If you’ve been spending a lot more time at home these days, you’ve probably noticed things around the house that could use some improvement.
Remodeling a bathroom may not fully pay for itself in resale value (the return on investment is typically 70 to 80 percent, according to Investopedia), but making your bathroom brighter, more functional, and up-to-date can make your home a much more pleasant place to be stuck.
Before you take the sledgehammer to that cracked tile or start to rip out an old tub, there are a few things you should do:
Think about your ideal bathroom. “Just because the shower is in one corner right now doesn’t mean it has to stay there,” said Heloise Mitchell, founder and creative director of Alexandria-based Mintwood Home. “We just took two feet of dead space in our hallway to extend our daughter’s bath, which then gave our bath two extra feet as well. It is a HUGE game changer.”
Create a wishlist. “When approaching a bath-room renovation, it’s helpful for clients to establish a wishlist of features that they would like to have in their new space,” said Danielle Walther, interior designer with Marks-Woods Construction Services. “A lot of clients approach us with questions about how they can renovate their bathroom with an eye toward aging in place or universal design.”
Evaluate your needs. Look at the current storage you have in your bathroom. Is it enough? Is it convenient? Make a list of what you normally store in the bathroom and what you’d like to store there. That list will help your designer understand your needs and come up with targeted, customized storage solutions.
Be flexible. “If you’re hiring a designer, use their expertise and experience to your advantage,” said Nadia Wall, Designer and Showroom Manager at local cabinetry specialist Braemar Kitchen and Bath. “A little bit of flexibility when making material selections with your designer is the best way to find products that meet your needs and also your budget. Bathrooms are a hardworking part of the home, and using mate-rials that are durable and long-lasting are key in a successful design.”
Here are a few more tips and examples of smart bathroom design from Marks-Woods Construction Services Interior Designer Danielle Walther and Nadia Wall of Braemar Kitchen & Bath:
• Recessed oversized medicine cabinets aren’t just for over the vanity. Any bit of open wall space can be used for a hidden medicine cabinet that looks like a mirror.
• Tall vanity cabinet towers capture valuable above-counter storage space and can also be a nice way to separate a double vanity.
• Toekick drawers are a great addition to a small bathroom vanity.
• Add a matching cabinet to the unused space above the toilet.
• Entry pocket doors keep the swing of the door from interfering in a tight space.
• When wall space is at a premium, robe hooks are better than towel bars.
• Frameless glass bi-passing shower doors save space and no longer have the unsightly bottom metal track. They can also function as towel storage.
• Wall-mounted toilets save precious inches of floor space and are much easier to clean under and around.
Marks-Woods Construction Services was brought in to renovate two existing full bathrooms in a historic row home in Old Town Alexandria. The existing master bathroom was transformed, including changing from a tub/shower to a large enclosed shower.
PHOTOS BY REGIS VOGT; DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION BY MARKS-WOODS CONSTRUCTION SERVICES
To make the shower pop, the in-house design team at Marks-Woods created a feature wall of bold tiles supplied by local tile specialists Architectural Ceramics.
To provide additional storage in a tight space, custom built-ins were added on site by the Marks-Woods Construction team. To tie the whole bathroom together, the design team selected polished nickel for all of the bathroom fixtures.
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Hall Bathroom
The hall bathroom was designed around the existing clawfoot tub, which the owners wanted to keep and really highlight through the renovation. Known as a pull-and-replace renovation, the bathroom was stripped to the studs, removing all of the existing materials. Only the clawfoot tub remained.
PHOTOS BY REGIS VOGT; DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION BY MARKS-WOODS CONSTRUCTION SERVICES
If the current bathroom layout is functional, a pull-and-replace renovation is an excellent option when working in an older home. Since the existing plumbing stays where it is, we save time and money by not having to relocate plumbing and electrical. The time and money saved can either be pocketed by the homeowner or used on higher end finishes,” said Danielle Walther, interior designer.
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Master Bathroom
When the homeowners of this four-story Old Town Alexandria townhome were ready to renovate their dated master bathroom, they hired Marks-Woods Construction Services to design and construct a new master retreat. Even though the existing bathroom was large, it featured an oversized jetted tub and black marble that made the space feel dark and small.
The Marks-Woods design team created a spa-like retreat by incorporating various sizes and patterns of marble tiles.
To provide additional height and storage as well as privacy and separation, the design team add-ed a tower storage unit to the oversized white vanity. Getting the custom vanity by Braemar Cabinetry to the top floor was no small task: At over nine feet, the vanity had to be carried up in pieces to the top floor. The construction team then assembled and installed the vanity and tower storage on site.
PHOTOS BY REGIS VOGT; DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION BY MARKS-WOODS CONSTRUCTION SERVICES
