From layout pivots to lessons learned, two real-life renovations that balance style, function, and family life

Bathroom #1

Chaya:  When I was doing my renovation, I wanted my kids’ bathroom to stay classy as they grew up, but with a bit of character. I chose black and white, but used hexagon tiles to keep it from being too formal.

Esti: This bathroom was created from a deep linen closet plus a sliver of the master bathroom. It’s right near the kids’ bedrooms, and we were able to repurpose the space of the old outdated bathroom for other things in this renovation.

Last-Minute Change

We were originally going to have the bathroom laid out the opposite way with the tub on the right and the vanity and door to the left. This meant that the bathroom door was further from my kids’ bedrooms, but we designed it that way so that you couldn’t see straight into the bathroom from the main area of the house. In the end, I decided I’d rather have the bathroom door closer to the bedrooms, even if it means seeing into the bathroom. I’m happy with my decision.

Small Details, Big Effects

I put in a second mirror to the right of the vanity with extra-tall recessed storage. It provides extra space for taller containers. We also recently installed a narrow, sleek wall shelf above the toilet. It makes a big difference. Because my toilet has the buttons on top, it gave us a spot to keep tissues and other essentials.

Niche Detail

The niches built in at the tub really go a long way! We ended up doing two and I’m happy we did. Plan these out before you start the construction.

The One Thing I Regret

We didn’t go with a typical brand bathtub because we liked the shape of this one. It seems to be made out of a cheaper plastic and got a lot of nicks in it. It was also very hard to find a glass door that could be installed with this tub. I learned to stick with standard brands for these types of things.

Tile Tips

Tiling is one of the most expensive parts of doing a bathroom. We chose to do tiles halfway up the walls around the main area and then all the way up, including the ceiling, around the tub. I’m really happy that we did that despite the initial sticker shock. It makes it look really finished.

Matte Matters

I didn’t realize that getting a solid dark matte tile for the floor would be such a hassle! Every drip of water leaves its mark, and I’m always wiping it down. Getting a tile with more color and texture would have been much better for such a high-traffic area.

Enlightening

Putting in enough lighting and the right types can make such a big difference. I love leaving the vanity light on all the time. I have a light over the tub and then a bigger light that is also the bathroom vent in the center. Nowadays the options for decent looking vent/light combos have come such a long way.

What I would tell someone doing a renovation

Don’t skimp on things that are difficult and costly to replace.

Bathroom #2

Sarah: For our summer home I wanted a kids’ bathroom that was fun yet timeless. We’re close to the beach, so the rest of the house was designed with a coastal vibe.

Esti: This bathroom was fun to design. We didn’t have much flexibility with regard to the layout due to the plumbing, but the rest was open to design.

Clear and Clean

I love a wall-mounted vanity because the floor underneath it can get mopped properly. You just need to make sure it’s installed properly so it’s safe and secure.

The Overhead

Using a hanging pendant lighting instead of wall-mounted lights for the vanity gives a bathroom a lot of personality.

Exceeded Your Expectations

Due the location of my vacation home, we decided that it will be much easier to choose all the finishings from online vendors and have it shipped directly there. I was a bit hesitant about coordinating the shades of all the colors, but baruch Hashem it all worked so well together.

Oops

One thing that I didn’t realize was that the tiles I chose had a sandy-colored grout as part of the design, and I was only able to use that color grout between the tiles instead of white, which I would have preferred.

The Finishing Touch

There are a few small tweaks that need to happen before we’re done, like switching the vanity handles to match the rest of the finishes, but those little things shouldn’t take very long.

(Originally featured in Family First, Issue 979)