What are the Hot New Trends for Bathroom Remodels?
As we are nearing the half way mark of 2020 we can look back and reflect on the year so far. I know what you are thinking, but what I am referring to is this year’s design trends. More specifically the top bathroom remodel trends we have seen so far in 2020.
Bathroom renovations can be complicated, your design should marry form and function, but you are also looking to wow guests and enjoy the tranquility of the space yourself as well. There are a lot of choices to make including the design, colour and materials for showers, bathtubs, sinks, vanities, tiles, and finishes. To help you find some inspiration for your bathroom remodel, we are sharing our top 6 bathroom design trends of 2020 so far. No matter your style, these trends are sure to get your creative juices flowing.
1. High-Tech Bathrooms
Smart lights and smart toilets have been incorporated in bathrooms for the past few years. This year the bathroom is getting a technological makeover, from smart mirrors to smart showers and built-in sound systems there is no holding back when it comes to the most private of rooms. Smart showers can be set to automatically start and be at the perfect temperature before you even enter the room, smart mirrors can display the weather and allow you to view the top news stories as you are getting ready for work, some even incorporate a touch screen and TV streaming within the mirror. Built-in sound systems allow you to enjoy your personal playlist throughout your home, including the bathroom. There is also a slew of voice activated features available that include voice activated lights, towel warmers, and heated floors. As technology continues to creep into our bathrooms, the experience becomes more relaxing and convenient.
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2. Simplified Storage
Under sink bathroom cabinets tend to be jam packed, and unorganized. A trend we have seen this year is to simplify bathroom storage by utilizing space more efficiently and eliminating open storage spaces. Floor to ceiling cabinets and shelves will help keep your toiletries and towels organized. Keeping the countertop, cabinets, and hidden storage areas more organized will help the entire room look and feel more open and provide a more relaxing environment.
3. Floating Vanities
Floating bathroom vanities have been popular for some time now, and they continue to be in demand. With new designs and built-in compartments for organizing and storage, you do not need to give up important storage space to achieve the refined look floating vanities provide.
4. Black Is In
Grey was an extremely popular bathroom colour choice over the past couple years, 2020 has seen darker shades move up as the popular colour choice. Black is bold and pops just the right amount when mixed in with a classic white bathtub, sink, or tile. Everything from faucets to towel racks, mirrors and beyond are now available in black, and people are loving it.
5. Colour Accents
If you are now quite ready to embrace black in your bathroom, another popular trend for 2020 is to leverage bright and colourful accents in the bathroom. Teal, pink, blue, and green are all popular choices as the pair up effortlessly with neutral shades. These bright pops of colour are a fun way to break up an otherwise plain room, but still, maintain a classic look. Specific colours can even help enhance your mood, if you are looking to relax, or perhaps boost your creativity, pops of certain colours can help.
6. Not Just Your Standard Mirror
Unique mirror shapes and designs have increased in popularity and are available in a variety of forms and sizes, allowing your imagination to run wild when it comes to incorporating a visually appealing mirror into your bathroom design. However, asymmetrically shaped mirrors are not where the trend stops. We mentioned smart mirrors in the technology section above, mirrors are now more than just delivering you your reflection, they incorporate touch screens, built-in speakers and USB charging, they can let you see what you would look like with a different hair colour or outfit, and one of the most popular options are mirrors with built-in lighting to ensure you always have the right amount of light to get ready, putting function back at the top of the list of features available with today’s bathroom mirrors.
When is the Right Time for a Bathroom Remodel?
When considering the right time to complete any major renovation project in your home, there are multiple factors that you need to pay attention to. Contractor availability, project timeline and price are three of the most important factors that can affect your project. A full bathroom remodel would unquestionably fall into the category of a major renovation project, and so we will explore each of the above factors in relation to bathroom renovations below.
1. Contractor Availability
Most homeowners tend to lean towards the spring and summer months to complete their home renovations. This seems to be the best time for them as the weather is nice, so if windows and doors are left open or removed you are not disrupted by the cold weather. The downside of waiting for the weather to warm up, is that contractor demand is high. So, you may not be able to hire the contractor you wanted, or you may end up waiting weeks or even months before the project can begin. Materials also become a bit of a concern at this time, as many contractors are putting in their orders, there may be a delay in delivery and there is also a higher chance of a mix up with another order. Reaching out to your desired bathroom renovation specialist in fall, winter or early spring, will increase your chances of being able to get the job done in a timely fashion.
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2. Project Timeline
Planning for your bathroom renovation ahead of time, will help shorten the process when it comes time for the work to actually begin. If you have a date selected or a special event that you need to have your renovation completed by, you could find yourself in a bind if you did not plan ahead. Let’s say you want to complete your new spa inspired master bathroom by your 10th wedding anniversary in July. Selecting a company in early winter to come look at the space and design your new bathroom gives you enough time to ensure your deadline is met. The crew and material will be booked well in advance. As mentioned above, most contractors are not as busy during the winter months, so chances are they will have more time to discuss your vision and plan for the renovation. On the flip side, if you begin your search in May for a July deadline, you need to be willing to accept what options are available at the time, or you risk missing your deadline.
3. Price
Most contractors have their own pricing model that they follow when providing estimates to potential clients. If the contractor has a hefty workload with plenty of jobs coming up, they may be less inclined to negotiate the price. But, if you find the contractor during a slow period or when they are looking to fill in their schedule, they may be more willing to negotiate the price to get the job. Material costs may also fluctuate due to demand. The same way that Christmas decorations are drop in price on December 26th, some materials may be less expensive during slower times. However, the same way that the availability of decorations will be lower on December 26th, waiting for a slower season may mean having a smaller selection material.
At KBC Solutions we understand that the right time to complete a bathroom remodel is subjective to each individual’s needs and wants. We will work with you to help plan out and design your new bathroom, and try our best to meet your timeline. Call us today at 647-258-4170 to book your consultation.
5 Amazing Benefits to Renovating your Closet
One of the most cluttered parts of any house is the closet. The average person may have some parts of their closet in order, but the rest of it is almost always in disarray. So choosing to renovate your closet is a very important decision to keep your space organized.
Here are five amazing benefits you get for renovating your closet.
1. More Space
There is no such thing as too much space, except in your closet. Old ‘never-worn’ birthday presents and other clothing items usually take up the bottom space and leave your shoes, or other closet-worthy items lying around the house. Renovating your closet means clearing it all out, and when things go where they are supposed to, there’ll definitely be more space.
2. Better Oganization
With a newly renovated custom closet, there is that fresh feeling that stops you every time you want to chuck your sweatshirt on the floor. A new closet makes you want to put things in order and be better organized –for the first few weeks at least. Also, your renovation may include new accessories that could involve drawers and mini-shelves to help you keep items separated and avoid a volcano eruption when looking for specific items.
3. Give out to Charity
In the process of renovating your closet, you may come across old and never-before-used clothing items that you have no interest in wearing or using, or that you simply feel like giving away. You can box these items and send them to charity. If you are in doubt, remember that giving something away is better than letting it lose its value in your closet. With this, you accomplish two things: freeing up space and getting a great sense of fulfillment.
4. Avoid Pest Infestation
When clothes are piled upon each other for weeks or months, there is a high possibility of pest infestation without your knowledge. A termite-infestation in the wall beneath the pile of clothes could spread further and cause serious damage. With a renovated closet, you get to avoid what could have been an expensive repair for pest-infested walls.
5. Reduce Damage to Clothes
Piling clothes may cause moisture or material damage to some of your more delicate clothes. Renovation means that everything goes where it is supposed to and you can take better caution. Also, some clothing like leather-based clothing that needs special attention, may be damaged in a clustered closet with a loose nail. Renovating your closet gives you the opportunity to reduce damage.
Closet renovation allows you to have a better-organized space that also protects the valuable items that are in your closet.
Things to Consider when Renovating your Bathroom
If we are being honest, bathrooms are the last part of the house we think about when it comes to renovation, except if there are major damages. Nevertheless, bathroom renovations can be exciting and extremely fulfilling when executed properly.
As with all home renovations, in order to achieve the right results, there are certain things that you should consider carefully when you decide to renovate your bathroom.
Here are five things that will help you make the right decisions for your bathroom renovation.
1. Budget
The first step for any project is the budget and there is no difference when it comes to renovating your bathroom. Decide on a budget that will allow you to get the best quality for installation and manual labour without breaking the bank. Your budget will then help you streamline spending to only the essential needs with a little wiggle room for unexpected expenses.
2. Size of New Fixtures
Your bathroom may seem bigger than it really is so when you are shopping for bathtubs, showers and sinks, you may want to take new measurements to make sure the size of the new fixtures will fit. Be sure of the size of what you are installing and the space available for it before concluding on any purchase to avoid a waste of money and time.
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3. Old vs. New Theme
Your bathroom theme is very important because the bathroom is the place where most thought processes and relaxation take place. You may really like the old theme you have going and see something in an interior décor store that catches your eye but would disturb your current theme. This is typically when you start debating old vs. new. The solution is simple, you can either do a completely new theme, after all, it’s a renovation, or you can find the perfect blend between the new fixtures and the old theme that would create an excellent blend in your bathroom.
4. Bathroom Usage
The frequency of your bathroom use and the number of users is another thing to consider while making choices for your bathroom renovation. If it’s for only one or two people, you can splurge on a fancy bath and shower combo since there is no need for a lot of room. However, if more than two people use the bathroom, you may want to use a shower as space won’t be very personal.
5. Maintenance
The dedication to maintaining your bathroom in terms of cleaning and use can be a deciding factor when it comes to renovation. If you, or other occupants, have terrible maintenance habits, it is best to go for regular fixtures that don’t require extra maintenance.
Your bathroom renovation can be literal perfection if you take the necessary things into consideration to avoid wasting your resources.
How to Tell the Difference Between Granite, Marble and Quartz
Your kitchen is one of the most important parts of your house. Beyond cooking and eating, it is the comfort zone for some people and as such, choosing the perfect countertop replacement for your kitchen should be done with careful consideration.
The most popular options for countertops are granite, marble and quartz, and to the inexperienced eye, they all look the same. While it may seem like there is a special skill for identifying which is which, there are some tell-tale signs that can help you tell the difference between these highly valuable materials for your kitchen countertop.
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1. Stone type
Yes, they are all stones. But there is a difference in their types and modes of creation. While they all occur naturally, granite and marble are only slightly refined to be used as countertops, quartz, on the other hand, is combined with resins and polymers before it can be used. Also, due to their completely natural form, granite and marble tend to have a non-uniformed pattern while quartz usually has a uniformed colour and pattern consistency.
2. Sealant Application
The next difference between these rocks comes in the form of the sealant for the final product, which is the countertop. Marble, unlike granite, requires a lot of sealing to avoid scratching and etching while using. Granite also requires sealing but only as a necessity, not an ultimate essential while quartz doesn’t require a lot of sealing. Also, you need to reapply sealant for marble countertops more often than for granite or quartz.
3. Heat Conduction
When it comes to their conduction of heat, these three also differ. Granite and quartz are very much heat resistant, granite so much so that you can take a pot off the stove and place directly on the countertop. Marble, however, is not as resistant to either granite or quartz in comparison and may etch if a mat is not placed between the pot and its surface.
4. Longevity of Use
Finally, the quality of use becomes the last line to draw across these stones. Marble, because of its porosity and likelihood to stain is usually ranked lowest when it comes to longevity while quartz is ranked highest. Another factor is the fact that quartz is nearly indestructible and easier to keep bacteria free, and at such can be used for longer periods.
5. Cost of Installation
As with most things, money also becomes a determinant of the difference between these countertops. While the prices range closely to each other, quartz is considered more expensive to install with very little difference to marble. Most often, it is cheaper to go with granite. On the other hand, because of the minimal maintanence on quartz, it could potentially be the cheaper option in the long run.
Now that you know the differences, you can make an informed decision about your kitchen countertop choice!