A few accessories, like a soap dish or some fresh flowers, are all that's needed to complete a bathroom counter.
Bathrooms and powder rooms are woefully overlooked areas in home design. Many people consider designing them an afterthought, or aren’t sure how to work with a small space. But no matter how small your powder rooms are, you deserve to have ones that are thoughtfully planned and tastefully designed. If you’re thinking about giving the bathrooms in your Dallas home a quick update—or an extensive remodel—you’ll surely find these tips useful.
Brunschwig & Fil’s iconic “Les Touches” wallpaper adds a playful touch to this bathroom we designed for a Dallas home.
2021 Bathroom Trends:
Although grey was a popular wall color for bathrooms the last few years, in 2021 it’s starting to go out of style. Instead, warmth is being brought into bathrooms through the use of gold or brass fixtures and wood accents. Wallpaper has also come back into style. If you do want to put up wallpaper, shop for the vinyl kind that is moisture-resistant.
While you’re updating, take a look into some of the latest developments in bathroom technology. These include smart showers that can be remotely set to start running, voice-activated lighting and temperature controls, and Bluetooth speakers for baths and showers. Heated floors have also been gaining popularity for some time now.
Layout Tips for Bathroom Remodels:
A common bathroom design mistake is to make your toilet the first thing a visitor sees when they enter the bathroom. Choose anything else as your focal point beside the toilet, such as your mirror, your bathtub, or your vanity. The toilet should be out-of-sight from the entrance whenever possible.
This area, with the freestanding tub and large antique mirror, serves as the focal point for this bathroom in Colleyville.
Bathrooms don’t have to be spacious to be appealing. To make a small powder room feel more luxurious, splurge on a few nice materials and finishes. If you prefer to take showers over baths, don’t take up too much floor space with a large tub.
When we remodeled this shower, we added glass doors, mosaic floor tiles, slabs of Carrera marble, and brass hardware.
You can maximize elbow room by installing a glass panel or shower curtains instead of a shower door. This way, you also won’t have to worry about your door swinging out and hitting the vanity.
Don’t forget to plan for storage space. Upper vanity cabinets along either side of the mirror are a smart solution for keeping toiletries out of sight. You can even build electrical outlets into the cabinets for plugging in your hairdryers and electric toothbrushes.
Choosing Flooring and Tiles:
There’s a reason why most bathrooms have tiled floors. Carpeting absorbs moisture and can develop mold, and if wood flooring becomes water damaged, it’s costly to replace. If you want the look of wood without the risk of water damage, I’d recommend porcelain tiles with a faux bois grain finish that emulate the look of real wood panels.
Improvements in manufacturing have paved the way for new and improved tile patterns, including chevron, diamond, hexagon, arabesque, and fish scales. I’m starting to see homeowners want to try new patterns instead of defaulting to subway tile.
The Best Lighting for Powder Rooms:
Lighting is always important for home design, and bathrooms are no exception. Older fluorescent light bulbs can cast an unflattering blue hue on skin, while dim lighting makes bathrooms feel small and closed-in. If the color tone of your bulbs is a cool white, update them with a warmer white.
The vertical cabinets in this vanity are great for storing toothbrushes, medications, etc. so they stay out of sight. The cabinets also contain electrical outlets, so everything can stay conveniently plugged in and ready to use.
As you update your lighting, make sure not to install the fixtures too far above your mirror, or else they’ll cast shadows on your face. Either bring the lights low enough so that they’re almost touching the mirror, or place sconces on either side of the mirror.
To make a bathroom feel light and airy, find a way to filter daylight in. A window to the outside or a skylight through the ceiling are both options. You can always put shutters over the window for more privacy.
We normally use tile in bathrooms, but the client wanted wood floors. To protect them, we added polyurethane coating.
For your finishing touches and decorations, keep things simple. Instead of cluttering counter space with lots of accessories, buy practical items—such as pretty soap dispensers—that are decorative and integrate into your overall design theme.
If your bathtub is next to a window, you can always add shades for privacy, like this motorized Roman shade we used.
Many people in Dallas continue to work from home and are thinking about ways they can give their surroundings a facelift. Whether you’re planning a full bathroom remodel, or just want to make better use of the space and layout you already have, the designer tips above will come in handy.
For those of you who are looking to bring in a professional, you should know that Chambers Interiors has a lot of experience a bathroom remodels. To schedule a free consultation, email us at info@chambersinteriors.com or call our Dallas office at 214-651-7665.