How to fit a small bathroom shower


What do you do if you want to install a shower but you only have a very small bathroom?

While I love my bathtub for the rare occasions that I get to use it for a long relaxing soak, I don’t know what I would do without my shower. Showers are quick, refreshing and a lot more economical than taking baths. When I had the chance to redesign my small bathroom I jumped at the opportunity to improve the shower that was installed above the bathtub at the time.

The first thing to remember is that there usually is a way to do these things and you mustn’t give up before you’ve really thought about the problem. Don’t be put off by the fact that you don’t seem to have much room to play with in your bathroom design.

So what are the options?

Throw the bathtub away


Taking out the bathtub will give you more than enough room to fit a sizeable shower enclosure. Unfortunately you won’t have a bath anymore. While this might fit in well with your current lifestyle you might want to think about what you might have need of a few years down the line and when you come to sell your property.

When you sell a property you must have a bathroom with a bathtub even if it has a great shower instead. People expect to find a bath in the bathroom and the lack of one can seriously depress the value of your property.

Put your shower in your bathtub


If you have no other option you can install a showerhead above your bathtub together with a shower curtain or splashguard. This should be the easiest solution, as it will take up no additional floor space. Personally I’m not keen on this option.

Turn your bathroom into a wet room


This is an ambitious design that will involve turning the floor of your entire bathroom into a giant shower base and drain. It can be a very expensive option to convert a conventional bathroom into wet room but it has the advantage of allowing you to put your small bathroom shower anywhere you like. Even over the toilet if you want to although I wouldn’t advise it.

Install a curved quadrant shower cubicle


The option that I like best for any bathroom is to install a separate shower enclosure either free standing in the room or in a corner of the bathroom. This is a great solution if you can find the space to accommodate the shower enclosure.

The problem with this idea is finding the space in a small bathroom to fit the shower enclosure. Enclosures come in various sizes so you will need first of all to decide on the smallest size that you think you can live with. Even a very small shower enclosure is better than none at all.

To make the space available you should consider the whole small bathroom design. Find a smaller toilet and washbasin and even a smaller bathtub if you have to. Use squared paper and cut out shapes to try many different ways of arranging everything.

Finally look at curved quadrant shower enclosures as a space saving alternative to square or rectangular ones. Finding one of these was the turning point in my small bathroom shower design. Everything fell into place nicely after that.

Read the full article at Small Bathroom Shower

When choosing accessories for your bathroom, you may want something a bit more subdued than bright chrome for your fixtures and towel bars. While you may prefer metallic finishes, shiny gold plated or brass faucets and towel rings may be a bit too outdated for your taste. Brushed nickel bathroom accessories will give a metallic look that will go with many styles of cabinets, bathroom decor, flooring and linens.

You can purchase pieces separately or as a bathroom accessory set. You will need hardware for the sink including the drain, a towel bar, a towel ring, a robe hook, and toilet paper holder. Provided you only need one of each of those things, it is quite a bit less expensive to buy in a set than separate purchases. You can order some of the Fontaine bathroom in box items online or get them at your local home store. They come in modern as well as traditional styles and you can often find cabinet hardware to match. Searching online takes some time but will save you quite a bit of money if you have the time.

Moen makes a beautiful line of brushed nickel bathroom accessories. The Cabrina collection offers towel bars, rings, robe hooks, and toilet paper holders with a dramatically curved post for an elegant look. They also have door hardware, cabinet pulls, mirrors, outlet covers, and switch plates in the same beautiful finish to complete your remodel. Due to the popularity of the brushed nickel finish, there a quite a few complimentary pieces for your bathroom. Framed wall mirrors, shelving, hampers, shower curtain rings and waste paper baskets can all be found.

Brass and chrome have long been popular finishes for kitchen and bath accessories, but brushed nickel is now the most popular choices. It’s soft stain finish works well in modern as well as traditional homes. It is also much easier to care for. Chrome and brass are beautiful when first installed and polished but require considerably more effort to keep them looking like new and quite often the finish will come off which requires replacement.

Metallic finishes are the fashion right now and the trend has carried over into home accessories. Brushed nickel bathroom accessories will give a tired old bathroom and new modern look for much less than the cost of a complete remodeling. All you need is a few free hours a screwdriver, and some patience to transform your bathroom.

Simple Kitchen Back-splash ideas are a way to add interest to a kitchen without breaking the bank. While Back-splash can easily exceed several hundred dollars, there are many inexpensive ways to create an elegant finish of your kitchen.

Using simple kitchen Back-splash Tile Ideas

Most homeowners prefer simple kitchen Back-splash ideas that can be performed with tiles. In most cases, cheaper tile Back-splash available.

* Ceramic tiles: This is the simplest and least expensive for most owners. Ceramic tiles are available in different colors, styles, sizes and finishes. Home care can help to install Back-splash.
* Mosaic Tiles: Mosaic is a popular choice for many types of housing. Available in metal, ceramics and glass, among other materials, can be incredibly beautiful and very expensive. However, some tiles are available at affordable prices. Sometimes more expensive tiles are combined with other large tiles to reduce costs.
* Kitchen Mural: These tiles, usually less than twenty years, are combined and painted to create a single image. The food and animal motifs were common.
* Texas in stainless steel stainless: steel not only be considered for industrial applications. Stainless steel tiles are easy to install and can complement the wood and stone.
* Stone Kitchen Back-splash: this is often a large number of tiles that are installed or not with thin grout lines. If you have stone counter tops, is an excellent option to consider.

Other materials

If a tile kitchen Back-splash is common, there are other materials that can be used for simple kitchen Back-splash ideas. Some owners prefer Back-splash glass or steel, because they are easier to clean than other tile grout lines.

In a time of economic turmoil such as this, it is important to not only hold fast to one’s assets, but learn to maximize them as well so that they grow in value. For most people, their greatest material asset is their home. However, investing in one’s home not only increases its market value and desirability for prospective future buyers. Even if you have no intention of selling your house, beautifying it and making sure it is in tip-top shape will save you buckets of money as well. Don’t believe it? Here’s the low-down on home improvement financing that will make your piggy bank burp in satisfaction.

Energy efficiency

Perhaps the most expensive improvement you can do for your house is to make it more energy-efficient. Let’s face it. Installing solar panels, new insulation, flushing systems or energy-saving lights can cost a lot, but in the long run it’ll save you more money in utility bills. Also, because more and more people are concerned about the environment, having an energy-efficient home will increase its market value. Besides, there should be no price we shouldn’t be willing to pay when it comes to saving our planet.

Gift Cards

Another way in which you can finance your home improvements is through using gift cards in purchasing the things you need. So, next time it’s your birthday or wedding anniversary, ask your friends to give you gift certificates from a home depot, Crate and Barrel or Bed, Bath and Beyond. It’s a fantastic way to improve your home without spending a single cent.

Home Improvement Loans

There are some towns that help in home improvement financing by granting loans to homeowners. Ask around. It pays to be in the know about these things.

Anyone thinking of doing some home makeovers should go for the Home Improvement grants that are given freely for people who wish to modernize their homes. It is also given to investors who want to put money into home restoration projects in the community. The baseline is that all the projects whether individually or corporately, should add towards ascertaining that the houses are safe for people to use and at the same time it contributes to the general upgrading of the whole community. Now, making use of these grants can surely help you to make your home beautiful without you facing hefty costs.

It must be noted however, that these grants come with certain requirements for one to qualify for them. It means that it is not just enough that you think you need to upgrade the state of your property; for you to be automatically given the grant.

The first thing is to see whether there is such funding available in your locality; which can be used to sustain such grants.

How you can go about checking whether such facilities are available in your own area is easy. You simply go online to check the grant directory which will show you whether there are home improvement grants and which programs are currently being covered in your area that you can apply for.

You will also be able to find out more about the sums of money available as claims, how it is to be spent, and what you need to qualify for the same. It is all there laid out for you in the directory.

Most of these monies are obtained from the local as well as state government agencies but sometimes there are private organizations that do it too; and they have tax benefits. You shouldn’t rule these bodies out if you’re in the midst of a search for help. There are some great offers that people pass up simply because of the fact that they’re intimidated by the private nature of these organizations.

There are now so many bodies that aid project funding which makes grant funding a lot less involving. No credit checks, down payments or any loan collaterals are needed any more; the only requirement left now is for people to prove that they have reached the age of 18 years for them to apply for the grants.

Now it is possible to get as much as $20,000 for your home improvement project immediately your request goes through. So go on, get to the most up-to-date directory and check if indeed you qualify.

Home improvement can reward you in two ways – a beautiful home and a surge in the value of your property. There are a lot of ways in which your old home can be refashioned to bring it in line with modern homes. But, care should be taken when investing a big sum of money in improving your old home.

Home improvement should be done with a clear purpose in mind. If you are doing it to sell your home at a higher price, you should follow a little careful approach. When planning to add more value to your home, you should keep an eye on the prices of homes in the surrounding area. It will help you in not going overboard as far as your spending is concerned. If you spend too much on your old home, you might not be able to find a customer for it. So, take care of this aspect.

Being a homeowner, money should not be a matter of concern for you. You can take out home improvement loans from the UK lenders. These loans can be secured as well as unsecured. First, you should prepare a budget for your expenses depending upon the modifications that you want to carry out. You should consider the amount of savings that you have with you. Any shortage can be met with the help of home improvement loans.

Homeowner loans are widely available in the UK financial market. Even if you have a bad credit, secured home owner loans can still help you out. However, if you are planning to sell your home then you should avoid taking out secured homeowner loans. Instead, you can opt for an unsecured one. You should shop around for a good loan deal. It is important to compare loans available in the market so that you find a competitive loan for carrying home improvement.

Look at your kitchen. Do you like how it looks? Do you like how your utensils and pans are piled up? Do you like its organization or have you been dying to re-arrange them?

If you aren’t happy about your kitchen space and if you think your kitchen items look cluttered, it is time to organize the space. Organizing a kitchen shouldn’t take much time. This activity can be greatly accomplished simply by thinking what makes it convenient for you when you doing something inside it.

A well organized kitchen makes your space bigger. And you will be surprised how easily you can find your items. Help yourself to enjoy your kitchen more and organizing it just makes this happen.

If you want to accomplish this project without many problems, here are some advices to take:

1. Stop saying later. Act now. Find time to de-clutter your kitchen before start adding new members of kitchen items in it.

2. Check everything inside and segregate those that you can still use. Plenty of you may have tons of kitchen items that may have been stored in the inner parts of the cabinets. Bet some of you may have even food items that have been left to forgotten. Take them away as they can only be breeding areas for mould and dirt. Food items forgotten can also attract pests and moulds. And as they get spoiled they can contribute to the bad smell in your cabinets or your kitchen. Hence, learn to let go and throw away those that you can use and those that are dirty.

3. Group all items that have similar use. For example, in a plastic container, you can put all your ladles together. In one drawer, you can put all sharps in one section. In the other section, you can put some other utensils. Doing so allows you to find items easier, as this will train you where to go when you are looking for something.

4. Put your grouped items close to the area where they are commonly used. Hence, kitchen knives hidden should be placed in drawers near the chopping area. Your box of ladles should be within your reach when in your cooking area. Doing this allows you to work easily inside your kitchen.

5. If you have opened containers and the food easily spoils, put them in Ziploc containers or use plastics to store them inside your fridge. Do not just leave your opened food items in the open as this attracts insects. Learn to bag things to maintain their freshness.

There can be a huge difference between a cluttered kitchen and an organized kitchen. You will be able to maximize your space, things inside can be easier to find and your food handling will be improved.

If you think you still have a hard time knowing what to do, try to look for expert’s advice online. Pretty sure there are advises that you can take without having to spend too much just to make your kitchen look great at all times.

Your beautiful bathroom picture gallery

I’m always surprised when I hear of people who embark upon lengthy and expensive bathroom remodeling projects but don’t bother to record progress in any way. It only takes a few minutes to photograph all aspects of your bathroom especially if you have a digital camera, and the results will serve you well as both a tool in the redesign and as a talking point and reminder for the future.

What you must remember when you’re about to begin your bathroom remodel is that your bathroom is never again going to look like it does now. Once all the fixtures have been ripped out, all the ceramic tiles hacked off the wall and the floor covering is lifted, it’s never going to look the same again. In fact you won’t even recognise it.

Try to look forward a few weeks to the point in time when your bathroom remodel is complete and you are admiring it for the first time. You are going to wish that you had taken a few pictures of the bathroom before it was remodeled because you’re already having trouble remembering what it used to look like.

Bathroom remodeling picture – Before work starts

Why should you bother to record a picture of bathroom renovations in this way? Well first of all you are going to forget what your bathroom looked like before the redesign. You might not think it now but you will and even if you don’t you’re going to have a hard time explaining what it looked like to anyone that asks.

If you take pictures of your bathroom before remodeling then you will have a permanent record of what it looked like to refresh your memory and to show to your friends. The pictures that I took of my small bathroom before remodeling began are a constant reminder to me of how bad it was and they more than justify my decision to spend the money on the bathroom makeover.

The before and after bathroom remodel picture gallery from my small bathroom renovation can be viewed at Pictures of Bathrooms Before and After Remodeling

Bathroom remodeling picture – While work is in progress

I like to make a visual record of any major work I have done by taking pictures at regular intervals as the work progresses. If you photograph your bathroom say once a day it will give you the opportunity to review the work as it evolves in your own time. Pay particular attention to any detailed work being carried out and be sure to photograph any new pipe work that hasn’t been boxed in yet.

Pictures of pipe work and other detail that hasn’t yet been covered up can come in very handy later if you ever need to have more work done on your bathroom. The pictures will show you exactly where the pipes and other concealed features are located. You will also be able to examine the quality of joints and bends in the plumbing and identify any problems early.

You might also want to use some of your pictures to point out to your contractors any problems that you want them to correct. I like to take work-in-progress pictures like this when the contractors aren’t around so that I can poke around in places they might not want me to go.

Bathroom remodeling picture – After the dust settles

Any new bathroom picture that you take after remodeling has been completed will be amongst the most satisfying of all the pictures in your visual record. At this time your bathroom looks clean, bright, uncluttered and the ceramic tiles are gleaming. You will want to refer to these pictures often to make sure that you keep your beautiful bathroom looking the same as it does now.

All your friends will be interested in seeing your before and after bathroom remodeling pictures especially if they are considering doing something similar themselves. Make sure that you show off the dream bathroom picture that you have created for yourself and be proud of it.

The recession has hit us all in some way and we do not all have the money to afford buying a brand new kitchen. This is particularly hard luck on those who were hoping to renovate their kitchen area in time for Christmas. But, just because you do not have the available funds to buy a new kitchen does not mean that you cannot take alternative measures to help bring it back to life.

Painting

Certain shades of colour tend to go out of fashion after a certain period of time, or your current colour may be starting to wear away a little. Why not visit your local DIY store and buy a tin of paint with a colour that will suit the rest of your existing décor. You will be surprised at just how much a fresh lick of paint can totally transform the look of kitchens, fitted kitchens and bespoke kitchens.

Handles

It may not seem like the most innovative of changes, but you should think about replacing the handles on all cupboards and drawers. Although such a seemingly small thing, a change of handle will be immediately noticeable to any visitors and will bring a new-found gleam to your kitchen.

Breakfast bar

If you have a decent area to play the likelihood is that you will already have a dining table installed inside. If you only have a little room to pay with, a breakfast bar is a most worthwhile addition. The perfect setting for everyone to get together before they head out to school or work, a breakfast bar can act as the centrepiece of the room.

Appliances

You can enhance your kitchen experience by adding gadgets and gizmos such as a coffee maker, bread maker or a sandwich toaster to it. You will find it even harder to drag yourself away from it.

Even in today’s Real Estate market the return on investment for a Bathroom remodel ranges between 80 – 90%. The key, of course, is to plan, and choose wisely before purchasing your bathroom components. Bathroom vanity furniture comes in all heights, widths, and shapes. Since the vanity is generally the only piece of furniture that you will purchase for your bathroom, getting it right is crucial. Three things to consider when purchasing a bathroom vanity are; height, width, and style.

Measuring your bathroom is the first step in the planning process for any remodel. This will provide you with a good feel for the location of items such as doors, windows, and electrical outlets. These fixtures are important to consider when allocating space for your bathroom vanity furniture. There needs to be enough space for the bathroom door to swing freely without hitting your newly purchased vanity. Keeping the various electrical outlets open, and available, must also be considered. There can also be restrictions in the local building codes for proper placement of vanities, proximate to electrical outlets. Accidently covering over the only outlets in a bathroom can cause additional functional problems. The proximity to other components; tub, toilet, and shower needs to be considered as well. You always want to leave enough space between each fixture to allow for easy cleaning, and for a larger individual to be comfortable in the room.

There are not specific standards for the height of a bathroom vanity. However taking the time to consider who the primary users of the bathroom will be, is helpful in selecting the correct height. If the bathroom is to be used by family members, and guests, choosing the more conventional 32 to 34 inch cabinet is sensible. Remember, cabinets that are taller than standard will be difficult for a child to manage, and anything lower than standard will be uncomfortable for most adults. Today’s trend in bathrooms is to have taller bathroom vanity furniture, more similar in height to those cabinets that are found in any kitchen. However, it is your bathroom, so making it work for your specific needs, while incorporating your desired style elements, is really the most important factor.

The width of the vanity is critical. The first consideration is how wide can it be, and still fit through the bathroom door. Many bathroom vanities come pre-constructed; however, there are also expandable or collapsible vanities available. Their design allows them to be installed in any bathroom regardless of the restrictions imposed by a narrow bathroom door. The vanity door swing, and drawer size also need to be considered. A vanity door that is too wide can result in restricted space, and limited human movement. It is important to remember that there needs to be enough room for the bathroom door to open comfortably without damaging your new furniture. Door dings are unpleasant, and will happen if the space it too tight. In addition a too tight fit can create a safety hazard, that with proper planning, can be avoided.

Cabinet style is also critical. Style sets the overall tone for your bathroom design. Keep in mind that a vanity cabinet that is too large or too tall will make your bathroom feel small, and cramped, however, a vanity that is too small for the space will just look lost, and out-of-place. If choosing a vessel sink, the top of the cabinet needs to be lower than standard in order to allow for the height of the sink bowl to be comfortably accessed. The use of a vessel sink however, does allow for more drawers, and under cabinet storage space. A standard recessed sink limits this available space.

As the bathroom is the room that gets used by everyone, multiple times a day, design flaws will be noticed quickly, and could be costly to remediate. So right size your vanity choice. Figuring out what size bathroom vanity furniture will best fit the space that is available is a good place to start and will go a long way in regard to your overall satisfaction when you are finished with remodeling your bathroom.