When you work with an architect or bathroom designer on a bathroom remodel for your Long Beach home, it goes without saying that you don’t need to know exactly what you want going in. After all, that’s one of the reasons you hire a designer—to help you design a space that suits your needs and complements your personal style. However, there are a few things that a homeowner might want to consider before meeting with an architect or bathroom designer to talk about a bathroom remodel, in order to help expedite the design process.
Timeless or Trendy Style?
Bathroom remodels can get very pricey. Unlike a painted wall that you can simply repaint when you get tired of the color, re-doing a bathroom when the tile, the style of the tub, or the layout of the shower go out of style can get expensive. When having your Long Beach bathroom remodel designed, you may want to consider a more classic or traditional style that will better stand the test of time, so you don’t find yourself wanting to remodel it again when styles change.
If you really want a trendier design for your bathroom, consider including modern elements in areas that are easy and more affordable to change out. For example, you could include trendy mirrors, lighting fixtures, and hardware in the vanity area, but have the vanity itself be a very traditional design. Switching out these elements can drastically change the look of your bathroom without completely breaking the bank.
What Luxuries Are Important to You?
You could go crazy adding all of the latest high-tech gadgets designed to make your bathroom more comfortable and make your time spent in it more enjoyable. If you have an unlimited budget, you could certainly include them all, but most homeowners will have to decide which ones are their “must-haves”. For you, it may be an amazing sound system that will allow you to listen to your favorite music or podcasts while you’re showering, bathing, or getting ready. For others, it could be the inclusion of heated floors and toilet seats and/or a towel warmer. Have fun researching all of the luxuries you could include in your bathroom, but you may want to narrow them down to those that will truly enhance your daily bathroom experience.
Aging in Place
If you’re planning to stay in your home for the long haul, you may want to consider asking your architect to design your bathroom in a way that will allow you to “age in place”. A bathroom designed in this way will allow you to continue to have full use of your bathroom, even as you become less mobile. This doesn’t necessarily mean installing a walk-in bathtub like you see on infomercials (though it certainly can). Rather, it might mean building a large, beautiful, custom shower that just so happens to be curbless, making it wheelchair accessible. You might also want your Long Beach architect to include reinforced shower walls in the design so handrails can be added at a later date, and widen the entrance into the commode area.
All of these things can be done in ways that don’t take away from the design and beauty of your new bathroom. A bathroom designed for someone with mobility issues doesn’t have to look like it belongs in a convalescent home. It can be just as beautiful and high-end looking as any other custom bathroom remodel in Long Beach.
