Few rooms in a home serve as many purposes as the bathroom. Despite typically being the smallest room, it has to be one of the most functional, helping you jump start your day in the morning and end it peacefully at night.
Over time, bathrooms age and along with it, their functionality quotient lowers. We believe every bathroom has untapped potential to serve a family’s needs even better. Here are nine ways to do just that.
Functionality Improvement #1 Convenience conversion
More than 60% of homeowners prefer a shower to a traditional tub. Considering that a shower gives you five more square feet of usable space than a tub, it’s no wonder. The good news is that you don’t have to remodel your entire bathroom to take advantage of this functional improvement. A simple tub-to-shower conversion can be quick and easy. Seniors and those with limited mobility tend to find this upgrade especially useful with a low-threshold shower base. The latest trends in smart bathroom products can come in handy, making them even more functional. While this improvement isn’t likely a DIY one for you, partnering with an experienced professional can make the installation as smooth as it is functional.
Functionality Improvement #2 Safety matters
Adding grab bars to your new or existing bathroom goes a long way toward making your bathroom more functional and welcoming. Slips and falls are downright dangerous, and family members young and old will benefit from this small but mighty safety measure. These are not the cold, sterile grab bars of previous generations. Modern grab bars are beautiful in their own right, perfectly complementing your bathroom’s aesthetic. Few bathroom improvements are as simple, beautiful, and functional as a new grab bar. Recent data shows mobility-friendly bathrooms are prized by home buyers, and can drive up your home’s value more than almost any other upgrade.
Functionality Improvement #3 Light the way
Upgrading your bathroom’s light fixtures is an often overlooked yet powerful way to make the room more functional. Poorly lit bathrooms feel small and cold and can make everyday chores like makeup and hygiene more time consuming. Installing new vanity, hanging, or sconce lighting will make the space feel bigger and more inviting, and help minimize the amount of time you spend on mundane tasks. As you might expect, there is a seemingly-endless variety of light fixture designs, which means your lighting upgrade can be as beautiful as it is functional. Not only is a new light fixture one of the most immediately rewarding bathroom improvements you can make, it’s among the most affordable.
Functionality Improvement #4 Store more
Installing a new vanity instantly improves the storage capacity and usability of your bathroom. By keeping towels, toiletries, and all other daily essentials neatly organized and tucked away, your bathroom takes on a spacious, tidy appearance. Forget one-size-fits-all storage; getting the most out of your bathroom storage means thinking through how you use the space every day. If bending over is hard on your back, look up for storage rather than down below the vanity. If reaching up is difficult for your stature, add storage that’s easy to reach. If your vanity’s deep cabinets force you to constantly hunt for products you need, or if shallow drawers cause products to jam and force you to spend time unsticking a brush handle, it’s time to rethink your storage needs.
A highly functional space takes your personal needs into account. Whether that’s deep drawers, wide baskets, small containers or narrow shelves, your storage solutions should make your life easier, providing easy, quick access to items you use every day. Speak with an experienced designer for some professional input.
Functionality Improvement #5 Scrub-free zone
Let’s face it, cleaning your bathroom is not the most enjoyable of chores. If there’s one room in your house that really needs a good, weekly scrubbing, it’s the bathroom. Dingy, chipped or cracked tile and mold-infested grout lines don’t make your job any easier. Once mold and mildew have found a home in your shower walls or bathtub surround, it can be almost impossible to kick them out. Modern tub and shower surrounds are made with your convenience in mind. Grout-free, non-porous and completely waterproof styles resist mold and mildew. Check out Re-Bath’s exclusive DuraBath™ line. These wall surrounds consistently outperform the acrylic materials used by other bathroom remodeling companies (and, bonus, they’re backed by a Lifetime Warranty!)
Functionality Improvement #6 Mirror, mirror on the wall
Mirrors are a bathroom necessity, but that doesn’t mean they have to be boring. Gone are the frameless squares hung above the vanity. Today’s mirrors are beautiful and smart. Get creative with shapes, frames and styles that suit your design aesthetic, then add a touch of modern intelligence in the form of anti-fog technology, smart touch abilities, charging stations and even back-lighting for true functionality and style.
Functionality Improvement #7 Multitasking moments
You want to catch the local news before you leave for work, if for nothing else but to check road conditions and traffic delays. But you’re short on time and your hair is soaking wet from your shower. Modern technologies makes it possible for you to catch the news on a flat screen mounted on the bathroom wall – safe from water spills – while you finish getting ready for your day. See what other smart products can add functionality to your bathroom!
Functionality Improvement #8 Clever convenience
Mirrored medicine cabinets are a highly functional, dual-purpose solution for keeping bathroom essentials within easy reach for you, but out of out of sight for the youngest members of your family. These mirror/cabinet combinations not only add beauty and depth to your bathroom, but they offer lots of extra storage where you need it most. A variety of styles means there’s a model to complement any aesthetic.
Functionality Improvement #9 Handy accessories
Adding new towel hooks and shower caddies is a simple, affordable, and totally functional upgrade to your bathroom’s look. Modern bathroom designs continue to blend aesthetics and practicality, and these handy accessories are no exception. A variety of materials, colors, and finishes make for an impressive finished product, even to the most discerning homeowner. When it comes to minimally invasive but totally practical bathroom upgrades, it can be hard to beat towel hooks. Simply having a place to hang wet towels, as opposed to leaving them in a pile on the floor or hanging off of doorways, can instantly transform the way your bathroom feels day-to-day.
Making your bathroom more functional should be as enjoyable as it is practical. The Re-Bath Process is designed to do exactly that. We start by pairing you with an experienced design professional to guide you through the entire remodel process, and to make sure you’ll love the finished result for many years to come.
For more information on any of these functional improvements or to find out about what’s involved in building your dream bathroom, contact us today!