are frequently subject to moisture and condensation, such as over a bath tub or a shower. Any fixtures where water can drip, splash, or flow on her against the electrical components such as insight and enclosed shower must be rated for a wet location. Outside of the US, IP ratings are given according to zones in a bathroom. Specifically for any lighting that is going to be inside a shower or bath, you need a rating of at least IP 67. And it should be low voltage as well with a max of 12 volts. For any lighting above a shower or a bath to a height of 2.25 meters, you want a minimum rating IP 65, for your vanity, lighting, or any other areas in your bathroom, thorough with him 0.6 meters of a bath or shower or 2.25 meters above the bath or shower, you should look for fixtures that have a rating of at least IP 44. Any fixtures outside of these areas? No IP rating is required. However, the general recommendation is to look for a fixture that has at least a rating of IP 20. But you can't go wrong with a rating of IP 65, especially for any ceiling lights. Finally, remember that it's always better to overlay a room and control with dimmers than it is to underline it and know that you will always need more lighting in a bathroom with lots of dark finishes. 28. Stylish and Safe Flooring Options : When it comes to bathroom fluorine, it's self-evident that we needed to be safe, but we also want it to be stylish to that end. In this lecture, I'm going to go through all of the best bathroom fluorine options available with their pros and cons. And of course, the style or styles of bathroom they are best suited for. Before I get to that, however, one question I frequently get asked is, do I install the fluorine first or the vanity and any cabinet tree first. As I spoke about in the order of work lecture, the main advantage to installing your fluorine first is that if you ever decide to change the layout of your cabinet tree, you won't have to worry about a hole in your fluorine. It gives you a lot more future flexibility. That said, if you install the fluorine first, your fluorine costs will be a bit higher given the additional material and installation. In my home, I do fluorine first, but ultimately it's your call. Okay, now let's talk about options. Let me just start by saying that whatever fluorine you choose for your bathroom, you're aiming for a product that is waterproof, non slip, and durable. We'll start with porcelain and ceramic tile, which has been and continues to remain the top choice for a bathroom floor. And for good reason, not only are these products waterproof, but they are also extremely durable. And today's porcelain and ceramic products mimic a beautiful natural stone, wood materials for a fraction of the price. Not to mention the myriad of choices in color, pattern, and size, which is unparalleled by any other material. You may be wondering if there are any important differences between porcelain and ceramic tile. When it comes to the bathroom, the answer is yes, and it has to do with water absorption rate. Porcelain has a lower water absorption rate than ceramic. Porcelains rate is 0.5% or lower, which is labeled as impervious. So if you have a shower or bath tub in your bathroom, I would choose porcelain over ceramic. The cons with porcelain ceramic tile is that there's grout which will need to be kept clean even if sealed. So ask her tiles center to go with the smallest grout lines possible, get an excellent sealer and make sure that you reseal according to your tile Center's recommendation. Additionally, tile is hard and cold under foot, but the latter can be mitigated with radiant floor heating, which relative to many upgrades in the bathroom, is not too terribly expensive. Additionally, this material can definitely be slippery. So be sure to find a product that has a dynamic coefficient of friction or DCO F rating of at least 0.42 or higher when wet. Some products might say that there are at least 0.6 or higher, and that's the equivalent to 0.42 in the former tests they used to use. So that's fine as well. Just be aware that the higher the DC OF rating, the harder the tile will be to clean. Unfortunately, what generally makes tiles so easily clean also makes it slippery for your shower floor using smaller Polish tiles such as one by one or two-by-two is generally considered fine from a safety perspective, given the large amount of grout you'll be using, which ends up making the entire floor non slip. But if you have any hesitation that all follow the same DC OF rating for your shower floor tile. Tile is generally quite affordable and will work with any style of bathroom. That said, if you have a larger fluorine budget and you want to go with natural stone. We have granite, marble, travertine, slate, and limestone, just to name a few, with different textures available such as sand blasted and tumbled, while durable and excellent for resale value. The main con with natural stone is that it will need to be sealed upon installation and reseal periodically. How often depends on the stone apart from ceiling and requirements, just like porcelain and ceramic, this material is hard on your foot and cold. So again, I recommend installing radiant floor heating with this material. Regarding marble, with people love for its aesthetics, be aware that this material is soft and we'll show scratches. Dark marble will show scratches even more easily. Also because it's soft and brittle. Don't be surprised if your title setter tells you to order more than the typical 10 percent for breakage and waste, especially if you choose a polished marble. Speaking of polished marble, a polished marble floor will definitely be slippery when wet. Not a good combination for a bathroom. So choose a tumbled are honed finish instead. As mentioned, stone is usually quite pricey, although you can find more affordable options style wise. I particularly love this look in Mediterranean and modern French bathrooms, although they can also look great in traditional, transitional, industrial and rustic style bathrooms. Next we have vinyl. Although you can certainly use sheet vinyl, luxury vinyl plank or luxury vinyl tile, commonly referred to as MVP or LVT, is considered the better aesthetic choice. Gradeable luxury vinyl tile is also available. Vinyl is easy if you're looking for a DIY choice and soft and warm under foot, but it's not so great for resale value. Particularly in a higher-end home. And if you don't have a smooth subfloor, those bumps are gaps may show through the material. And because it's vinyl, there are many LDP products that emit VOCs, but it's possible to find more eco-friendly products. Finally, be sure to review the manufacturer specifications to ensure that the product you are purchasing is waterproof. Mvp is a more affordable fluorine option. And because it can mimic so may different materials like tile can this product can work in most style bathrooms. Now if you love the look of hardwood, believe it or not, there are now products available by multiple manufacturers that are marketed as waterproof hardwood. Yes. You heard me right? Waterproof hardwood. It sounds like an oxymoron, doesn't it? So how did they do it? In short, this product pairs a high-performance core that is waterproof with a top cut of real hard wood. This fluorine is then installed in a interlocking fashion. The main pro is obvious. You get the look in beauty of real hard wood in any room of your home with complete peace of mind. On the con side, it cannot be refinished and selections are currently more limited, but I'm sure that those selections will grow over time. This product is pretty pricey, but will look beautiful. And a number of style bathrooms including, but not limited to traditional, transitional, contemporary, farmhouse, coastal chic, and rustic. Those are, in my opinion, your top fluorine bathrooms selections. Now let's talk about options that may work depending on the bathroom and your lifestyle. First, we have cork, which is an interesting choice. On the pro side, cork is eco-friendly. It's mold, mildew and water resistant, warm and soft underfoot, durable and easy to install. However, if you were to install this product in your bathroom, you should select it. Click together floating cork tiles, which are fiber board backing paired with a thin layer of cork surface and then treat it with a polyurethane top coat. This product should then be installed over a vapor barrier under layman and you'll want to make sure to seal the seams with a high-quality sealer so that the installation is waterproof. If you want to go this route, be sure to read the manufacturer's specifications to ensure that it is approved for use in bathrooms so that you don't inadvertently void the warranty. Finally, if the cork gets too wet, you risk warping and distortion. With high humidity. Regular expansion and contraction can cause cracking or tiles to pop loose. And if water does penetrate your seams, it may cause the adhesive under your tile to come loose. So definitely proceed with caution when using cork in your bathroom. Price-wise, quartiles are on par with ceramic and porcelain tile. I think this product looks best in contemporary, mid-century modern, scandinavian and Zen style bathrooms. Next we have concrete on the pro side. This fluorine material is affordable, waterproof, meaning it can't be damaged by water. Durable and it's easy to clean. On the con side, it's obviously hard under foot and unless you install radiant floor heating, It's going to be very cold. Also, finding the right texture is tricky to smooth and it's a falling hazard, but too rough and it feels bad on your feet. You need to just write with a semi smooth surface. Finally, as you might remember, if you don't seal it on installation and regularly, you risk staining due to its poorest nature. If you like the idea of this material which looks great and styles like industrial and farmhouse, check with your contractor to ensure that your subfloor can handle the heavy weight of this material. Now, I know some of you may be wondering about engineered hardwood. While many people would never want any wood product on their bathroom floor, I suspect some of you might think that engineered hardwood would be a decent choice. Before I answer that, let me talk about some of the pros and cons of this material. First, because of its plywood base, It's dimensionally stable, so not prone to expansion, contraction or warping like traditional hardwood. And with the real hard wood veneer on top, it looks like hardwood because there aren't any grout lines like with tile. It's also easy to clean. It's fairly easy to DIY the install. It's warmer under foot and it comes pre finished out of the box. On the con side, it is fairly pricey, although engineered bamboo is a more affordable choice. And depending upon how thick the veneer is, the number of times it can be rescinded is limited. However, the biggest issues is humidity and standing water. Yes, engineered hardwood is a better choice than regular hardwood, but it's not impervious to moisture and standing water, which means it's not waterproof. And you might recall, is what I said, you want in a bathroom floor. But if you want to take a chance on this product, you want to ensure that you have the proper exhaust fan to keep the humidity levels low in your bathroom and definitely use rugs in front of your shower and bathtub to protect it from standing water? Personally, I would be too paranoid to install engineered hardwood in my own bathroom or a client's bathroom. But I know people who have done so and they have loved the results. So this is definitely an Internet, your own risk type of product. 29. Excellent Outlet Planning : I know what you're thinking. How is it taken me so long to get to a topic that is as fun and exciting as outlet planning. I know, I'm so sorry. But in all seriousness, I am sure that this may seem like an afterthought to many of you. However, taking the time to ensure that you have the right outlets where you need and want them will make you love your bathroom that much more. Trust me. In this brief lecture, I want to not only give you some great tips on ideal outlet placement, but also discuss some great aesthetic considerations. First, if you live in North America, you are likely familiar with the term GFC II protected outlet, which stands for ground Fault Circuit interrupter. This very important outlet shuts off your electrical power when it senses that there is an imbalance between your outgoing and your incoming circuit. This can happen if you were to accidentally drop your hairdryer into a sink full of water. In short, it prevents electrical shock, which I'm sure we can agree is a very good thing. The national electric code, or NEC, states that in the US, every bathroom must have a minimum of at least one GFC II protected outlet served by a 20 amps circuit. Two or more GFC II protected outlets is better. If you decide to go with only a single GFC II outlet, it needs to be wired for multiple location protection. That it will protect all of your other downstream outlets that are on the same circuit. Alternatively, you can use a GFC II circuit breaker in your electrical panel. Definitely speak with an electrician to see what is best for your home. Additionally, there must be an outlet placed within 36 inches of the edge of the sink and no installation of outlets is allowed face up on your countertop. These are just some of the NEC electrical requirements for your bathroom. Additionally, there are similar laws and equipment used outside of the US. And you should absolutely check your local code to find out what is required. Even in the US, you need to check local codes as local codes will supersede the NEC With the important safety info out of the way. Let's get into location. Location, location. First, let's start with your bathroom vanity. Make sure that you have an outlet near each bathroom vanity user. So the art having to compete for the single outlet. This means that for a double vanity, you want at least two outlets, one on each side. Make sure that they are easily accessible so that one, you don't have to bend down to use it. And two, you can actually use your hairdryer while looking in the mirror, but not in the location where your chord will be hanging or dangling near any water. Now that's just the bare minimum. Going back to items like hairdryers and flat irons, imagine how convenient it would be to have an outlet in the drawer where you keep that item. For items with charges like your electric toothbrush or razor, you can find vanities that have integrated outlets and medicine cabinets that have integrated outlets as well. Or you can have specialized outlets installed in new or existing vanities, doors or cabinets. Such a useful upgrade. Now let's talk about outlets with USB charging capability for your phones or tablets. Particularly if you want to play music, you obviously want to keep this device away from water. So placing it, meaning your device on top of your vanity counter, is not a great choice. Instead, consider installing an outlet next to a shelf that remains dry. This could be a floating shelf, built-in open cabinet, Italian array, et cetera. If you plan on having a smart toilet or a smart Band-Aid toilet seat, they will need to be plugged in. So you should plan for an outlet on the back wall of your toilet. Outlets aren't typically installed here. Otherwise, if you have a large bathroom, I would also install a general use outlet near the door that you can use for a vacuum cleaner. Now let's talk about some aesthetic issues. The first question you want to ask yourself is, do you want to conceal, camouflage or compliment your outlets? Of course, the answer can be different based on where they are located. Obviously, if you want to conceal outlets for items like your electric toothbrush, we've talked about how to do that. If you want to simply camouflage them, the easiest approach is to paint or wallpaper the cover plate the same as a wall it's on it's a similar approach with a tile wall. Match the color of the outlet cover to the tile. For a more streamlined and higher end look. Consider flush mount outlets which are installed directly into the wall so that the outlet surface sits flush with the wall, eliminating the need for a cover plate altogether. There are even companies such as traffic and smooth line, which will make custom flush mount outlets for you so that they blend seamlessly with materials like tile and stone. Please know that flush mount outlets are not a DIY project. They would be part of your dry walling installation process. Fortunately, if repairs need to be done, the outlets can be removed to access the wiring after installation. Finally, if you want to compliment your outlets by making them a design statement, you can purchase upgraded cover plates in a variety of finishes, including but not limited to stone, wood, metal, and porcelain. While I traditionally prefer to camouflage my outlets with so many great options available, I can also appreciate the desire to compliment them. 30. The Right Window Coverings for Your Bathroom : You've now heard me say multiple times that if you have the ability to include a window or two in your bathroom, you should strongly consider doing so. That said, if you live anywhere near other people, privacy is paramount. So let's talk about great window treatment options for your bathroom. When thinking about what type of covering to use, consider its ability to provide privacy and lighting control, durability, your budget, and the style of your bathroom. Because after all, window treatments can be a great design opportunity for your bathroom, which I'll speak about more at the end of this lecture. That said, let me cover my favorite options for many bathrooms. First, we have one of my very favorites, Roman shades. Because Roman shades are made from fabric, they instantly soften a bathroom which is filled with so many hard surfaces and they help to absorb sound. Roman shades can be made with a light filtering liner. So they do a good job at providing privacy, but still allowing good daylight to enter your space. Some Roman shades are also offered with top-down, bottom-up functionality, which is an excellent option in an upstairs bathroom. So you can let in even more natural light. If you love this window treatment like I do, be sure to select a shade with a fabric that is water resistant, mildew resistant, and easy to spot clean. Some umbrella is often a good choice, although there are others. Of course, also be sure to run your exhaust fan appropriately to minimize moisture. Because Roman shades are available in different styles, they also work with so many different interior design styles, including traditional transitional, coastal Sheikh, Bohemian, Mediterranean, and modern French. Budget wise, I would consider this treatment to be mid-range. Next on my list are woven would shades, also referred to as bamboo shades. These beautiful natural products also have multiple liner options, including light filtering and definitely get the liner so your shade doesn't become see-through in the evening. Well, the wood shades are also available with a top-down, bottom-up feature. However, because this is a natural wood product, ensure that you have adequate ventilation so your shades a fully dry after you use the shower. Woven would shades look great and many styles including transitional, farmhouse, coastal Sheikh, Scandinavian, bohemian and Zen style bathrooms like Roman shades woven, which shapes our mid-range price-wise. Now let's talk about quality waterproof vinyl shutters. Vinyl is the key so you don't have to worry about cracking or warping in your bathroom. And quality is important so they don't fade peel chip or this color, and so that they don't look well cheap. If you don't love the idea of vinyl for environmental reasons, please know that there are eco-friendly faux wood options available based on the way they operate. They naturally provide both privacy and light control effectively. Shutters are a great choice if your bathroom is traditional, transitional, coastal Sheikh, rustic or farmhouse. Quality shutters are a bit on the pricier side, although I would not call them cost-prohibitive. Moving on, we have faux wood blinds. Faux wood blinds which are made from either would composite or PVC vinyl are specifically designed to be durable. So the are great for a room with high humidity and potential water splashes, like shutters. They filter light well and provide privacy when needed. Faux wood blinds work well in transitional, contemporary, mid-century modern, industrial, Bohemian, farmhouse and Zen style bathrooms, full-width blinds are generally on the lower side of the midrange price point. Roller shades can be a great choice if your bathroom style is contemporary, mid-century, modern, scandinavian, industrial or Zen roller shade material. It can either be fabric or a vinyl. Vinyl is generally considered the better choice for the bathroom. If your window isn't a hard to reach area or you have a particularly tall window. Definitely consider adding a motorized option to your shade. An important note, please don't accidentally choose solar shades as these becomes see-through at night. Yikes. Depending on the material you choose, roller shades are either affordable or a mid-range. Next on my list is cellular shades. I find that people either love them or they don't. The latter group typically dislikes them due to their appearance. But even though they aren't as attractive as some of our other choices, they can definitely be used in bathrooms as they provide excellent privacy, insulation and light control. That said for a bathroom, I would be sure to add a light filtering liner. They also have the top down, bottom up and motorized features available. Cellular Shades work well in transitional, contemporary, Scandinavian and Zen style bathrooms. Price-wise, cellular shades are considered a mid-range product. Moving on, we have curtains and drapes. I am sure some of you might be thinking that this can only work for expansive and luxurious bathrooms. And while yes, they can clearly work well for this type of installation, they can't work in a number of different sized bathrooms. The key is to use an all weather fabric design for outdoor use, especially if the drapery can be splashed with water, for example, behind a bath tub of all the window coverings. This is the one that definitely adds the most softness, texture and luxurious field to your space and is a particularly beautiful look for traditional, transitional, Mediterranean and modern French bathrooms. Drapes are available at all price points and are largely dependent if you go with custom or off the shelf. Now let's talk about custom valences, although not as popular as they once were, they can still work in the right project. If you need privacy, it's obvious of valence will not work by itself. However, if paired with another window treatments such as blinds, shades are shutters. This can be a nice way to add some extra color and texture to your bathroom. Balances can be a good choice for traditional transitional, farmhouse, coastal, chic, and Mediterranean. Depending on the material, custom balances are mid-range to higher end treatments. If you aren't crazy about any of these window treatment options, Consider a frosted window, textured window, stained glass window, or privacy liner instead. Any of these options are great at filtering light and maintaining privacy. And you can generally find an option that will work with any style of bathroom. Now that we've covered the different types of coverings for your bathroom, I wanted to spend a few minutes talking about how you select your color and whether or not to include a pattern. Because as I mentioned earlier, when their treatments can be a great design opportunity, specifically window coverings are a great place to pull in a non-neutral accent color, which can be coordinated with any artwork, accessories, or any other bathroom elements. Or if your bathroom is on the smaller side, you may want to have your window coverings blend with the color of your walls to visually expand the space. Or you could choose to select a window covering in one of the other neutrals in your bathroom. Whether to use patterns largely depends on the style of your bathroom. If your style is traditional, transitional, or Bohemian, I would definitely consider the possibility of using the pattern. If your bathroom is on the smaller side, I would generally choose a smaller pattern. Conversely, if your bathroom is larger, a larger pattern usually looks best. 31. Seating in the Bathroom – Practical and Stylish : If you're in the process of planning for a bathroom remodel, finding a way to include seating that isn't your toilet or the edge of your bathtub is probably not at the top of your list. But having a place to sit down is not only quite practical, It's also another excellent design opportunity. Allow me to explain. One of my favorite seating options for a bathroom is a stool. This handy little piece of furniture can be used for oh, so many purposes in a bathroom next to a bathtub, it can hold bath products, a beverage, or your towel. As I mentioned in an earlier lecture, a stool can also be a stylish and practical way to hold a stack of towels near your shower. And because tools can be found in a variety of styles, I would definitely choose when that reinforces the style and color scheme of your bathroom. Given how small they often are, you can nearly always find a way to include one in most size bathrooms, including tucking into spaces between bathroom fixtures next to your vanity, under a floating vanity or built-in makeup vanity. And what another great example of reinforcing your bathroom style through your seating. You can even find corner triangular stools that will fit into any corner of your bathroom or your shower. If you have small children and need a step stool, go with a stylish step stool that can also function as a seat as needed, such as when you need a place to sit while bathing your little one. Next on my list are benches. While you do need more space for larger benches, generally along a wall. A bench not only gives you plenty of space to sit and relax, but it's double or more of the space for holding items such as towels, bath robes, bath products, candles, or really anything you'd like. Or double the storage space by using baskets underneath to store towels or toilet paper, like a stool, benches can be tucked under a floating vanity and can also be used to reinforce your bathroom style or your color scheme. Speaking of vanities, if you have the space, a chair is a lovely choice for a built-in makeup vanity. But chairs can also go in a variety of other spaces, such as near a bathtub, tucked into the corner of the bathroom, or really anywhere that it can fit and serve a useful purpose, such as holding towels. Or to simply make an excellent design statement. If you are limited on space, consider an acrylic chair, which is visually late, but still provides all of the same excellent functionality. And again, there are so many different styles of acrylic chairs, you're bound to find one that will work with nearly any style. Finally, if you have the space, nothing says luxury like a large Tufte in Ottoman in the center of your primary bathroom. These are excellent for large walk-in closets as well. 33. The Wonderful World of Tile : Now that we've covered all of your functional considerations for a bathroom remodel or refresh. Let's turn our attention to the aesthetics, which is for many, the most fun part of the project. And there's no better place to start than with tile. Because after all, in most bathrooms, tiles selections make up the majority of the finishes from your fluorine to your shower and possibly your walls. There are so many great tile choices available on the market. For some people, too many choices. So in this lecture I want to break down material size, discuss important installation tips, and spend a few minutes on grout, which is an often overlooked but very important part of a tile installation. Let's start with the best tile materials for your bathroom. We already covered a lot of these materials in the fluorine lecture. So let me focus on the best materials for your shower and for your walls. First, your shower. By far the most popular is glazed porcelain tile due to its excellent low water absorption rate and durability that we spoke about earlier. This material is also easy to clean. That said, there is a common misconception that glazed tiles or through body, meaning that the color and pattern runs through the entire body of the tile. Rather, most glaze porcelain tile has a decorated surface that is paired with a coordinating color body so that any chips that do occur will not be highly visible. These are often referred to as color body porcelain tile. If you want to steam shower, porcelain tile is the way to go as it's also great at retaining heat. Now let's talk about glazed ceramic tile. While not quite as durable as porcelain, there's a large variety of colors and patterns available, often at a lower price point and can be a good choice for bathroom walls. Additionally, if you prefer an artisanal aesthetic to your tile, handmade ceramic tile is a great choice. That said, certain ceramic tile that is regularly exposed to water can stain over time if it isn't properly sealed. So do keep that in mind if you decide to go with this material. In addition to looking for a DC OF rating of at least 0.42 that we spoke about earlier. Porcelain and ceramic tile also have a PEI rating, which stands for porcelain enamel institute. This rating is a 6 scale from 0 to five. That will tell you how well the glaze on your tile will resist scratching and where over time, put more simply, this scale will also tell you the suitability of that particular tile for a project. More specifically, 0 is the lowest rating and means that this tile is only suitable for wall application. And a rating of five means that this is a tile that is suitable for heavy traffic in both residential and commercial applications, such as a swimming pool or a shopping mall. Most porcelain tile we're rate as a four or a 51. Other important rating for porcelain and ceramic tile is its color variants rating or V raiding. This one was developed by the ceramic tile Distributors Association to help describe the variability in both color and shade. These radians include V1, V2, V3, and V4. V1 has the least amount of variability and before has the most variability. Now let's talk about natural stone in the shower and later in the course I'll cover other types of bathrooms, stone walls. Marble is often a sought-after material for showers as its luxury is truly unparalleled. However, as you already know, marble and other stones such as travertine, which is also quite popular for shower walls, are porous, which means that ceiling and reselling is paramount. Additionally, because of their tendency to stain an edge, wiping down your shower after each use to remove excess water and any residue from shampoo or other bath products is important. You will also need to use special cleaners that won't lead to discoloration of your stone or strip your sealer over time. Natural stone is also softer and easier to crack. Finally, if you live somewhere with hard water, be aware that the stone may collect mineral deposits and if your stone is not properly sealed and resealed, these deposits can permanently stain your tile if you aren't deterred by the care and maintenance of natural stone in your shower. My best advice to you is to buy a high grade stone, particularly if you want to use marble. Finally, remember that highly textured stone is more difficult to clean. So even though it looks quite dramatic, it's not a choice I would personally make for shower walls. If you love the look of large format slabs of marble, but aren't sure that you are up for the maintenance and care required. There is another material that can work so much better without the upkeep. Do you remember what that material is? Great job if you said porcelain slabs, which we spoke about earlier as an option for both countertops and back splashes. Even though they are relatively new in the US and you may have difficulty finding an experienced fabricator. They take off so many of the boxes that we want when we are considering natural stone, but without any other headache from a care and maintenance standpoint, glass tile is next on my list when thinking about the best materials for shower walls, whether as an entire wall of glass tile or as an accent, only, this material packs a big design punch. Glass tile is also durable, water resistant, and very easy to clean. This product is also available and polished and that finishes because polished glass tile in particular reflects a lot of light, it helps us space to feel more expansive. Last tile works particularly well if your style is coastal chic or Zen. Now that we've covered the best materials for your shower walls, Let's discuss size. Currently, larger format tiles are the most desirable due to its main advantage of minimizing grout lines. A huge plus for your shower walls. By large, I mean at least 12 by 24, but 24 by 24 or 18 by 36 can also work. Larger tiles are not only ideal for larger bathrooms, but also often helps small bathrooms to feel larger as well. Moving on to installation, Let's start by talking about using tile as a focal point. Because there are so many great tiles available. Tile is an excellent material for creating a focal point in your bathroom in a number of different ways. You could go with this striking floor tile, mosaic tiles or smaller tiles as either a large feature strip or an entire accent wall. Hi there In your shower or in your bathroom. You can also choose to install the same or a similar tile in a different pattern for your shower focal wall. If you are using tile on your bathroom walls, one question that is frequently asked is, should you use the same tile on your floor and your walls? What do you think? My answer is? This really depends on the project. First, assuming that you are using tile that is suitable for both applications, using the same tile on your floors and walls does create a streamlined minimalists aesthetic. Great. If your style is on the contemporary side of the spectrum. If you like this look, I would definitely keep the tile on the larger side. Or you could use the same title but in different sizes. Alternatively, choosing tile that compliments each other is a great approach regardless of the size of your bathroom. You can do this by going with the same shape, but in different colorways. Or install a pattern tile floor and go with a solid color for your walls from that pattern tile. Or choose two tiles that have the same colors but different patterns. Just be sure that the patterns are similar in style. Speaking of patterns, how many different tile and other hard finished patterns should you use in the bathroom? For me too is great. And three would be the max, even for a large primary bathroom. Otherwise, it just starts feeling too chaotic. A third pattern often comes into play when we are including accent tile in a shower. Finally, while it's most common to put a darker tile on the floor and a lighter color on the walls. This doesn't have to be the case. Sometimes it can be quite dramatic to do the opposite, regardless of which tile you choose, be sure to take a sample home with you of all the tile you are considering so that you can look at them in your bathroom lighting, which will be different than the stores lighting, and so that you can look at it with all the other finishes you'll be using in your bathroom. When looking at your samples, be sure to look at them on the appropriate plane that there'll be installed, meaning either a horizontal or a vertical plane, and at different times of day under both natural and artificial light. Finally, for tiles that you are using on your walls, remember that light colors generally help a space feel expansive and more tranquil. While dark colors often make a space feel a bit smaller and more dramatic. An important installation question that your tile center will definitely ask is, which tile pattern do you want to use? If you are using Square, subway or other rectangular tile in your bathroom, is using a more formal style like traditional, transitional, Mediterranean or modern French to tile patterns that work well include a herringbone pattern and ln square tiles on the diagonal. Laying tiles on a diagonal also often helps a small bathroom to feel a bit larger. Classic patterns that work in nearly any style or brick or running bond pattern. Commonly with a 50 percent or 33 percent offset. Stacked horizontal or stacked vertical work well in styles like contemporary, mid-century, modern, scandinavian and Zen, stacked vertical can also help a room ceiling to feel higher than it is. One last installation. Note, if you plan on using large format tile. And large format is defined as a tile that is 16 by 16 inches or larger, or 40 by 40 centimeters or larger. Please know that this is a more difficult installation. The larger the tile, the more difficult it is. And your tile center should talk to you about important preparation requirements, such as ensuring that your subfloor walls are completely flat to avoid lipid. And you should ensure that they will be using the correct thin set grout joint size for that large format tile. I would also check the manufacturer's specifications to see what substrates are approved for that particular tile, as well as the maximum recommended offset. Typically, tiles larger than 18 inches or 46 centimeters should not have a greater than 33 percent offset. Finally, a tile discussion would not be complete without spending some time on grout. The first rule of grout is do not leave the ground selection decisions to your tile setter. Know your options so you can have an informed conversation with him or her on what is best for your bathroom. First, be sure that you or your installer use a quality grout sealer. The choice of grout and sealer in your bathroom, particularly your shower, will make a big difference in how mold, mildew, and soap scum accumulate in your grout lines. Selecting an excellent grout sealer will make your cleaning so much easier and keep your grout looking great. A sealer can be done after the fact or you can also purchase grout that has a sealer mixed in. Finally, be aware of that crowd sealers generally break down over time. So you will need to reseal your grout depending on the location. It could be as often as once a year or more for your shower or up to every three to five years for lower traffic areas. Review the sealer specifications carefully. Apart from traditional cement grout, there is also a poxy and urethane grout. Both perform better than cement grout and don't need to be sealed. However, these are more expensive products and due to the installation steps, you should absolutely use a professional tile center who has experienced with these products. Finally, be aware that they aren't good choices for all tile materials and experienced professionals should tell you this regarding grout line size in general, I go with the smallest grout lines possible. 1 16th inch, if it will work with the particular tile. But 1 eighth and three-sixteenths are also commonly used in terms of color. We've already spoken about when to match or contrast grout to your tile. But remember that lighter grout will show mold, mildew, and grime more than a darker grout. 34. A Word on Wood in the Bathroom : If you've been on Pinterest recently, you have likely seen a number of bathrooms I have used would in a variety of applications, including wood ceilings, wood paneling, wood countertops, and of course would fluorine. And there's no question it looks beautiful, as we know, would adds warmth, beauty, and serenity to a room like few other materials do. Now, we've already talked about waterproof would fluorine that's available, and how to go about installing a wood countertop. But should we really consider wood ceilings or would penalty on our walls? The good news is yes. Yes, you can. With the right installation, this material can successfully be used in our bathrooms. Now let's get into the how when we were talking about wood ceilings, wood beams, and wood paneling, you need to keep three important elements in mind. The right species of wood, the right preparation, and the right ventilation. First, regarding the type of wood, you want to select a species that has better moisture and humidity resistance qualities. This includes but is not limited to tq, OK, Pine, cedar, Douglas fir, and bamboo. Regarding preparation prior to installation, you will want to make sure that your installer properly treats and prepares your wood for a bathroom installation to resist mold, mildew, warping, or twisting. As we discussed in the countertop lecture, there are excellent wood finishes available today to make them waterproof, including polyurethane and water locks. We also have linseed oil and walnut oil. Additionally, experienced installers will also tell you that it's a good idea to first sheet the wall or ceiling with 15 pound felt paper, sometimes referred to as tar paper before installing the wood. The beauty of felt paper, which is what is used in roofing installations, is that it is water resistant, so any moisture that reaches the wood will be kept in the wood and removed by your exhaust fan. Using tongue and groove powerline also helps to keep water from getting through. And of course, we have the right ventilation, which you now know is critical for any bathroom, but especially for a bathroom that has wood in it. Even with excellent preparation, proper ventilation will ensure that you are able to enjoy your wood for years to come. If you like the idea of different wood tones and a bathroom, I agree with you. Just be sure that you match or compliment the undertones in the wood and use cool with cool, warm, with warm or neutral, with either cool or warm to different wood tones is usually enough for most bathrooms. And if you do decide to mix different wood tones, not bathroom, white is often the ideal neutral for mixing different wood tones together beautifully. Wood in the bathroom can look great in nearly any style. But I particularly love it in contemporary, mid-century modern farmhouse, Scandinavian, rustic and Zen style bathrooms, naughty or grain Woods look great and farmhouse and rustic styles, whereas finer grain Woods look better. And contemporary, mid-century, modern, scandinavian and Zen. 35. Other Fabulous Hard Surface Wall Treatments for Your Bathroom : While a tile is by far the most popular hard surface treatment for walls in bathrooms. There are other choices available to you that you may want to consider. We've just discussed would, but we also have brick stone and panel molding. Let's start with brick veneer, which is an excellent choice for industrial, farmhouse, rustic, bohemian, and even contemporary bathrooms, particularly as an accent wall. If you know anything about this material, you know that just like wood, brick is naturally porous, but that characteristic hasn't stopped us before now, has it? Of course not. You just need a quality masonry sealant that penetrates the surface of the bricks. Be aware that some sealants will give your brick a shiny look, which is not usually the look we're going for in these styles. So fine, one that has a matte finish. Also just like with tile, you should make sure your installer uses a cement backer board specifically designed for wet areas as your underlain meant. Of course, the brick can also be painted and white is a popular option. Next, we have stone. When clients want to install accents, don't walls and their bathrooms. They are typically, although not always, thinking of the rough stone walls such as stack stone, which is an excellent look for farmhouse, Bohemian, rustic, Mediterranean and Zen style bathrooms. Like brick veneer, stone veneer, any bathroom is typically installed on top of antimicrobials cement backer board to support the weight of the stone. Although it can also be installed on top of other stable hard surfaces such as concrete blocks or brick. You should seal the stone with a penetrating sealer that is appropriate for that type of stone and reseal it according to the sealer of manufacturer recommendations for both stone and brick, having sufficient ventilation will help prevent growth of possible mold or mildew. Of course, there are other types of stone veneer walls beyond stack stone. Whichever type you go with, it's imperative that you find an experience Pro to handle the installation. Finally, be aware that stone veneer is available in both natural stone and manufactured stone. The ladder manufactured stone is created through lightweight precast concrete molds, which are textured and colored to look like real stone. It's lighter weight makes it easier to install, and it's often a more affordable option. Finally, let's discuss one of my favorites, panel molding, also referred to as wall paneling. Panel molding, which refers to wood trim that goes over existing walls, is a broad term that covers everything from Wayne's coding, which only goes roughly a third of the way up the wall, all the way to full wall paneling, which goes from floor to ceiling. Panel molding is not only a great looking material, which adds instant architectural interest to a space, it also protects your walls from damage and can provide additional installation. Now that we understand the broad term of panel molding, let's dig into some specific styles of panel molding. I'm going to start with Wayne SQL coding, which is wood paneling that again covers the bottom third of your walls and comes in a variety of styles and looks great and traditional, transitional and coastal Sheikh bathrooms. One of these popular styles is bead board, which is characterized by vertically grooved panels and is an excellent choice if your style is farmhouse or coastal Sheikh. Bead board is commonly installed as waste coating. However, it can also be installed Florida ceiling, which can help visually elongate your walls. A common question is, should you match your waned scooting to your wall color? Well, if you have a smaller bathroom, I recommend matching your pink color to your waist coding. For a larger bathroom, the choice is yours. You can either match the color, choose a different paint color, or pair it with wallpaper. If you love this last idea, I'll be talking more about wallpaper a little later in this course. Other styles of panel molding include recessed flat panel, raised panel, picture frame molding, board and batten and shipped lap. You could install panel molding on all of your walls or just on your vanity wall as an accent wall, either as Wayne scooting or Florida ceiling. Now let's talk about the right type of material for your panel molding. While panel molding was traditionally made from wood, painted MDF or medium density fiber board is now the more common material. And because it naturally resist moisture is a great option for a bathroom. 36. Wallpaper in the Bathroom – Do or Don’t? : Wallpaper in the bathroom. Is this a do or a don't? Well, in a powder room with little moisture, the answer is definitely yes. Any paper should work. And I love using wallpaper in a powder room. It's actually one of my favorite rooms to install it in. But what about a bathroom with a shower? Do you think it's a yes. B, no. Or C? Maybe. If you love wallpaper, you'll be happy to know that the short answer is yes. You definitely can. Now for the long answer, for E worry-free installation, you need to choose the right paper and have the right preparation and installation. It's never straightforward, is it? That's okay. In this lecture, I'm going to give you the information you need if you love this idea. First, let's talk about the right type of wallpaper that you should use in a bathroom. Your best choice is a vinyl paper, which is the most durable type of wallpaper that is also washable, scrubbed, bubble, skippable, and shouldn't absorb water, or any wallpaper that is labeled as moisture resistant, waterproof, or splash proof has this paper is specifically designed for high humidity areas and white bubble. In a few minutes, I'll talk about how you can go about successfully using other types of wallpaper. That said, the one paper I wouldn't use a bathroom is grass cloth because of its tendency to absorb smells and moisture. The ladder which would likely lead to staining. So if you love grass cloth, know that there are some excellent faux grass cloth papers on the market today that I've used successfully in projects. Finally, do make sure that you get a sample of the wallpaper you are considering. Wallpaper often looks different in person, does online. Now let's talk about the right installation. I always leave wallpaper installation to professional wallpaper hangers. And I would especially encourage you to do the same for your bathroom. You want to be sure that a mold and mildew resistant wallpaper paste is used and the right preparation is done to your walls, which includes using a mold and mildew resistant wallpaper primer before the wallpaper paste, hangers will often apply additional paste if the paper is being hung near a shower. For additional protection, ask for a thin coat of special clear acrylic varnish to be applied on top of the wallpaper after it's hung to seal it, protect it, and make it easily cleavable. This is especially important if you go with a paper that is not vinyl or not made for high humidity areas, these varnish has come in a variety of finishes. So if you don't want the varnish to change the sheen of your paper, make sure your hanger uses one that has a flat or matte finish. In terms of where to install wallpaper, you can of course, install it on all of your bathroom walls as an accent wall only behind a bathtub or a vanity, or above waist coding or tile. Although don't install it above a shower. You could also install it just in your water closet. Now let's spend a few minutes discussing the aesthetic considerations. Obviously, you need to first consider the style of your bathroom. Wallpaper can work with nearly any style, from Damascus to botanical and geometric to abstract. Even in a pared-down style like industrial, a foe concrete paper can look amazing. Additionally, you also want to consider the mood you're trying to create. For example, do you want calm and soothing or exciting and dramatic? In general, apart from powder rooms were nearly anything goes. I lean more towards subtle patterns to create a calm and soothing mood, especially since this is where you start and end your day. And I tend to believe that most will prefer a paper that's more quiet aesthetically. Although for a truly unique choice, consider a Trump Louis wallpaper, which creates an optical illusion of depth through its use of realistic imagery. How fun with something like this or this, or this be in the right bathroom project. After you've taken into account the style of your bathroom, we want to then think about the bathrooms color scheme. You can either use wallpaper in a color that is one of your bathrooms, neutral colors, or you can choose to go with a non-neutral color that is part of your color scheme. If you are just using wallpaper on an accent wall, be sure that your chosen pink color coordinates well with your paper. Of course, if you are a paper in all of the walls, then you only need to ensure that the paper coordinates with the other finishes in your bathroom, including any window treatments. One final point to consider. Wallpaper is often a personal aesthetic choice. So if you are considering resale in the near future, I would skip this wall treatment. 37. Painting Your Bathroom – Important Technical and Aesthetic Considerations : Once you've made all of your other bathrooms selections, including but not limited to, your vanity, countertop material, tile, window treatments, and probably wallpaper selections, then it's time to select your pink color or colors. So in this lecture, I want to provide you with the right information you need when thinking about making paint selections, both from a technical and aesthetic standpoint. First, let's discuss technical considerations. It's important to make sure that you selected paint that will stand up well to the moisture in your bathroom. Otherwise, moisture can over time penetrate your paint, which can lead to peeling paint and mold growth. To that point, you may be aware that there are now paints that are formulated to perform better in humid and moist environments. Specifically, these paints have mildew resistant properties and the washable finish. Prior to the availability of the specialty paints, it was and is still common to use semi gloss paint in bathrooms sends a semi gloss finish is easy to wipe down and it repels moisture, meaning it's less penetrable than a mat or flat paint. A satin finish is also easy to clean. But what's nice about these newer high-performance paints is that they also offer multiple finishes, including mat and egg shell. These high-performance paints are pricier, but given that bathrooms aren't usually that large, you shouldn't need more than a gallon. That said, if you like the look of semi gloss, a high-quality semi gloss paint should work just as well for a more affordable price. Regarding your ceiling, I know you may be tempted to just use the same flat white that you may have in the rest of your home. However, the best paint for your ceiling is also the same one that is best for your walls. One that will be moisture and mildew resistant. So I would go with the high-performance paint I just spoke about. But if you have low moisture in your bathroom and your ceiling is smooth and free of defects, you could use a paint with a satin finish. Now, let's discuss primer because remember, a good lay text-based primer will create a barrier against moisture, mold, and mildew for both your walls and your ceiling. Over the years, I've spoken to different painters about whether or not you need a separate primer in the bathroom rather than using a paint and primer in one. Most have said you do. However, some painters have told me that if you use one of the aforementioned specialty paints, you should be fine using a paint and primer in one. It obviously can't hurt though, to use a good primer first. And then one of the specialty paints. Of course, if you are going from a dark color to a light color, you definitely want to use a separate primer first. Now let's turn to the aesthetics. I recommend using a light paint color on your walls for your primary bathroom. Think white, cream, gray, beige, grayish, or pastels. Be aware that choosing a strong or vibrant pink color on your walls could interact with your lighting in such a way as to exaggerate any facial blemishes or dark circles and create unflattering reflections. If this isn't on suite bathroom, ensure that the pink color you choose for your bathroom coordinates well, with the bedroom color, consider painting the ceiling a light neutral or non-neutral color. A color that is one shade lighter or darker than your walls is nearly always a lovely choice. Dark colors work best only on higher ceilings. I recommend painting any trim, such as your crown molding, baseboard, door casing, window casing, et cetera, a lighter shade than your walls. Be sure to try out your pink color for a couple of days before you commit. If you are in the US, you can order a 12 inch by 12 inch peel and stick paint samples from Sam please.com for an affordable price. Remember, paint can have a significant design impact on your bathroom for not a lot of money. 38. Mixing/Matching Metal Finishes in Your Bathroom Like a Pro : I absolutely loved to mix metal finishes in bathrooms. Over the years, I've developed some foolproof approaches on how to do this well, and in this lecture I'm going to show you how that said. Let me share three important guidelines. First, please know that just like with mixing would tones, I don't typically mix more than two types of metals in the bathroom, as most bathrooms just aren't large enough to visually accommodate three different medal finishes. Second, I personally prefer to use the same finish for the shower fittings, bathtub fittings, and the sink faucets, preferably from the same manufacturer. Third, unlike with good tones, when mixing metals, you actually want to mix warm and cool metals in the same space. When I say warm metals, I'm referring to brass, gold, copper, rose gold, and oil rubbed bronze. Cool metals include chrome, nickel, stainless steel imputer. There are also neutral metals, which include natural iron, gun metal and other black metals and can be mixed easily with any other cool or warm metal finish. Now let me go ahead and share some foolproof methods that you can use to mix metals in your own bathroom. Approach number 1, divide your rumen half, separating your top half from your bottom half. Then use one metal finished for the bottom half, meaning your hardware. And then use a different metal finish for your top half, meaning your fittings and lighting. Approach number two, use the same that'll finish for your hardware and fittings, and then use a contrasting finish for your lighting and mere frame. Approach number three, use a single finished for everything except your lighting, which would be in a different finish. And approach number 4, use the same finish for your hardware and lighting and a separate finished for your fittings. All four of these examples are both balanced and beautiful. I want to share one more helpful tip for you as you shop for items with metal finishes. If you don't want your metal finishes to age, look for products with a PVD finish. Pvd stands for physical vapor deposition. In the simplest terms, this process creates a very thin but extremely hard finish, which is currently the most durable finish available today. In short, products with PVD finish will not tarnish, color or corrode. Pretty great, right? Many manufacturers have products available with PVD finishes, including Kohler, motion and Delta. 39. Artwork in the Bathroom? Yes, Please! : You know that you are nearing the end of a bathroom remodel when you begin discussing possible artwork and greenery. And one of the best things about art work is that it's easily changed out in the future if you ever tire of it. Very different from most of the other finishes in the bathroom. Just like with wallpaper. I'm sure some of you are thinking that artwork and bathrooms with showers and bathtubs just don't mix. It's definitely possible. But again, it's all in the details. First, I think it goes without saying that you shouldn't hang an expensive, valuable and, or an original piece of artwork in a bathroom, it's just not worth the risk. Even with the precautions I'll be discussing in this lecture. That said, the artwork that is most at risk in a bathroom is artwork that is framed with class. Can you guess why that is? Do you think it's a any moisture that gets trapped under the glass will likely stay in your artwork. Be any moisture that gets trapped can cause mould growth in your frame package. See any moisture that gets trapped under the glass will attract insects. D, a, and B only, or E, all of the above. The answer is D. For that reason, you are much better off choosing canvas pieces or glass F3 framed prints on acid free paper, both of which are better at tolerating humidity. If you don't want to or are advised to not go without protection for your print or photograph, choose acrylic glazing instead of glass as acrylic will allow some moisture to pass through rather than get trapped and build up in the frame. It also has the benefit of being shatter resistant if the picture falls down. Additionally, go with metal instead of wood for your frame. Since what is much more susceptible to humidity and fluctuating temperatures. And just like with wallpaper, you want to ensure that you have proper ventilation in your bathroom, which means running your exhaust fan like you should and keeping your doors and possibly windows open whenever possible. Also, make sure you have quality window treatments that will block harmful UV rays during the day if your artwork is in direct sunlight. Finally, if you are having a print professionally framed, do be sure to tell the framer that you will be hanging the artwork and the bathroom so they can apply additional safeguards to the frame package if needed. Even with all of these guidelines, I can't nor can anyone guarantee that your artwork may not be damaged. Simply don't feel comfortable taking that chance. Consider other types of wall decor such as wall sculptures. Now let's talk powder rooms where we don't have the same moisture considerations. Here. Any type of artwork or wall decor can work. Large single pieces or gallery walls can be so striking and unexpected in such a small space. Now let's talk about what style of artwork could work well for your bathroom. First, let me just start by saying that I personally prefer going with traditional artwork pieces that coordinate with the style of the bathroom and the home, as opposed to bathroom themed artwork. To that point, just like with any other design decision we've made. Start with the style of your bathroom. For example, reproductions of classic pieces are perfect for traditional and modern French style bathrooms. Abstract pieces work well with contemporary and transitional designs. Coastal and ocean themed artwork is obviously ideal in coastal chic, black and white photography is excellent if your style is contemporary or industrial. And botanical prints work well in many styles including coastal Sheikh, farmhouse, Scandinavian, rustic, bohemian, and zen. And who doesn't love adding some nature to their bathroom. Additionally, just like with wallpaper, artwork is a great way to emphasize whatever mood you are striving for in your bathroom. Perhaps that's calm and serene, or fun and quirky. For a kid's bathroom, artwork is a great way to inject some playfulness into the space. Also because you are unlikely to have more than one or maybe two pieces of artwork in a bathroom, I would ensure that the colors in the pieces coordinate with the bathrooms color palette. Unless of course, your artwork is inspiring your bathrooms color palette, which can happen. One exception might be in a completely neutral bathroom in which you decide to go with a striking piece of art work as the main non-neutral color in the space to act as your focal point. If you decide to use artwork as a focal point, I would hang the artwork over a bathtub or the wall opposite the entrance to the room. And make sure that piece of artwork is large enough to be considered a focal point, at least 36 inches wide. Earlier I mentioned using a metal frame in lieu of a wood frame. I would coordinate the finish of the metal frame with one of the other finishes in your bathroom to create a more cohesive look. Finally, remember that artwork can be layered over wallpaper as well for a more highly textured look. Now that you have an idea of what type of artwork you'd like to hang. Now let's discuss where are some great locations to hang it in the bathroom. Of course, your wall space may be limited, so you might only have one good location. However, assuming you have more than one option, some of my favorite places include over a bathtub. Provided that this is not a bathtub where kids who like to splash bathe opposite a vanity mirror or in a location that is visible from your shower, but you can easily enjoy your artwork. Of course, if you decide to go with a fireplace in your bathroom, clearly, this is an ideal location for artwork, but for protection from the fireplace hanging roughly five to 12 inches above the fireplace. Finally, if you are very limited on space that you have open shelving, a smaller piece of artwork can also look great in lieu of an accessory. 40. The Best Greenery for Your Bathroom : Incorporating plants into your bathroom has numerous benefits. It looks great aesthetically. It creates a more relaxing spotlight mood. And it can be great for your plants. Well, the right plants at least. And there are many plants that love living in a humid environment. Although you also need plants that are tolerant of frequent temperature fluctuation. Sure, it's nice and warm and humid during shower time. But in-between showers, especially in the middle of the night with all those hard surfaces, bathrooms can get quite chilly. Additionally, if you don't have a window in your bathroom, you're better off going with a foe plant has nearly every plant needs some direct or indirect natural sunlight to survive. So with all that said in this lecture, I'm going to introduce you to 11 different species of plants that could be the perfect match for you and your bathroom. I'll also tell you the styles I would use these different plants in. And I'll talk about some ideal placement options for your new buddy. Before I introduce you to these 11 lovely contestants, let me just start by saying that you need to carefully consider the type of bathroom where you'd like to add a plant. It guest's bathroom that is rarely used is quite different from a primary bath that is used daily. If you are seeking a plant for a guest's bathroom, you really want a plant that thrives in drier and possibly darker conditions. Whereas with a primary bathroom, you are looking for a humidity loving plants that can tolerate temperature fluctuations. Now let's meet our contestants. Our first contestant is a true lover of humidity. The fern. Ferns not only love humidity, but they are also quite adaptable to fluctuating temperatures. And many species are comfortable being in rooms with lower light levels. Although not all, there are a number of different firm varieties that can work in your bathroom, including the Boston fern, which is great at filtering air, the maiden hair fern, the asparagus fern, and the lovely bird's nest firm. A firm would be a good choice in a wet room style bathroom given the increased humidity exposure. And she looks gorgeous in a traditional, transitional or modern French bathroom. Our next contestant is the pathos pop. Those plants have a number of great qualities, including being very little maintenance and their ability to grow quite long, quite fast. They love human environments and they are also perfectly fine in a variety of lighting conditions, except for direct light. If they could pick their lighting though, they prefer moderate indirect light. This hardy plant looks great and most interior design styles. Now let me introduce you to the extremely popular air plant, or really I should say plants, because did you know that there are over 400 different species of air plants. Incredible. These adorable little guys are ideally suited to living in a bathroom as they absolutely thriving humidity and bright indirect light. Now, I know I just said little, but be aware that some air plants can grow quite large. So do your homework before committing to find out how big your little guy may grow. Because they don't have soil. You can either miss them and soak them occasionally or just soak them between every week and every three weeks depending on the season because they are so popular, these poor little guys are being over-connected. So I encourage you to only buy air plants that are nursery grown rather than those that are forged from the wild. I love the look of air plants in contemporary, mid-century modern, industrial and coastal Sheikh bathrooms are fourth contestant is an excellent contender for several reasons. Please meet the aloe plant. What Kant this plant Do. Not only is it simply a cool again plant, but of course it has excellent medicinal properties. Specifically the ability to sooth irritated, itching and or sunburns skin. And if that isn't enough, It's also excellent filtering and purifying air. I mean, just wow, these hardworking plants do prefer bright indirect sunlight. These plants look great and contemporary, mid-century modern, industrial, Scandinavian, bohemian, and Zen styled spaces. Now let's meet a South American native, Philadelphian. This guy is easy to grow and care for, likes to have moist soil, loves humidity and ideally medium light and bright indirect sunlight, but can be totally comfortable in a low light and dry environment. The Philadelphian, like the pothos, will work well in most interior design styles. If you are a beginner when it comes to carrying for plants, please meet your ideal mate. Thus, snake plant, because snake plants are nearly impossible to kill, the obviously have low maintenance needs and while they prefer medium indirect light, they can generally tolerate sun and shade. So basically any lighting situation will work. This poor plant has some unfortunate aliases. Let's start with snake plant. I mean, usually when you call someone a snake, It's not exactly a compliment. But this plant is also called mother-in-laws tongue, St. George's sword, vipers, bowstring hemp, and Devils tongue cheese. So unfair for such a hardy little guy. So hardy in fact, that if your bathroom is particularly humid, you may not even need to add extra water to his pot. See, I told you hard to kill. And despite all of the name-calling, He has one more awesome quality. Just like the aloe plant, He's also great at purifying air style wise because of the strong simple sculptural lines. I like snake plants and contemporary mid-century modern, industrial, Scandinavian and Zen style spaces. Moving on to our seventh contestant, we have the spider plant. Spider plants are awesome because they only need small containers, which is great for a smaller room like a bathroom. These boys love bright light, but not direct light, although they can also tolerate low light extremely well. Similarly, while they prefer moderate humidity, they can also handle less humidity. The spider plant is another air purifier and plant so great for removing indoor air pollution. This versatile plant looks good in nearly any interior design style. Now let's meet another tropical beauty, the bromeliads. Even though these guys will only blue months for three to six months in their entire lifetime. Please don't hold that against them. These little guys can be great for your bathroom. They only need medium to bright indirect light. They can tolerate dry conditions, but they do prefer humidity. The bromeliads works well in transitional, contemporary, mid-century, modern, scandinavian, bohemian, and modern French bathrooms. Now let's give it up for our ninth contestant, the peace lily plant. Flowering ever green tropical plant from Central America, prefers moist soil and good humidity. She prefers light, partial or full shade, and is even okay with fluorescent lights. The peace lily is also an air purifying plant. What's not to love? Peace lilies look right at home in transitional and coastal Sheikh bathrooms. If you are looking for something on the smaller side, please meet the lucky bamboo plant. Little maintenance tolerant of low lighting levels and can pretty much be content anywhere. If you want to make your little lucky bamboo buddy happy. He does prefer bright indirect sunlight. And here's an interesting fact for you. The lucky bamboo plant is more closely related to asparagus than it is to actual bamboo. Who knew this cute little fellow is ideal for Zen style bathrooms. Last but certainly not least, please meet one of my personal favorites, the orchid. Now I know that these pretty little plants have quite the reputation of being high maintenance and fussy. And true, if your bathroom gets too cold, this is not a great candidate for you. But once you know what makes them happy and it's not a lot, you'll love your plan even more every time she blooms. Even though there are over 25000, yes, 25 thousand different species of orchids. The moth orbit is known for growing easily and flowering often, so often a great choice for the home. Most orchids prefer bright indirect light. Next to an east or west facing window is often ideal, although some species can tolerate lower light. And while they preferred dryer orchid bark to grow in, they do love humidity given their tropical origins, these studying plants are excellent if your style is traditional, transitional, and modern French. Oh, and if your style is Scandinavian or Bohemian, pretty much any plant will work well. So given that we often have limited real estate in our bathrooms, where can plants go? If you are using a smaller plant, then beyond a window sill, ETag arrays and floating shelves are often good choices. And possibly your countertop if the plant is small enough. Many of these lovely candidates are also quite happy to hang in a sunny corner of your bathroom. And sometimes all you need is a plant stand to fit it plant into an unused corner or area of your bathroom. And of course, some plants like air plants are ideal for hanging on any open wall space that you have. Whichever plants or plants you think you might want to go with. Make sure to do your own research first. For example, be sure to review watering needs. Because if you are someone who is inclined to forget, make sure to choose a more forgiving plant like the snake plant. Second, some species like the asparagus fern I mentioned earlier are toxic to animals and or small children. So definitely do your due diligence prior to adopting one of these lovely little plants. 41. Kids' Bathrooms: Now for a special word on kids bathrooms, much of the information that is provided in this course is completely applicable. If you are designing a kid's bathroom, specifically, select those finishes that are durable and easy to clean. However, there are some additional specific recommendations that I have for you when thinking about designing a space that is primarily or only used by the kid or kids in your home. I'll tackle functional considerations first and then we'll talk aesthetics. Let's start with the biggest fixture in the bathroom, the bath tub and shower. If you have the space, a bath tub shower combo with an adjustable shower head and hand shower on the slide bar is ideal so you can one easily accommodate different height users and to easily spray down the bath tub with your shower head after your kids have bathed. If you choose to include a shower niche, which I highly recommend you do install it at around 36 inches from the finished floor, which still works for older kids and adults, but makes it easier for those younger ones who are trying to be more independent. While I am a big fan of shower doors, I have to concede that a shower curtain makes it easier to bathe your kids and makes it easier to clean the tub and shower as well. Now let's talk about vanities. Resist the urge to go with a 30-inch or 76 centimeter high vanity. Eventually your children do get bigger. So I encourage you to instead pair a vanity with a finished comfort height of 36 inches or 91 centimeters with a cute step stool until they are tall enough to not need it. That said, you obviously need a convenient place to store that cute step stool. So a floating vanity is a perfect choice for this type of bathroom. Alternatively, you could get a vanity that has a built-in, pull out step in the toe kick. Either of these options are also better for resale. If your kids are sharing a smaller bathroom, consider a doubled trough sink, which gives them each their own faucet. Speaking a faucet, there are some lovely looking phosphates on the market today that have red and blue discrete markings on them, which can be great for little kids learning which side is hot and which side is cold. Now let's talk paddies. If you have boys in the house, I recommend that you either choose a quick release toilet seat to make cleaning that much easier, or you select a one-piece toilet. Well, one piece toilets are more expensive because they have no seem they are easier to keep clean. And speaking of lids, definitely choose one that is soft clothes. For the walls, I would choose the easiest to clean surfaces. At the top of my list is tile. That could be a full wall or just a half-mile of tile. When scouting is also a good choice for protecting the walls. After that, a semi gloss paint or a durable vinyl wallpaper would be my next choices. As far as fluorine, I would choose tile that has some color variation in it. And rather than being worried about ceiling and reselling light-colored grout, I would use a dark colored grout that is much more forgiving. If multiple kids are sharing a bathroom, sharing the space work so much better when you designate certain doors or cabinets for each child, or even better, give each child their own individual vanity. So there's no confusion. I've mentioned this before, but I'll mention it again. Towel or rope hooks are much better for kids than towel bars. Kids just aren't great at neatly folding their towel and hanging over a bar. Believe me, I know from personal experience. So embrace this fact and go with easy to use Hooke's instead and be sure to install them close to the shower within six inches or 15 centimeters from the shower to make them easy to reach for your kids. Similarly, let me emphasize again how great an integrated sink and countertop is for a kid's bathroom, given how easy they are to clean with their limited seems easy. Cleaning equals happy parent. Am I right? If this is a complete remodel or a new build and you have the space. Consider separating the tub shower from the sink so that two kids can easily use the same bathrooms simultaneously. Finally, I would encourage you to install anti scald valves on your faucets and shower heads, which controls the temperature by mixing cold water in with the hot water so it prevents a person being scolded. Now let's talk aesthetics first, I would encourage you to keep your heart's surface colors neutral. Yes, we often want to bring it non-neutral colors and kids bathrooms, and you should absolutely do so. But I would limit it to artwork, wall decor, washable strip of a wallpaper, paint, towels, accessories, and possibly wall vanity mirrors that can easily be changed out as your kids grow and their preferences change. Alternatively, you could bring in some brighter, non-neutral colors in places like your backsplash or an accent wall in your shower. One way to make bright colors work for any age, to use a more sophisticated pattern like herringbone, or go with a more fun tile in a neutral color, such as this great fish scale tile. A mural can also be a fun and easy way to bring some personality into the space that can easily be painted over in the future if desired. Adding some whimsy to a children's bathroom is always a great design goal. And they did exactly that with these multiple round mirrors. Just like with a regular bathroom, limit the color palette to about three main colors. That could be one neutral and to non-neutral, or two neutrals and one non-neutral. Patterns, of course, are also great in kids bathrooms and are fun to use in places like your backsplash, shower curtain, or wallpaper. And finally, do get some input from your kids on these aesthetic choices so that they can get excited about their new bathroom as well. Just be sure to only show them options that you can also live with. 43. Conclusion: Thank You for Joining Me in This Comprehensive Bathroom Course!: If you're watching this lecture, first, thank you so much for selecting this course. Second, a big congratulations because you've got through it all. I sincerely hope that you found everything you were looking for with regards to bathroom design. My hope is that you participate in the activities along the way and that you now have a completed bathroom design for your own project, which is why I'm sure you were here in the first place. If you have any suggestions on how I can make this course more valuable to you, please don't hesitate to let me know as I do make updates to my courses. Additionally, if you have any follow-up questions on the course content, please send me an e-mail or post a question. I am happy to provide any needed support to you. Thank you again. And happy decorating.