How to Budget For and Choose the Best Trends for your Bathroom Remodel

Are you planning a bathroom remodel this year? Find out what’s trending, get to know the many options available for your project and prepare a budget.

Bathroom remodeling is trendy at the moment, and many homeowners are redoing their bathrooms to make improvements. When it comes to choosing fixtures for a bathroom remodel, options can seem endless and even overwhelming. There are a number of popular finishes for faucets, hardware, fixtures and elements, like brushed nickel, polished chrome, satin nickel and rose gold, that add to the list of endless options and overwhelm. If you take the time to learn the basics of shower fixtures, sinks, faucets and toilets, budget and find the best options for your bathroom remodel, the endeavor will be much easier.

2016 Bathroom Trends for your Bathroom Remodel

Rising water bills and increasing water supply are trending concerns for today’s homeowners. They want and need solutions such as low-flow toilets, water-efficient showerheads and water-saving bathroom faucets. If you’re planning a bathroom remodel and want to save money on your water bills, water-efficient bathroom elements can make a significant difference.

Open Shelving and Bathroom Vanities with Open Shelving

Display rolled-up colorful, fluffy bath towels or, if you prefer, other things on open shelves, but consider this trend carefully. Will you want to display cleaning products, soaps or a big package of toilet paper? Will have the time to arrange and keep everything in a way that is appealing to look at? And what about dusting the shelves and everything on those shelves? If open shelving appeals to you, it’s a good idea to put open shelving at eye level and have some behind-closed-doors space, too.

• Sleek and contemporary design
• Has a fresh and original feel

Heated Floors

• Helps dry out moisture and humidity that results from bathing and showering

Anti-Fog Bathroom Mirrors

Foggy bathroom mirrors have been an ageless annoyance. Guess what? You no longer have to put up with that, thanks to the ingenious invention of anti-fog bathroom mirrors.

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Showers

There was time when a shower was just a shower. Not anymore. Showers have moved up from simply rinsing off soap and shampoo suds to smart technology. New water-saving “smart” showers are Bluetooth-enabled and connect to the Internet. Some even play music. High-tech showering has arrived, and there’s more to come!

Squares, almost-squares and angular-shaped designs are a hot commodity in home décor these days. Square-shaped fixtures and showerheads should be considered for a bathroom remodel. They are particularly well-suited for use in bathrooms since their versatile shapes work well in modern, contemporary and transitional bathrooms.

1. Wall-Mount Showerheads

New low-flow showerheads use less water while maintaining a powerful spray.

• Basic
• Highly functional
• Available in many styles and finishes

2. Hand-Held Showerheads (Single-head sprayer attached to a flexible hose)

• Convenient
• Adjustable
• Good for washing hair and hard-to-reach places
• Useful for those with limited mobility

3. Dual-Head Shower Systems (A shower system with both traditional and handheld shower heads)

• Offers maximum function

4. Three Showerheads (Two fixed showerheads and one hand-held nozzle)

• Accommodates two people at the same time in the shower

5. Rain Showerheads

Rain showerheads are considered a luxury shower fixture. They are mounted on the ceiling.

• Provides the sensation of bathing in a waterfall or soothing rain shower

6. Body Sprayers

Body sprayers are another luxury shower trend. Combine body sprayers with a rain shower head for an even greater luxury shower experience.

• Integrates into the shower wall
• Can be adjusted to massage the body
• Produces a relaxing mist

7. Shower Seats

• Accommodates seniors, sleepy wakers and worn-out workers

8. Grab Bars for the Shower

Grab bars can be installed just about anywhere you might need them, but installing them in the shower is definitely trending.

• Great for seniors

9. Accessible, Curb-free Showers

Some of the latest shower designs eliminate built-in tripping hazards for a safer shower experience. No more stepping over the side of the tub for a shower.

10. Steam Showers

11. Freestanding Tubs with Tub Fillers

Built-in bathtubs are being abandoned in favor of walk-in showers. For those who love a relaxing soak in a bubble bath, freestanding tubs are available.

• Offers a lot of flexibility in its placement in the bathroom

12. Lights in the Shower

Don’t rely on the bathroom’s main light source and shower in shadows. Put lights in the shower!

Sinks

1. Drop-In Sinks

Drop-in or self-rimming sinks come in a wide range of shapes and materials.

• Mounts above the counter
• Has a tried-and-true style
• Easy to install

2. Undermount Sinks

This style of bathroom sink is growing in popularly for some pretty terrific reasons.

• Installs beneath the countertop
• Easy to clean
• Offers a sleek appearance
• Works well with countertops made of stone and solid surface materials

3. Vessel Sinks

Vessel sinks are decorative bowls that sit on top of the counter. These elegant sinks come in a variety of eye-catching materials, including glass, stone and vitreous china.

• Makes a statement in the bathroom

4. Pedestal Sinks

Pedestal-style sinks are available with oblong, rectangular or traditional oval-shaped bowls.

• Saves space in the bathroom
• Offers timeless appeal

5. Wall-Hung Sinks

Wall-hung sinks are similar to pedestal sinks, without the pedestal.

• Mounts directly to wall surfaces
• Has a contemporary look
• Ideal for those in wheelchairs

6. Trough Sinks

Trough sinks are basically extra-long sinks that are big enough to serve both you and your spouse if you are both trying to get ready for the day at the same time.

• Offers outstanding contemporary
• Functional

Faucets

Thanks to advancements in technology, homeowners can even equip their bathrooms with bacteria-killing faucets, motion-activated faucets and laminar-flow faucets, which create a solid-looking stream that doesn’t splash.

• Available in a wide variety of styles – from timeless to traditional, and from sleek to modern
• More water-efficient than previous models
• Comes with highly functional features, such as integrated ceramic disks within the fixture that help grind away buildup that causes leaks
• Available with high-tech features such as pressure-balancing

1. Wall-Mount Faucets

Wall-mount faucets have grown in popularity along with freestanding or vessel-type sinks that require longer spouts that extend well over the top of the bowl.

• Can be fastened on the lavatory deck, integrated or mounted on the wall

Toilets

1. Dual-Flush Toilets

• Water-efficient
• Encourages “conscious flushing” by requiring you to select either a low-water (0.8 to 1.2 gpf) flush for liquid waste or a 1.6-gallon flush for solid waste

2. One-Piece Toilets

One-piece toilets tend to cost more than two-piece models.

• Eliminates the seam between tank and bowl
• Has a sleek design with no crevices to trap dirt

3. Taller Toilets

Taller toilets are 16 to 18 inches high rather than the standard 14- to 15-inch height.

• More comfortable for homeowners but not children
• Accessible for those who use a walker or wheelchair

You can rely on Blue Frost Heating & Cooling to install fixtures or anything plumbing-related for your bathroom remodel. Call the licensed plumbing professionals of Blue Frost Heating & Cooling at (630) 444-0860 today.