The perfect bathroom renovation involves a lot of planning, organizing and inspiration. These bathroom renovation experts spoke to us about a wide variety of things: bathroom trends, hot materials on the market, and the importance of hiring an experienced contractor!
Wall-hung toilets, brass, polished chrome, shaker cabinets. When it comes to a bathroom renovation, you have a ton of options! How do you pick one style for your powder room or master ensuite? Not only that, but will the style you choose today live up to the expectations of tomorrow?
A great way to inspire your bathroom renovation is to sift through magazines and of course, visit eieihome.com! But that only takes you one step of the way. After all, you’ll have to turn those dreams into a reality! That’s where these experts came in.
In this monthly feature, I wanted to know a few things:
- What are some bathroom trends you’re seeing today?
- When it comes to choosing fixtures, what materials are best?
Responding in the following order are the following bathroom renovation experts:
- Dino Colozza, Lancaster Custom Cabinets;
- Vanessa Perfetto, Atlantis Bath Centre;
- Andrew Bridi, On Centre Design Build.
Keep reading to hear their valuable input, which can become of use when planning your next bathroom renovation.
Dino Colozza – Lancaster Custom Cabinets
Custom cabinetry for your vanity: When it comes to vanities, the range is so broad, he says. “You have to see the new materials that are available and that’s where a lot of their [a homeowner’s] creative juices start to come out.”
From a style perspective, clients can opt for a flat panel door, shaker panels, even raised panels, which can give your bathroom a rustic feel like the designs Restoration Hardware have been producing.
“There’s a lot of room for choice and a lot of variety,” he says. “I can tell you that for bathrooms, a lot of the finishes are a painted finish that has taken over. People would lean towards a dark vanity and stain it.” But Colozza says his clientele is opting for clean, crisp white or monotone colours.
“Funny how the trends can change that quickly.”
Need some inspiration for your bathroom renovation? Colozza invites you to visit the Lancaster Custom Cabinets showroom for some ideas.
“When people come in to look for their bathroom renos, they can see what finishes and styles are available.”
Lancaster also has an affiliation with a countertop company next door, giving clients the opportunity to pick out counters and cabinets at the same time.
Fancy upgrades to consider: A lot of clients are a fan of the double sink in a vanity. “Double sinks are key if you have the room.”
You can section off a bathroom into his-and-hers so he has one side with a sink and drawers, as does she. It not only creates division, but gives everyone their space.
“It’s one of the fist rooms you go into in the morning; you don’t want to walk in there and cringe.” Don’t we all have that spouse that can’t keep their side of the sink tidy?
This way, everyone has their space and can do with it what they want without imposing on their partner.
Custom cabinetry built from start to finish: When Lancaster is involved in your bathroom renovation, they’ll do all the work. “The cabinetry is built from start to finish. We’ll do the site measure, we’ll come back and design it. We don’t put the onus on the customer providing measurements.”
All cabinets are made in-house, as in they’re not outsourced to another company. Lancaster has their own installation crew that does all the installation work.
There’s a 10-year warranty on all cabinetry. “It’s more of a peace of mind,” says Colozza. If the door hinge malfunctions, Lancaster will stand by the product.
Take your time during the renovation process: “Go see different showrooms, don’t be afraid to walk into three or four to get some ideas.”
Colozza recommends grabbing all the materials that are being used in your renovation – tiling, paint colours, etc. “Put that together, walk into a showroom. When you want to get that quote, you have all your colours. There’s no guessing at the top of your head with a specific palette.”
Here’s a look inside the Lancaster showroom:
Vanessa Perfetto – Atlantis Bath Centre
Atlantis Bath Centre can help you every step of the way when it comes to your bathroom renovation: “Clients can come in here to buy everything they need, from pluming fixtures to vanities,” she says, adding the team can assist you with the design and build of a custom vanity. “We work with Morelli Fine Cabinetry (they’ve been in the biz for 30+ years).”
Perfetto says clients may opt for custom vanities when they’re looking for something very unique that they can’t find in a ready-made cabinet. “That would be their go-to.”
“Atlantis Bath can be your one stop shop for bathroom renovations.”
Atlantis Bath Centre is located at 665 Caldonia Road in Toronto.
With a massive showroom like this, you might have a hard time picking out your favourite fixtures!
Here’s an even more in-depth look at the showroom:
These are the latest bathroom trends: Bathroom renovators are opting for a lot of whites and greys, although neutral tones are still very popular. When it comes to fixtures, clients are getting pretty creative.
“They’re going with wall-hung vanities and wall-hung toilets; it gives the allusion that the bathroom is a bigger space than it might be.”
Not only that, but you can actually see the tiling on the floor. “It gives a more sleek, contemporary look.”
However, that doesn’t mean people aren’t experimenting with colour. “We are noticing a lot more darker tones in the bathroom cabinetry, and that also speaks to the actual fixtures going into the bathroom as well.”
Perfetto wants you to imagine bronze and bath accents, which are making a comeback in bathrooms. “Even gold is becoming more popular,” she says.
The bathroom is being seen as a getaway place, an important room in the home.
“It’s not I just need a toilet, I need a vanity. Clients want it to look amazing.” That’s especially important if you love to entertain and have a revolving door of guests over.
Build a custom vanity according to your tastes and desires. Let your creative juices flow and create a style and design you’ll love forever.
Bronze fixtures are so luxurious; they’ll make your bathroom the standout room of your entire home.
What’s trending in fixtures: “A lot of clients are still picking up a ceramic China sink, but we are noticing a huge trend in cast-iron sinks,” she says. “They are heavy, they’re very durable, but super heavy sinks.”
Atlantis Bath is a premier distributor of Kohler, and the brand in particular produces a lot of cast iron sinks for both bathrooms and kitchens.
“A lot of people are really liking the look of them,” she says, adding they offer a lot of texture.”
The showroom has a lot of Kohler products on display. “They could literally be the one brand that you put in your entire home,” says Perfetto. “They cater to every client.”
Can you picture one of these beautiful, unique sinks in your home?
This Kohler sink is so on fleek.
Why visit Atlantis Bath for your bathroom renovation needs: “We try to make clients feel welcome and comfortable. When clients come in, they’re overwhelmed already,” says Perfetto.
The team at Atlantis Bath will not only work closely with a client during the bathroom renovation process, but follow up once the projects is complete.
“We always try to make sure our clients are happy with our service, along with the products. We want that repeat client, we want that referral,” she says.
Aside from a welcoming team that’s dedicated to helping you with your renovation from start to finish, the team has a wealth of options to show you.
“The showroom carries over 50 luxurious brands. If you can’t find something in one brand, you can find in another. We have a little bit of everything for the client.”
Any good showroom will give you the inspiration and perspective you need to picture what your bathroom could look like.
“You don’t see that in many other showrooms,” says Perfetto.
A showroom this large features different bathroom looks, giving you the inspiration you need to build your own dream bathroom!
Atlantis Bath Centre will turn it into a reality.
Andrew Bridi – On Centre Design Build
There are several reasons to renovate your bathroom: “Most people are renovating simply to update, or they’re looking to reorganize the pieces that are there into something more functional,” says Bridi. Some clients may want to transform a tub into a stand-up shower, or want to incorporate both a bathtub with a shower.
“I think a major factor is that moving is so expensive now,” he says, adding homeowners are opting to spend their money renovating instead. “Bathrooms and the kitchen are top priority because they tend to get used quite a bit.”
What’s trending right now: Tubs are an essential part of the bathroom, but Bridi is seeing a trend. “I’m finding people are okay with getting rid of the bathtub and putting in a shower stall where space is limited,” he says. “Doing a glass enclosure is becoming very common. Expensive fixtures are becoming quite common as well.”
Clients have so many options when it comes to fixtures – spray heads, waterfalls from the ceiling.
“Wall mount vanities as opposed to floor mounts have been popular for awhile now,” he says. “It makes a bathroom look roomy, not to mention the floor has no obstruction, so it’s easier to clean.”
Quartz is a standout product for a bathroom: “Quartz is one of my favourites. It’s non-porous and lends themselves well to a modern feel.”
Tiles are still popular in bathrooms, but Bridi doesn’t install tiles anywhere in the bathroom other than the walls in the shower. “I know awhile ago, it was common to tile everything. I moved away from that a long time ago.”
Instead, Bridi is opting for painted walls and wallpaper.
“I try to touch on a lot of different textures when renovating a bathroom,” he says. “For wall coverings, there’s a lot of options now with textures that look and feel like wood or straw.”
Anyone like polished chrome? While there are a ton of products on the market, Bridi uses polished chrome most times. “It’s the least expensive of the finishes and you’re already paying a ton of money for products,” he says. It’s also a timeless look that matches with almost any home decor.
“It’s a nice product that doesn’t go out of style.”
Why choose On Centre Design Build for your bathroom renovation: “We can take you through the process start to finish and you don’t need anybody else,” says Bridi. On Centre will design the project for you and has access to great product pricing. “Clients take advantage of those discounts incorporated into our pricing.”
“Then of course, the quality of workmanship that we introduce, so it’s a one-stop operation from design to colours and fixtures.”
Bridi and his team will walk clients through the entire bathroom renovation process and will choose your bathroom products with you.
Advice for homeowners: “In a bathroom, you almost need every trade you would use for building a home: drywall, electrician to plumber, tile man, you name it, he says. “Using a qualified contractor is beneficial in the sense that he’s going to bring to the project qualified trades people.”
Only a qualified contractor with an experienced team will have the knowledge and expertise to handle the magnitude of a renovation, and that’s what Bridi’s team at On Centre can offer.
Bridi also recommends homeowners check a contractor’s references to get an idea of the scope of work that was recently completed. It’ll give you the confidence you need moving forward if hiring that contractor.
Is your home in desperate need of a bathroom renovation or two? Why not consult these experts to help you along the way? From custom cabinets, to plumbing fixtures and total renovations, each expert can offer exactly what you need for a perfect finished product!
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