Thurston Kitchen and Bath in Denver demonstrates a bathroom can be luxurious and nontraditional.

By Erik Maulbetsch

When it’s time to redo the bathroom, don’t be afraid to cut loose. Paint a brand-new color, add completely different sconces and fixtures, or give the room a totally different style than the rest of the house.

Just because you live in a contemporary home doesn’t mean you can’t have a claw-foot tub. Go for it. This advice might seem odd at first, considering
the bathroom is mostly functional. However, what better room to have a little fun with design?

Your living room, kitchen, dining area, and patio are shared social spaces that traditionally match in color and theme, allowing for seamless transitions from room to room. Bathrooms on the other hand, are usually located off the hallway and behind a closed door, so go ahead, try something new. Why not try crisp steel and a glass shower in an otherwise quaint country home, or a pedestal sink and medicine cabinet with distressed paint tucked into the guest bath of your sleek modern home. These contrasts, while jarring in other rooms, add a welcome touch of variety.

“Many master bath remodels are large enough for his and hers vanities, a pairing which creates an opportunity for innovation,” says Lilly Eldridge, a designer with BKC Kitchen & Bath in Englewood. “Separate furniture pieces give you lots of options. We might make his vanity a floating piece, mounted on the wall with dark stain, clean lines and an under-mount sink, while hers might have a vessel sink, legs for the cabinet, more color and more intricate fixtures.”

Such freedom can be a little overwhelming, especially when confronted with a showroom full of choices. “Most people don’t realize how many options they have,” says Bonnie McMillen, showroom manager at Ferguson Kitchen and Bath Gallery in Aurora. “There are so many styles out there —each with dozens of products — that it can be hard to make a decision.” Here’s her suggestion for those feeling in over their heads: “Start with the faucets.” Sink faucets vary as much as Colorado’s altitudes, offering brushed vs. polished finishes of nickel, chrome and oil-rubbed bronze in any number of styles. But, they’re still the most familiar feature of the room. “If you can narrow down the faucets to three or four styles,” says McMillen, “you can build the rest of the bathroom around them and compare the total packages.”

Regardless of style, you should review the physical space where the renovations will take place. Are you expanding or moving showers and sinks, or simply updating features in place?

As with any remodeling project, remember to take measurements with you to the showroom. This is particularly crucial with cabinetry, which is becoming a more significant aspect of many bathroom remodels as homeowners’ storage needs increase. Drawers and cabinet doors alike will need additional space for accessibility while opening and closing.

Another current trend involves transforming basic bathrooms into miniature spas, complete with steam showers, heated floors and towel warmers. Features like these are usually found in total strip-to-the-studs remodeling projects or new construction, but retrofit versions are available in almost all cases, such as Steamist’s residential steam room/shower products.

McMillen recalls one customer who swore that her radiant heat tiles represented “the best money she ever spent.” Keep an eye on the wallet, though, as these luxuries can add up quickly. So too can the utility bill. The bathroom is the most utility-intensive square footage in the house, so remember to factor the bumps in water and electricity bills into your budget. On the hardware side, additional hot water capacity is another common need, especially when a new shower or jetted tub is part of the plan. Options include upgrading your current heater or adding a smaller secondary unit.

Erik Maulbetsch is a Boulder-based freelance writer.