The Complete Guide to Luxury Bathroom Remodeling
A luxury bathroom renovation is a decision you’ll always appreciate. Create your dream master bathroom to give yourself a place to unwind. You can choose special features — such as an oversized bathtub or a cozy sauna — to make this place your own. This bathroom renovation guide will provide you with everything you need to design your ideal bathroom, from heated floors to marble inlay walls.
Factors to Consider for Your Luxury Bathroom Updates
Before you create your design, you need to figure out the best layout for your bathroom. Let your imagination run wild as you craft the ideal bathroom in your house. Think about the following features to guide your bathroom remodeling as you plan:
- How many people will use your bathroom? While most homeowners reserve their luxury bathroom for themselves, you may also design your guest bathroom with elegant, high-class materials. Before planning your decoration for this part of the house, think about how many people will be using it regularly. Knowing this information will help you figure out what storage and plumbing needs you’ll have.
- What is your morning routine? As you plan your bathroom design, consider how much time you spend in the bathroom throughout the day. Will you be using this part of the house to shower or just to apply makeup and freshen yourself up? For a spacious bathroom, you could create functional areas, like a double vanity or a water closet designed for your toilet.
- What do you need to store? Think about what you’ll keep in the bathroom, like toiletries or a hairdryer. Put the items you frequently use in an easily accessible area. Take this opportunity to go through your current bathroom storage and throw out what you haven’t used in a while.
- What are your daily habits? How you utilize your bathroom throughout the day will affect its design and layout. Figure out if your current bathroom has hindered you or accommodated any medical issues you may have. Design your living space with unique features like towel warmers or heated floors according to your personal preferences.
- Where do you see yourself in the next five years? If you’re planning on selling your house, you could create a luxury bathroom for its resale value. If not, remember that a luxury bathroom renovation is well worth the investment if you want to stay in your home for years to come. Make this room in the house your own by deciding whether you want it to be a place to relax.
How to Plan for a Bathroom Remodel
Once you have the vision fresh in your mind, you can put your ideas on paper. Follow these tips to start the process of installing a brand-new luxury bathroom:
- Get your budget in order: For a luxury bathroom design, you know you’ll be treating yourself by investing in the highest quality materials and layout. Save a little extra money for unexpected costs during the installation process.
- Find a professional contractor: Hire a licensed and insured contractor who can capture your vision for your luxury bathroom. Shop around and get multiple estimates from different reliable companies. Focus on what each contractor promises to do and the quality of work they can provide. If you try to save money by hiring the one with the cheapest estimate, you may end up with more unexpected costs and mediocre results.
- Plan for installation and get ready for demo: The project can take a couple of weeks, so you need to prepare your home and schedule. Order the materials before the contractor begins so that you don’t have to delay your project while waiting for the tiles and countertops to arrive. Aside from preparing your house for the renovation, adjust your daily routine to accommodate workers walking through your home and making noise.
- Inspect the bathroom: Keep all your paperwork and receipts related to the project to monitor what you’ve spent and what work the contractor did. When they’re finished installing your luxury bathroom, you should thoroughly check the shower, tub and tiles to make sure they all meet your expectations. Create a list of anything you’d like the contractor to fix, like sloppy grout work or a loose faucet.
Designing a Luxury Bathroom
While you’re creating your high-class bathroom redesign, first choose a theme. If you’re not sure where to start, look through pictures online or in a magazine and collect some that capture your attention. Knowing what design style you like will help you pick out the right materials for your bathroom.
1. Layout
If you’re doing a full bathroom remodel, everything in the room will change, including the layout. Draw up a rough outline of where you want to put the toilet, shower and sink. You should also figure out the best place to install outlets to use your hair products and quickly charge your phone.
Here are some standard layouts that may work for this part of your house:
- Three-quarter bath layout: Most guest bathrooms follow this floor plan because it doesn’t take up a lot of space in the house. The sink and shower face opposite each other, and the toilet is next to the shower. Having the plumbing on the same wall will save you money in labor.
- Full bath layout: If both children and adults are using this bathroom, a tub/shower combination will provide a functional place for all ages to wash themselves. The end wall of the tub and the opening of the doorway will help to separate the toilet from the rest of the bathroom. If you have enough space, you’ll be able to include a spacious vanity or double vanity.
- Master bathroom: For a master bathroom, install a large tub framed by an alcove with end shelves for added storage. A double vanity on the opposite wall of the shower will allow you and your spouse to have separate sinks.
Along with these standard floor plans, you also might be able to make a custom design for your elegant bathroom. Your contractor should give you a schematic drawing to approve before they start working. Take your time reviewing the plans so that you can make sure the format will accommodate this area’s intended purpose.
2. Materials and Colors
You can pick the materials and colors you want to include throughout the bathroom based on your budget and maintenance needs once you know your design theme. To help you figure out what materials you want, you should also pick out a color palette. Do you want colors that are classic and subtle or eye-catching and vibrant?
Here are some suggestions for materials for your floors and walls:
- Natural stone: For a luxury bathroom, you should have marble featured somewhere in this space. A marble inlay medallion in your flooring or tub will give your bathroom the focal point it needs to make a bold statement. You can design the natural stone in your bathroom with any color using a custom waterjet inlay design.
- Tiles: Standard bathrooms often have subway tiles covering the walls, shower and floors. For your high-class bathroom, you can find an ornate, unique pattern for this decorative material. Tiles are available in various colors and sizes, which you can choose based on your design preference.
- Wallpaper: While it’s not the most popular decorative material, covering an accent wall in wallpaper could serve as a focal point in a spacious bathroom. If you choose this option, however, remember that you’ll need to do your best to keep water away from the wall and install proper ventilation to prevent moisture from ruining the design.
3. Showers
A walk-in shower is a must-have feature of your luxury bathroom. Design elegant faucets and metal hardware to enhance your shower experience, along with these additional high-class features:
- Rain showerheads: These advanced showerheads pour water straight down in a gentler stream, like rain, to provide you with a relaxing experience. They typically mount on the ceiling, and you can change the pressure levels to your preference.
- Technological features: With modern technology available in the rest of your house, you may have been wondering when the bathroom would catch up — and that time has come. You can now use Wi-Fi to control the temperature and pressure of your shower. Some brands will allow you to preset the heat and create a timer for your shower to reduce the amount of energy you use.
- Shower body jets: Install wall-mounted body jets according to your height and proportions. The high pressure from these sprays can reduce pain and muscle aches just like the jets in a bath would.
- Shared showers: If you live with a partner, you could create a spacious washing area with two showerheads to make morning routines more comfortable. Even if you live alone, a massive shower will provide you with plenty of room.
- Curbless showers: These showers are level with the floor for a seamless design. A slight dip toward the drain will prevent all the water from flooding into the rest of the bathroom.
4. Tubs
If you have space for it, you could include a freestanding tub next to the shower for a place to unwind. Choose decorative faucets for your bathtub, keeping the following high-class features in mind as potential additions:
- Wall-mounted television: If the bathroom is where you relax at the end of a long day, put a screen on the wall to watch a movie in a spa-like environment. You can also use a TV as a way to catch up on the local news while you’re getting ready for work in the morning.
- Spa jets: High-pressure tub sprays relieve muscle pain and lower blood pressure. You can control these jets with an extra faucet on your tub.
- Clawfoot tub: This classic style for a bathtub is making a comeback in luxury bathroom design. These tubs come in a variety of materials, including porcelain and stainless steel. Along with a walk-in shower, you can install a clawfoot tub for a relaxing soak.
- Oversized bathtub: Normal tubs are often too small to submerge yourself fully, but an oversized one will give you plenty of space to enjoy your bath. These large tubs come in both simple and ornate designs to complement the aesthetic of your bathroom.
5. Curtains or Glass Doors
For your shower or shower/tub combination, you need an enclosure to prevent water from leaking all over the floor. Choose from any of these options:
- Curtains: Curtains work best in shower/tub combinations because they’re suitable for both children and adults, and you can easily switch them out if you grow tired of the design.
- Glass doors: Glass doors will make the shower feel more spacious, and you can design them with grilles, frames and decorative hardware for a luxurious appearance.
- No door or curtain: A doorless shower features a central drain and waterproof surface, but you’ll need to design it to keep water inside the shower.
6. Floors
Flooring has the potential to be the focal point of your luxury bathroom. Here are some features to consider when you’re designing the floors:
- Safety: Invest in nonslip flooring materials that can provide a safe place to walk, even with excess moisture.
- Comfort: When you come out of the shower or tub, heated floors will keep your feet warm. They also dry quickly and are less likely to be slippery.
- Elegance: You can decorate your marble floors with ornate medallions that can serve as the focal point of your luxury bathroom. For a simple, versatile appearance, choose an option from our classic medallion collection. To frame the medallions, select borders and accents for your bathroom flooring.
7. Storage
To make your bathroom functional, organized and decorative, think about where you’re going to store your essential items like toilet paper, towels and soap. You can have open storage with shelves and baskets, or you can conceal your belongings with drawers and cabinets. As you figure out the ideal storage solution, remember to give everything in your bathroom a place to call home.
Store your toiletries and other belongings in the following places:
- In the shower: You can install a recessed niche or a corner shelf in the shower. A corner shelf may be more affordable, but a recessed niche will give you more space. You could also have a recessed niche for your soap and a corner shelf for your razors, for instance.
- In the vanity: The vanity under the sink is a great place to store items you want to conceal. Invest in drawers to hide your toiletries and easily access what you need. Consider adding drawer outlets to keep your hair appliances or phone charger out of the way.
- On the walls: With all the space on your walls, the storage possibilities are endless. You could mount a mirrored cabinet on the wall or install floating shelves for open storage. Choose decorative wall hooks or bars for your towels, or even install a linen closet.
Contact Aalto Marble Inlay for Your Bathroom Flooring or Wall Design
Our artisans at Aalto will give your luxury bathroom a unique marble inlay. We’ll create this design with a water jet that uses an image from the computer to make sure it comes out exactly how you want it. For more information about how to design your luxury bathroom with one of our marble inlay medallions, fill out an inquiry form.