Creative Finishes
Big bathrooms often add up to a big renovation bill. If you’re trying to bring a beautiful bath in on a budget, it’s time to get creative with the finishes you choose. That’s where timeless materials like hexagonal “ice cream parlour” mosaics come in. Available in black and white, and sold in 12” x 12” sheets, these mosaics allow you to create your own design, or channel a classic like the flower motif on the floor. At half the cost of marble for supply and install, these charming mosaics make smart dollar sense.
Exposed Fittings
If you’re looking to create a master bath complete with authentic style and attention to detail, consider a shower system with exposed fittings. Instead of running the pipes that connect the valve to the shower head behind the wall, this stylish system simply connects to hot and cold water rough ins and adds decorative wow factor and old-school glam to your shower stall.
If you save on tile by installing inexpensive 3”x6” glazed white wall tile, you can splurge on a few details to dress it up. Running the floor pattern from the main area into the shower stall will help to visually enlarge the room by creating a seamless sightline, while punctuating the tall expanse of white tile with narrow bands of glossy black ceramic listello trim pieces will reinforce your crisp black and white palette.
Ready-Made Vanity
Sometimes you need to make tradeoffs in order to get everything you want. If a custom built vanity isn’t in your price bracket, consider ordering a ready-made vanity base with a 2 sinks so you can get the “his and her” sinks you want, and buy an inexpensive antique or vintage cabinet to store all your towels and necessities. The polished chrome exposed legs on the vanity are a sculptural and shiny throwback to the style of bathrooms from days gone by, as well as a more sophisticated design statement than your standard vanity design.
Accentuate your best features
If you’ve got high ceilings, why not accentuate them by installing a tall and skinny pair of mirrors. When you’ve got a specific dimension to play with, you can custom order mirrors to suit your space perfectly, and even dress them up with delicate accents like an etched line and whimsical Venetian mirror “florets”.
Pink Note
The rule of thumb with renovations is to play it safe when it comes to matters of palette and pattern. If you’re worried about resale value, or unsure if a current trend will be the right choice for the long term, it makes sense to stick to timeless and basic materials for all of the elements that are tough to change (like tile and counters). But this doesn’t mean you can’t have oodles of fun and indulge in a fashion forward accent hue. By limiting your use of colour to elements that are easy to change (like accessories, drapes, and even a small accent chair), You’ll always be able to add an au courant accent to your monochromatic masterpiece.
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