How to Successfully Renovate a Primary Bathroom

Just like a new build, a renovation of your existing home can be time-consuming, stressful, and filled with daunting unknowns. Working with experienced professionals who specialize in renovations is the best way to ensure you have a clear understanding of the process, timeline, and budget.

Take this recent project, for example. Our clients came to us with a classic nineties primary bathroom—you know the type: glass block window, tile on the vanity countertop, brass-framed shower surround. It was time for a much-needed update, top to bottom. But with so much that needed attention, they had no idea where to begin.

Here, we share four important principles that guided our work as we transformed this bathroom from old and tired (see “before” shot, below) to luxuriously fresh and timeless.

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Principle #1: Aim for a cohesive design 

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Make sure that the design aesthetic for the new space, in this case the primary bathroom, matches the design aesthetic of the rest of the home. The goal is to ensure that spaces throughout the home all feel connected. A huge no-no would be designing one space with an ultra-modern flair, for example, when the rest of your house leans traditional.

Principle #2: Clarify your goals

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Before you even begin your renovation project, prioritize your needs. When it comes to options, there is a seemingly endless supply to choose from. Take a look at your current situation and define what is and what is not working. Look at how you use the space and pinpoint what will make your life easier. Knowing exactly what you’re looking for will help you not only budget for the overall project, but also help you make  decisions alongside your designer with confidence.

Principle #3: Don’t be afraid to mix and match colors, metals and styles  

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Gone are the days of matchy-matchy. Mixed finishes bring interest and character into a space. For this project, we mixed gold hardware on the cabinets with black and gold lighting, gold-framed mirrors, and black plumbing fixtures. The combination helps move the eye around the space easily and comfortably and perfectly blends the elements together.

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Principle #4: Go bold!  

At first, black cabinetry may feel like a risky choice for a bathroom, but as this project demonstrates, it works beautifully. The key is balance. Elements such as lighter-colored paint, trim, tile, and countertops, not to mention the stunning focal point—the porcelain tub—soften the impact and create a cohesive sense of equilibrium—a difficult task to achieve without the help of an experienced professional.

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Bringing new life to an outdated bathroom is a big project, but as you can see, the results speak for themselves. We believe the key is finding the perfect team to collaborate with—one that truly listens to your wishes and draws upon their wealth of experience and know-how to bring about a stunning transformation such as this one.

Main image provided by Libbie Homes Photography

Kathryn Lott is Principal at Oak and Indigo Design & Build, an award-winning full service design studio in Colorado Springs, Colorado. View their profile or contact Kathryn at 719-203-2488.

Content for this article provided by Oak and Indigo Design & Build.