Bathroom renovations top the list of the most common home renovation project types.  Whether your bathroom renovation is sparked by a leaking or burst pipe or by a desire to upgrade your finishes and fixtures, the process is still the same.  First you will need a plan of attack (that’s where professional designers-like myself- come into play), then you will need to select you finishes, fixtures, and accessories; and finally you will need to hire the right building professionals to make your renovation a reality.  

To help you establish a budget the National Kitchen and Bath Association recommends you break down your renovation costs into eleven categories:

1.)  Design:  4%

Photo courtesy of Kustom Home Design

Photo courtesy of Kustom Home Design

2.)  Installation:  20%

 3.)  Fixtures:  15%

Photo courtesy of Kustom Home Design

Photo courtesy of Kustom Home Design

4.)  Cabinetry & Hardware:  16%

Photo courtesy of Kustom Home Design

5.)  Countertops:  7%

Photo courtesy of Kustom Home Design

6.)  Lighting and Ventilation:  5%

Photo courtesy of Kustom Home Design

Photo courtesy of Kustom Home Design

  Wall sconces, recessed lighting, accent lights, exhaust fans, and pendant lights make up 5% of the budget.

7.)  Flooring:  9%

Photo courtesy of Kustom Home Design

8.)  Doors & Windows:  4%

Photo courtesy of Kustom Home Design

Photo courtesy of Kustom Home Design

Don’t forget about the cost of new doors or windows while developing your renovation budget.

9.)  Walls & Ceilings:  5%

Photo courtesy of Kustom Home Design

10.)  Faucets & Plumbing:  14%

Photo courtesy of Kustom Home Design

11.)  Other:  1%

Photo courtesy of Kustom Home Design

The average bathroom renovation cost is $16,000.  In my experience, guest or kid’s baths tend to cost between $15,000 – $20,000 while master baths usually cost between $20,000-$35,000.  You can spend less than these amounts and you can certainly spend more; however, you should try to budget 5%-10% of your home’s value on a bathroom renovation.

 If you are considering a renovation project in the Upstate of SC and you don’t know where to start or how to proceed, contact Kustom Home Design for a free initial consultation.  We are in the business of making your renovation dreams a reality.

AFTER

BEFORE

A gentleman attending my Universal Design class which is geared towards helping people understand our changing needs as we age and how our homes can be designed to respond to these needs in beautiful ways had a problem.  He and his wife had done their homework and had planned ahead.  They bought a single level patio home in a newer development that was intended to be used by seniors or others with accessibility concerns.  The only problem was that the master bathroom was designed just like every other bathroom of it’s time – large garden tub, tiny dark shower, cramped water closet, low vanity cabinet, cold tile floor and harsh overhead lighting.  He wanted to know what I could do to help make the bathroom work for them now and in the future.

Existing Shower

Existing Tub

So we embarked on a journey to develop a design that would accept and respond to a person’s changing physical, cognitive and emotional needs that result from the privilege of aging.  I first identified many areas of concern such as the need for multiple area rugs (huge tripping/slipping hazard), a dark inaccessible shower, a deep soaking tub with no grab bars and a large window that can cause serious injury if someone slips in the tub and falls against it, a tight water closet with a narrow door and more.  After a series of meetings and design reviews, we came away with a wonderful plan.

New Luxury Shower Full of Stylish Safety Elements

The tub was removed because it was rarely used and the guest bath still had a tub.  The shower was enlarged and made much safer and more accessible.  We incorporated all of these elements in the new shower:

Best of all, though, the shower is now luxurious and beautiful.

New Watercloset with Wide Pocket Door

Existing Watercloset

The watercloset was too narrow with a slender door opening that would make the space inaccessible if a walker or wheelchair were ever needed.  To make the space functional, yet still private we used these solutions:

Existing Vanity Cabinet

The existing vanity was too low, outdated and had hard to use fixtures and hardware.  We custom designed vanities with the following design solutions:

New Vanity Cabinets

The plant shelf allows the clients to enjoy their irises and provides a discreet place for the hamper without the expense of a built-in hamper cabinet.  The new sconces provide better lighting and an updated feel.

Lastly, to get rid of the area rugs and mats, we installed electric radiant heating elements beneath the new tile flooring to allow for warm floors and no tripping hazards.  The programmable thermostat allows the clients to control the temperature and set times for the floor to be heated or unheated.  Waking up to a warm bathroom floor is a small comfort that makes a big difference.

By making these changes to their master bathroom, my clients have insured that they will be able to live in their home longer and more safely.  They have made an invaluable investment, not only in their home, but more importantly in their independence.

To learn more about the effects that aging has on the way we live in our homes and ways we can accommodate this inevitable change and wonderful privilege with practical universal design strategies, contact our office for your personal design consultation or attend one of my universal design classes.

Open &Airy Take on the Traditional Man Cave

The term “man cave” either inspires nostalgic longing and thoughts of frat-like freedom or it brings to mind the image of grown men refusing to grow up.  Either way, the term has been around since printed in a newspaper article in 1992 and the desire for an all male retreat has been around since God plucked a rib from Adam and created Man 2.0 also know as woman.  The only difference is that corporate America discovered a new demographic of consumers that they had not tapped into.  Thus the rise of the Man Cave in our culture.

Large Dormer Provides Seating Area and Natural Lighting

Regardless of what you call it, men have always sought a place of their own.  Today this space comes in many shapes and sizes and can be as unique as men themselves.  It can be located in a basement, an attic, a garage, a tree house or an out house.  The location is not as important as the fact that this space is typically all boy! 

Salvaged Bar & Reclaimed Pine Flooring

Tabletop Shuffle Board Spans the Stair

I recently had the privilege of working on one such retreat and found it to be a fun and rewarding experience.  In this project the homeowner wanted to build a detached two-car garage with an additional bay for a workroom.  He also wanted an upper level studio that would serve as his Man Cave.  We designed a structure that would blend with the existing home and created an easily accessible stair that could be closed off from the garage below.  We provided a half bath conveniently tucked underneath the stair.  The studio is a wide open space with access out onto a deck overlooking the golf course.  We added a dormer to provide a seating area and more natural lighting.  The vaulted ceiling helps make the space feel larger than it is and the tabletop shuffle board takes advantage of unused space by spanning across the stairwell. 

The flooring is reclaimed wide plank pine and the bar is a salvaged piece that fits beautifully in the space.  The homeowner is a graduate of North Carolina State University (in case you couldn’t tell), so that is the motif he chose to drive his decor.

 This man cave is not cave like at all, in fact is it quite airy and open with abundant natural light and high vaulted ceilings, but it a retreat for hanging out with friends and family (male and female) to enjoy sporting events, cocktails or just some good ole fashion conversation.