Creating an Efficient Shower Design For Your Bathroom Reno

More and more often, homeowners are choosing to forego their baths for an upgraded shower space. There are hundreds of possibilities when it comes to shower design; however, before designing your space, it is important to answer several questions, including:

• What time of day do you plan on showering?
• Are you hoping to make the shower a relaxing experience?
• Who will be using the shower? Adults? Children? Both?

To put it simply, the shower cannot be an afterthought in design.

Shower Design by Balducci Builders, Inc.

How to Personalize Your Shower

While there are endless ways to design a shower, the main components to keep in mind are 1) who will be using the shower?, and 2) what are their preferences?

If there are several people who use the shower, one way to accommodate everyone's personal preferences would be to incorporate a hand shower with a slide bar to allow for height adjustments for all family members.

Shower Design by Balducci Additions and Remodeling

Want extra personalization? Another way to personalize the shower space is by adding in some (yes, you guessed it) smart technology. There are now smart shower systems available that can connect via iPhone or Android. It allows all users to fully customize anything from lighting, audio, and water consumption and be saved to each user's profile.

In-Home Spa

While bathrooms aren't necessarily growing in square footage size, the shower area is becoming larger. Because of this, a recent trend in shower design is to create a spa-like experience. This is executed by incorporating multiple shower heads and body sprays.

Shower Design by Balducci Additions and Remodeling

Gaining recent popularity in bathroom design are wet rooms. According to Kitchen and Bath Design News magazine, the formal definition of a wet room is “a bathroom in which the shower is open or set behind a single wall, its floor area being flush with the floor of the rest of the room and the water draining away through an outlet set into the floor.” Wet rooms convey a spa-like look because of their clean lines and minimal design. Here's a recent blog article on wet room designs.

Other ways to create a spa-like experience in the shower is by including some in-shower seating, or by adding in steam capabilities.

Shower Design for Aging in Place

Aging in place design continues to trend, and it looks like there's no slowing down. The bathroom, and the shower in particular, is an extremely important place to update in aging in place design due to the prevalence of possible injury.

Shower Design with Grab Bar by Balducci Additions and Remodeling

One way to incorporate aging in place design in the bathroom is by installing a low or no threshold shower. No threshold, or curb-less, shower designs are great for those using crutches or a walker. In addition, it can also allow an easier experience when bathing the kids or pets.

Grab bars are a necessity in aging in place design. Luckily, grab bars no longer have to be an eyesore thanks to new designs. There are grab bars on the market that can be disguised a shelf, a towel rack, or even a toilet paper holder.

Other aging in place design ideas include adding hand showers mounted on a slide bar and adding a shower seat that can be folded up when not in use.

Water Conservation

Another reason why showers are growing in popularity is because of their efficiency. Showers are more efficient than baths since they provide hot water longer for longer and are easier to clean up.

Additionally, showers use less water than baths as long as the shower is not running for more than 10 minutes. Luckily, many regions have water conservation regulations; thus, most shower heads that are installed today are low-flow show heads. In the end, showers can save you time and money on heating and water bills.

Trending Materials

A popular option in shower design is to use a glass shower enclosure. This not only keeps the bathroom from looking too dark, it also works to show off intricate tile designs. For larger bathrooms, you could even forego the shower door by adding in a curved tile wall or an L-shaped design.

Bathroom Design by Balducci Builders, Inc.

Currently, popular tile colors for shower areas are white and off-white designs since they offer a clean and contemporary look. Often, more color is incorporated through accent tiles and shower trays.

What about finishes?

Photo: Green Magazine

A recent trend in bathroom finishes are matte black fixtures. Matte black fixtures are perfect for those looking to make a statement in their bathroom design. The industrial/modern feel of the matte black blends with more traditional materials, such as the classic white subway tile.

Photo: Decor Pad

While gold was a huge hit a few years back, recently, rose gold and bronze have been gaining recent popularity. The hues of the rose gold and bronze add a warmer finish on more contemporary fixtures.

Overall, there is a lot to keep in mind when designing a shower, let alone an entire bathroom. Shower design, much like any other design, can be personalized down to the last detail. Thanks to more readily available technologies, the shower experience can be accommodated to any and all users. Additionally, shower design can be focused around aging in place design and easily accommodate multi-generational households.

Are you hoping to create a spa-like shower experience in your home? Feel free to call Balducci Additions and Remodeling to get started on your home's shower design.

Bathroom Renovation Trend: Floating Vanities

Bathroom renovations are great investments to the home because they can increase your home value, update fixtures and storage, and create a space that is aesthetically pleasing. The recent trend in bathroom renovations is to create a spa-like bathroom experience. This is often achieved through incorporating clean lines, luxury finishes, and a muted color palette. One way to add a more spa-like feel into the bathroom is by incorporating a floating vanity. Floating vanities are one of the newest trends in bathroom renovation design. Not only are they ultra chic, floating vanities can even make the bulkiest of cabinets looks streamlined and minimalistic. Another advantage with floating vanities, also referred to as wall-mounted vanities, is that they help to make any bathroom appear larger. This is because the flooring is able to extend all the way to the wall without being interrupted.

Photo: Elements of Style Blog

Wall-mounted vanities are a great option since they can be installed at various heights. Recently, one trend that we are seeing more and more is comfort height vanities. Comfort height vanities reach 36 inches, compared to the standard 30 to 32 inches. Why? On average, people are much taller now than they were 100 years ago. Installing a vanity at comfort height means less hunching over the sink.

In addition to increased comfort, floating vanities can also be installed in accordance with accessible design and/or ADA requirements. While floating vanities may look ultra-modern, they can surprisingly be incorporated well when performing a bathroom renovation that will work for aging in place.

Photo: L.EvansDesignGroup,inc via Houzz

Since floating vanities allow for the floor to extend to the wall, this then creates an opening under the cabinets. Having the floor open under the cabinets allows for easy cleaning, as opposed to "standard" cabinets that tend to collect dust bunnies underneath. Not only does this area allow for easier cleaning, it also allows for new decorating possibilities under the wall-mounted cabinet. Some ideas include adding baskets, bins, and other small pieces of storage that can be easily moved around for cleaning purposes.

In addition to storage and other decorating possibilities under the cabinet, lighting is also a must. We recommend adding strip or spot lighting below the cabinet. This helps to add a luxurious feel to the room, in addition to added safety.

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Floating vanities are a great option for any bathroom. They can help to keep a bathroom from looking too cluttered with its clean, minimal lines and open area underneath. Wall-mounted vanities are extremely versatile. Not only can they be installed at nearly any height, the can be a great option for multi-generational families. For example, floating vanities can be used by those with mobility problems since a wheelchair can be rolled under the vanity. Additionally, a step stool for younger children can be placed under the vanity and pulled out when needed.

If you are considering a bathroom renovation, installing a floating vanity can be a great choice. Feel free to contact Balducci Additions and Remodeling for more information about floating vanities, or if you have any questions about your own bathroom renovation ideas!

2017 Kitchen Renovation Design Trends

An estimated one-third of home owners report that they lead a healthier lifestyle after completing a kitchen renovation. While this may or may not be true, there is no denying that a kitchen renovation can add some major value to your home. Here are some kitchen renovation design trends for 2017:

Matte Kitchen Appliances and Finishes

Black stainless steel has been a huge hit in 2017 for several manufacturers. The new finish looks elegant with a touch of warmth. While black stainless steel has made its mark on the high end market, we expect it to become the next biggest trend for kitchen renovations. Not only does black stainless steel look aesthetically pleasing and trendy, it also disguises finger prints much better than traditional stainless steel. In addition to appliances, some manufactures are coming out with other materials in a matte look, including faucets and even matte "velvet" countertops. Black stainless steel and matte finishes are perfect for those who are looking for a change of pace among the glitzy stainless steel and granite countertop design world.

Photo: Pinterest

Smart Appliances

It should come as no surprise that technology is a huge home trend that is only expected to rise. Our tablets, smartphones, and apps connect us to the world around us and to our home. As technology advances, we are able to use our devices to now perform household tasks such as turning the lights on and off, preheating the oven on our way home, and smoke alarms that alert when the battery is low. In addition to our devices, digital voices assistants, such as Amazon Echo and Google Home, will allow us to ask our appliances to perform basic tasks or answer questions.

Photo: Pinterest

Kitchen Updates for Aging in Place

Another kitchen renovation design trend is making updates for aging in place. Aging in place as a whole is becoming more and more popular as homeowners are striving to maintain community ties and their independence. While there are many kitchen modifications for aging in place, we recommend sticking to universal design. This includes removing tripping hazards and expanding hallways and doorways for better accessibility. Another update for the kitchen design is to modify the appliances. This includes raising the height of the dishwasher and installing a faucet with hands free capabilities. Another idea would be to install a roll under sink. An ideas is to add doors to the front to make it more aesthetically pleasing.

These trends have grown tremendously over the past year; however, are they expected to stick around? What are your thoughts?

Design Ideas for Aging in Place

Aging in place can be an extremely attractive option for many homeowners. Continuing to live in your own home often means more freedom in decision making and keeping ties with close neighbors and relatives. More often than not, many homes require several home improvement projects to accommodate homes for aging in place.

Like any other home improvement project, there is no one size fits all plan for aging in place accommodations. A good place to start is with universal design, which is the approach to design that aims to satisfy the widest range of people. A couple of universal design principles for aging in place include widened doorways and a no step entry.

Designing a bathroom to age in place can be dreadful. Many homeowners may feel as though they have to choose between an efficient design and an aesthetically pleasing design.

Photo: Homedit

Zero-threshold, or curb-less showers, are great for accessibility and have a simple, elegant design. They are especially perfect for those of you who prefer a shower over a bath and want to age in place. In addition, curb-less showers incorporate linear drains, which requires the floor to be pitched in one direction. This means that homeowners can choose to use the same floor tile throughout the whole space.

Going with a curb-less shower requires a continuous water barrier past the shower area. How far the water barrier extends will depend on whether there's gasketing on the bottom of the shower door and the direction of the water. An alternative to a curb-less shower is a roll-in curb, which looks like a small speed bump. This can help to keep water from spreading throughout.

Photo: Consumerreports.org

With bathroom safety being a concern for many homeowners, the addition of grab bars into the bathroom design is a good idea. For those not ready to commit, blocking for grab bars is a great way to think ahead and to avoid any future headaches of installing them.

Planning a bathroom for aging in place does not have to be dreadful. With simple and elegant designs, along with some pre-planning, an aging in place bathroom can be relaxing and enjoyable. For more aging in place remodeling ideas, visit the National Association of Home Builders' Checklist or contact us.