My current client project will be an ongoing one for some time; it is a bathroom addition from the ground up. There are many things to consider when choosing finishes for a bathroom; there are so many choices and a tight budget can be constraining. Making the right choices for a project depends largely on the individual and of course, on available funds.
First is the need to determine who will be using the bathroom: is it a main bath for a family, a powder room for guests or a master bath for the homeowner? Still, there are many considerations, space being the biggest factor. Is there room for a tub and a shower? Will the commode be in a separate room? Will there be a single or double sink?
My project is for a master bath for an older home, so keeping the new features in line with the age and style of the home is paramount, thus lessening the finish choices and, in this case, limiting the size of the working space as well.
Having limits is a good thing, but the choices of wants verses needs are dictated by budget and available space. These limitations force consideration of what is most important and where best to spend dollars to maximize goals.
Early on, the client wanted simple elegance in a small space with room for only a three piece bath, and a shower was the third piece, since the original bath has a tub/ shower combination. Stone was high on the list for must haves, setting the tone for the room challenging the budget with regard to the rest of the finish choices.
Choosing stone and tiles that will not overwhelm a fairly small space is important, and scale is paramount to getting it all right. The next consideration is color. This project is an expensive endeavor, it is important to keep it classic while resisting the urge to go dramatic or follow current trends. We have all seen the results of that mistake, when you can determine the age of a bath by the color of the fixtures. Who can forget the Avocado and Harvest Gold of the sixties and seventies, or the pink of the fifties?
While style is important, function must reign; and keeping those two elements in balance requires careful planning. For this client, the shower is the most important element, so it will be the focus for space and money as well as placement in the available space.
To maximize the appearance of more space, the floor and shower floor will be the same marble pattern. Since the marble pattern is small in scale, it will be safe and suitable for the shower floor and, with a full glass door, it will appear seamless. The client considering a variety of larger tiles to use as a border around the bathroom for added interest, a part of the on-going part of the process as homeowner has not yet determined what that detail will be.
Stay tuned. Next time, I will discuss the hunt for the perfect vanity.