4 Common Bathroom Design Mistakes

Home renovations often evoke a sense of excitement and endless possibility at first, but that changes when you start thinking about layouts and color schemes and appliances and décor. It’s easy to get caught up in imagining the final look of the remodel that we make mistakes. Here are some common bathroom design mistakes.

Ill-Fitting Fixtures

Vanities, tubs, faucets – all these things come in different styles and sizes. One of the first mistakes renovators make is over- or underestimating the size of their desired bathroom fixtures.

The first step in making sure you don’t make this mistake is to think not only about the dimensions of whatever vanity or tub you want, but to think about the space around it. Do you need extra space around the sides to maneuver in and out of the tub? Do you want certain fixtures closer to others to improve the function of the space? These are a few things to keep in mind when you are fixture shopping or talking with your bathroom designer.

Not Planning for Storage Outside the Vanity

Whether you are thinking about installing a single, double, or wall mount vanity, another of the most common bathroom design mistakes comes from not anticipating what kind of storage you need outside of the vanity. Do you want recessed shelving in your shower? A cabinet for towels, toiletries, and medications? Will you add freestanding storage elements rather than building them into your bathroom’s permanent design layout?

Take some time to think about where and how you’d like to store certain items because changing your bathroom storage post-renovation is much more difficult.

Choosing the Wrong Materials

If you are not building a new house or bathroom, it’s even more important to be aware of the materials you’ll need, from flooring to paint. For example, a recent bathroom renovator told us she spent several hours repainting her bathroom walls before the flooring was to be replaced. She chose a paint type that wasn’t meant for areas with high humidity, and she started noticing brown drips on the walls.

She chose the wrong paint and didn’t know that the house was home to some former smokers who did most of their smoking in the bathroom, so the leftover tobacco starting seeping through the new paint. The wrong materials can, at best, cause some minor rework, and at worst, compromise the integrity or function of your house.

Exposed Plumbing

Industrial pipes are a big décor trend right now, people are making shelves and light fixtures out of them, and you may be thinking you can create a similar look by keeping your pipes and plumbing exposed.

While this may be a trendy and interesting way to make your bathroom stand out, it is considered a bathroom design mistake for a few reasons. First, getting too trendy can hurt the value of your home, should you want to sell it at any point in the future. Second, and more importantly, it can also create an unsafe environment for children and pets. Exposed pipes may not be as dangerous as exposed wiring, but it still presents a hazard.