Bathrooms go custom: Trends in bathroom remodeling

From radiant-floor heating to custom showers and cabinetry, homeowners remodeling their bathrooms are looking to bring the feeling of a five-star hotel into their homes.

One of the most popular items for upgrading is one of the largest in the bathroom: the shower.

“We’re well past the stage of using the old acrylic people used to use in the showers,” said George Zarras, designer, contractor and owner of Affordable Home Improvements. “Body spray showers are making a big impact, with adjustable jets that shower you from several different angles at once. Walk-in showers that are doorless are also making a big impact.”

Kent Smith of Kenmar Construction said he’s also seen a lot of glass used in showers, in an attempt to make the room feel bigger and let in more light.

Sandy Post, one of Smith’s bathroom remodeling customers, went custom with her shower design.

“None of the ready-made inserts for showers we had would fit in our space – it’s pretty small,” Post said of her master bathroom, one of two bathrooms she had remodeled for about $9,000. “They came and measured our shower and built one from scratch in marble.”

Tile marches on

Post is not alone in her choice of marble for her bath; Zarras said that natural materials such as marble and granite are popular for tile work – both on the floor and in the shower – as well as countertops and vanities.

Tile in general is popular, according to Sechler Remodeling owner Mark Sechler.

“The nice bathrooms are all going with tile,” Sechler said. “Tile on the floor and in the shower is always a good bet. When it’s done right, it lasts for decades.”

He pointed to homes he has worked on in some of the city’s oldest neighborhoods – Pickwick, Delmar, Catalpa – that usually have fine tile work in the shower area.

But while tile has always been a bathroom mainstay, the styles and colors have definitely changed.

“A lot of houses, quite frankly, remodel because the décor or plumbing is out of date,” Zarras said. “Maybe the pipes are leaking, and rather than just doing a partial repair, they think maybe it’s time to update. Gone is the old avocado green, cocoa brown or harvest yellow.”

What’s in, he noted, are natural and neutral colors, and medium-dark tones. Very dark tones aren’t used as much because they tend to make a bathroom feel small.

Sechler added that even tile is going high-tech; some customers are installing radiant-floor heating systems underneath their tile floors, so that they don’t have to step onto a cold floor in the morning.

Custom touches

While most homeowners in this area stick with more mainstream trends, Zarras said there are more unusual bathroom options available – especially for the most important seat in the house.

“Definitely there are a number of high-end toilets available,” Zarras said. “Some have built-in bidets, seat warmers and even lids that lift and close automatically.”

He said that many of those items have the added benefit of flushing better than older models while still conserving water.

Features such as heated towel bars and the aforementioned heated floors and fancy toilets are helping homeowners add a custom feel to the most private room in the house.

Another common bathroom feature – the sink – is among bathroom features that can be customized.

Zarras said custom vanities are growing in popularity.

“A lot of customers may have a piece they want to use as a vanity, so we custom-tailor it and rework the cabinetry to accept a sink,” Zarras said, noting that in those cases a sink bowl will usually sit on top of the cabinet. “It’s great in that it raises the height (of the sink) so people don’t have to bend as far.”

More bathrooms also are being customized to allow for special needs of handicapped or elderly homeowners.

“We’ve put in several grab bars to help people in and out of the tub,” Smith said. “We’ve taken out tubs so people don’t have to step up and in, and we’ve installed showers with seats.”

Upping value

Some homeowners – including Post – remodel their bathrooms out of necessity; Post said her home had settled over time, resulting in cracked tile and plumbing issues.

Others, Zarras said, want to increase the resale value of their home.

“Homebuyers are looking at the bathrooms before deciding if the house is livable,” Zarras said.

“A new bathroom makes the house more salable, and you might as well get the benefit out of living there before someone else does.”

But no matter the reason, luxury is in for new bathrooms.

“I see people remodeling their bathroom because they want it nice and they want the items in it that they saw when they went on vacation,” Sechler said. “They want that kind of luxury at home.”[[In-content Ad]]