Bathroom Remodeling Modernizes the Whole House

by Mary Butler

As much as shag carpet and ancient appliances can date your home, an unfashionable bathroom--sporting a seventies-era brown toilet, curling vinyl flooring, or decades-old wallpaper--creates a pass� vibe that makes the whole house seem in need of an overhaul.

Thankfully, it's easy to revamp your bathroom's design aesthetic with a fresh coat of paint, sleek new modern fixtures, updated flooring--perhaps new bathroom tile--and new or refaced cabinets. You'll be amazed by the lift a clean and bright bathroom can give the entire house.

Top Bathroom Design Tips

• Bathroom remodeling, on average, nets about a 78 percent return on your investment. To realize that kind of benefit you should begin your bathroom remodeling project with a plan and a budget in place. That National Kitchen & Bath Association offers a workbook to help you determine your needs and how to proceed.
• Find bathroom design ideas in magazines, online, and in stores. Look for ways to unify the bathroom's design with the rest of the house, such as by matching trim, molding, bathroom tile, and cabinet pulls.
• Try to limit bathroom plumbing changes to keep costs down.
• Keep your color palette neutral and use classic materials such as ceramic and recycled glass bathroom tile that won't look dated in a couple of years.
• Modernize bathroom plumbing fixtures to make them more ecological, which will save water and money and serve as a selling point down the road.
• Evaluate whether the current lighting and ventilation are in need of improvement.