9 Mistakes to Avoid When Remodeling Your Bathroom, Pros Say

Taking on a bathroom renovation is no small project, and you will want to make sure that you’re as well-prepared as you can be prior to kicking off this process. To ensure that you’re as satisfied as possible with the results, be sure to avoid these nine common bathroom renovation mistakes that the pros come across often.

Not Reviewing Selections in Real Life

Before committing to certain paint colors, materials, and more, make sure to examine them in person.

“Design and finish selections can often look different in renderings compared to real life,” Carlos Nyce, an interior designer with TriVistaUSA, says.

Nyce explains how the colors, textures, and scale will appear slightly different on the screen or in print compared to seeing them in person. Ordering samples ahead of time will pay dividends in the long run.

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Choosing Too Trendy of a Design

You will want to ensure that your bathroom design pleases you for the long haul, and one way to do so is to avoid following trends too closely, Nyce comments.

“Rather than chasing trends, consider the mood you want to achieve with your interior design components,” he says. “Textures, scale, colors, and lighting can all dramatically affect the ambiance of the space.”

Not Evaluating Your Lighting Needs

Selecting the right lighting for your bathroom is a key component of the renovation process, particularly when one craves a spa-like atmosphere, Kara Kersten, the founder of Kara Kersten Design says.

Kersten explains how lighting can help you achieve a spa-like feeling. “Having dimmer switches, accent lighting switched separately from ceiling cans for setting a mood, and incorporating soft indirect lighting that doesn’t create glare to your eyes is important,” Kersten says.

Kersten recommends opting for light fixtures that feature frosted or glass shades so that you’re not looking directly at the bulb while getting ready.

Forgetting to Add Key Electrical Outlets

In order to make your bathroom as functional as possible, ample electrical outlets are key. A mistake is forgetting to install them in the drawers where you’ll be keeping your appliances, such as hair tools and electric toothbrushes, Kersten notes.

Not Thinking Long Term

You will want to design your bathroom so that it can serve you as you prepare to age in place.

It’s important to consider accessibility if you plan to stay in your home for a while. Mary Gordon, vice president of InSite Builders & Remodeling, suggests looking into valuable features like grab bars, non-slip flooring, and walk-in showers which will help make your bathroom safer now and in the future.

Lacking Storage Space

In the bathroom, you’ll need to have plenty of room to tuck away toiletries, beauty products, hair appliances, and much more, and proper storage is therefore essential. Gordon explains how a lack of storage space can make a bathroom feel disorganized and cluttered.

Choosing the Wrong Type of Floor Tile

In an environment where floors will often be getting wet, slippery floor tile is a major no-no, even if this type of tile is generally easier to clean, Kersten shares.

“Make sure the tile you choose for your flooring has a matte to slightly textured soft finish,” Kersten says. “You do not want to use glossy tiles on your floor when stepping out of a shower with wet feet.”

Not Installing a Full Shower System

If you don’t take the plunge and do this now, you may regret it later, Andrea Seymour, the co-founder of Springdale Custom Builders, says. Depending on your budget, a shower system may not be feasible. However, Seymour recommends installing one with a handheld, especially for primary bathrooms.

Forgetting to Update the Height of Plumbing and Electrical Fixtures

If you’re going to be renovating your bathroom, you may as well go all in with the updates, Seymour explains.

“You’re typically only going to renovate a portion of your house one, maybe two times where full renovations are considered,” she says. To that end, do not hesitate to move around and adjust the height of the plumbing and electrical fixtures in your bathroom.

“Many bathrooms in the 80’s and 90’s were designed and built with the fixtures very low,” Seymour says. “A renovation is your opportunity to correct these items.”

Look at your shower head, light fixtures, vanity mirrors, and more. When it comes to shower niches and corners, do not leave tile edges exposed, Kersten warns.