Whether your tired 1970s bathroom needs an upgrade or you’re dreaming of a new spa-like bath experience in a completely remodeled bathroom, before you embark on your own remodel, you need to consider some important steps along the way. Here are four that I’ve put together to help walk you through your exciting project.
Step 1: Develop your vision
This is the fun (and important!) part. Surf your favorite websites and pour through design magazines, bookmark links or add images and product shots to Pinterest to get inspired. Get samples of every important element in the design. Sure, images are inspiring but nothing beats seeing your vision come to life with samples of floor, wall and ceiling coverings, or tile, counter, cabinet color or wood species. You can even print out pictures of hardware or fixtures you’re planning to use. Put it all together and make sure it presents the style you're going after. Let your creative juices flow. Explore your personal style. Figure out what’s going to make you happy.
Step 2: Plan and budget
Once you establish your vision, it’s time to choose your products and materials, then decide what you can or can’t afford. Make a spreadsheet to keep track of and document the products and materials you've chosen, as well as their cost, so you can see if you're staying within your budget. You can also order products ahead of time, but hold off on the big items until you can “tape out” your cabinets and draw on the walls where you expect the mirrors, lights, or appliances will go.
Step 3: Start with a clean slate
Wait, “tape out?” During your demo, pull out anything that isn't staying, and don't forget to clean up! After your demo, use blue painter's tape to mark “cut-outs” of your new cabinetry or sink or bathtub on the floor and wall. Do they all fit like you imagined? How will they fit? When you enter the room do they feel in the right place? Does flooring need to come up? Is your vanity staying or going?
Ultimately, taping out lets you see your vision in 3-D space. If it’s not what you expected, rip off the tape and start over—it’s much easier than ripping out installed products that don’t fit later.
Step 4: Installation
Grab some knowledgeable friends (or hire a pro if you’re opening up walls or installing electrical or plumbing) for this step. Installing a bath vanity yourself? Real quick: There are two kinds of vanities: hanging or floor standing. A nice benefit to a hanging vanity is that it can make the room feel bigger since you can see the floor extending beyond what would be the edge of the cabinet if it extended all the way to the floor. (IKEA's GODMORGON cabinet is so popular for just this reason.) The only down side of a hanging vanity is if you want the leg-free look, you usually need to add blocking inside the wall to support the weight.
If there’s a functional drawer immediately below the sink (not just a false drawer front) you’ll need an ADA style trap, which are sometimes marketed specifically for this purpose. (If you're using the IKEA plumbing kit, their version of this is included.)
While the hanging vanity is my favored look, you can make amazing, traditional-style bathroom cabinets out of IKEA's SEKTION system, too.
Takeaways
My parting advice on a bathroom remodel is to remember to make sure to think through the order in which you're going to do things with an eye toward ease of installation, minimizing damage to newly installed surfaces, and bringing back functionality of the bathroom as soon as possible.
For example, in my current bathroom project, my rough order is: in-wall work to support the hanging vanity, paint ceiling, new floor, re-install toilet, new wall surface, hang vanity, install countertop and sinks, finish details.
That order ensures I don't get paint on the new floor or walls, makes installing the floor easier (because I'm doing a tongue and groove wall treatment, there will be less wall surface in the way) and adds a second toilet back to our household as soon as possible (four sharing a single toilet is not fun!).
After the decisions, the budgets, demoing and installation, enjoy your new space. With some visioning, research and designing the space the way you want it, you can enjoy your new bathroom for years to come. You’ve earned it. Congratulations.
When’s the kitchen remodeling project begin?