Bathroom Design Mistakes (And How To Fix Them!)
Bathroom Design Mistakes (And How To Fix Them!)
In this video, I go over some of the biggest bathroom design mistakes and I tell you how to fix them! Bathrooms are small spaces with water and humidity issues and they can be a real minefield for design mistakes! I compile a list of bad bathroom design mistakes I see people make over an over again so you can learn for them and design your perfect bathroom!
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⏱ Timestamps:
00:00 – Bathroom design mistakes and how to fix them
00:36 – Choosing the wrong contractor
02:03 – Barn doors
03:22 – Water and humidity issues
04:26 – Not considering a floating vanity or toilet
05:26 – Moving plumbing unnecessarily
06:37 – Installing carpet in the bathroom
07:10 – Slippery shower tile
08:11 – Poor lighting
09:32 – Not keeping a bathtub
10:58 – Themed rooms
12:18 – Vinyl shower curtains
13:20 – Door clearance issues
14:15 – Unclear tile direction
15:26 – Not enough storage
16:37 – Overlooking grout color
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Lmao
Had to redo all the plumbing in my house so when we did the bathroom remodel we just did it all at once. The bathroom before was horribly cramped and such. After remodeling it’s so spacious and since the plumbing has all been updated and fixed it’s just amazing! We didn’t change the dimensions of the bathroom either we just moved things.
Absolutely agree with barn doors vs pocket doors.
I love a pocket door, but don’t see the point to barn doors that aren’t sealed to sight, sound, or…smell.
The ‘Worm Toilet’ looks more like a ‘Colon Toilet’ to my eyes, so is too suggestive of…a lot of things.
But I worry if there is a weight restriction on floating toilets; even if my own BMI is low, not all my visitors would be of healthy weight, so I worry about what it takes within the wall to handle the physics.
Moving the toilet/plumbing in a bathroom reconfiguration can also impact other rooms in the house. Building design generally tries to run plumbing the most efficient way possible, so often an upper floor bathroom is positioned directly above the kitchen, most specifically the kitchen sink. Add the complication of possible shoddy renovation work, and you can get toilet leaks coming through your kitchen ceiling. If it ain’t broke, leave it the F alone!
Better to move a door, turn a hinged door into a pocket door, downsize the sink/vanity (as you suggested), or even look for a smaller toilet.
Seems to me a bathroom shower can be plumped to convert easily to a tub for later resale, especially if the shower is big.
I’m a shower person living in a rental with a combo tub/shower, but if I owned an apartment or a house, I would want no tub in my bathroom. Having the shower plumbed for conversion seems a good compromise.
That said, if there is a guest bedroom with an ensuite or 2nd bathroom, that’s a good place for a back-up tub. Still, resale is going to be better with a tub available to the primary bedroom.
Anyone considering carpet in the bathroom is probably thinking of cold floors and or cushioning the feet, so it’s all about foot comfort. They would do better to install heated (or heated limited footprint) floors for warmth, and a waterproof flooring with some give in it. I understand there is removeable floor tiles, some of which are manufactured with foam to make the floor feel less hard.
‘Themed decor’ in general, not just bathrooms:
Some people treat their homes like a theme park. They aspire to live in an imaginary or visionary place, so they decorate or even renovate their home to reflect that aspiration. But there will come a time when either they have to leave or they outgrow the fantasy, and then it gets expensive to reel it all back.
Style should be a mood, not a lifestyle, and that goes for bohemian and farmhouse styles. Beware becoming too specific or literal.
Disappointed you didn’t mention my pet hate – L shaped bath tubs, big ugly things take up too much space use too much water uncomfortable to lie in, difficult to clean L shaped shower screen, too wide so water splashes out when showering, I could go on… we need to start a campaign to have these monstrosities banned – I think the only people who choose these horrors are people who never actually take baths and mistakenly believe that they are somehow getting the best of both worlds (ie to have a shower or bath) Wrong!!
Hey Nick, I have watched your videos over and over again throughout renovating my house. I have been deliberating over my bathroom design for 12 months! Finally decided on the layout but the stress is ongoing as I now have to decide how to pair tile styles, and im really struggling! PLEASE can you do a tile special with lots of images of GOOD examples of tile combinations. The problem I find with pinterest etc is they’re often not functional/real bathrooms, they cant be based on the missing elements and use of materials in stupid areas!
Thank you, love you, ciao xx
Anyone have a price on an bathroom remodeling? 7? Rip out shower put in just glass on one side, drain, tile walls, vanity etc
"grout" is a funny word
My in-laws have built their home in the 2000s and made the terrible design mistake in installing not only a vessel sink, but put it on a wooden surface and chose a faucet with the handle over that wooden surface, so you drip everything while washing hands. Also they installed the faucet on the right side, which may have looked modern back then, but it’s a pain when you try washing your face or just brushing your teeth and have to turn your head on the other side that you’re used to just to rinse your mouth.
I hate barn doors, and I live in the south east 😆 These things have infiltrated the south.
Thank you ! Yes the carpet in bathroom omg NOOOO !!!
He talks about getting a floating (wall mounted) toilet right right before talking about how expensive it is to shift a toilet slightly to the left or right. Going from a floor mounted to a wall mounted toilet can cost an arm and a leg.
What’s a pocket door? I rent a tiny apartment and am sick to death of the standard bathroom door because the door’s clearance takes up most of the kitchenette and I’m constantly bumping into it. I was thinking about asking my landlord if he’d consider putting in a sliding door of some sort.
I love watching Tiny Home build shows, and I always freak out about the toilets – no sealed door, often no vent fan, and sometimes right next to the kitchen so they can share the sink 😛
Around 2005, I was doing a lot of model home tours, and so many had combined closet/bathroom areas, and all I could think of was, between the toilet and the dampness, the clothes were gonna stink.
You need to be able to see that the bathroom is clean, so good lighting and lighter colors are important, IMO. I love the elegant look of a black bathroom, but no way do I want to use one. Black grout looks too much like mold for me to like it.
I think a lot of design problems would be solved by people placing functionality over beauty. I used to watch a lot of home design/makeover shows, and came to the conclusion that when those designers wind up in hell, their hell will just be the rooms they designed.
I made the mistake of picking a porcelain tile that was so brittle, even with a new saw, the contractor couldn’t make the controls cutout (about 6"circle) without it breaking. He had to semi circle it out of two pieces to make it work, but he did a great job on it. I didn’t read the reviews first.
That large round clock on the wall behind you looks awsome.
I will never forget getting out of my friend’s marble tub onto his marble floors. I proceeded to fall and get up only to slip again. And again. I’m definitely not a fan.
….no tub because you all know I don’t care for children…. lol I ❤️you 🤣
Sponge bob
Who ever thought that carpet in the bathroom was a good idea 🤮
Chandelier in the bathroom???? Have fun cleaning 😂
You’re hilarious!..
With a lot of great advice 😘
Great video!! What if you have a one bedroom/one bath cottage. Can I consider a tub to shower conversion and still retain value for resale down the road?
where did u purchase long console??
I can’t find my previous comment but the storage thing is such a problem. Our full bathrooms are fine but the half bath downstairs has 0. There is a closet right outside but inside there is none. I told my hubby we need to replace the pedestal sink so I have somewhere to put extra toilet paper, towels, soap and feminine products. I looked for a cabinet to hang but I’d rather have those things under the sink.
The toilet! The two you showed when you talked about the worm toilet, I have the one on the right that hides the worm. I redid a how es by a family member in 2019 and I was looking at toilets online and I saw that one, I immediately thought yes! It’s smooth on the side and so much easier to clean and looks sleek. After I did that in 2020 we had to replace the one in our master bath and my hubby asked which one I chose because I was so happy with it at the other house. We installed it and then he said, just order 2 more for the other bathrooms. He likes how tall it is, he’s very tall and it’s smooth clean sides he was like, yes you’re right this is a great toilet. I recommend smooth sided toilets, especially if your toilet isn’t in its own room, hairspray and dust stick to the worm toilets and uhg cleaning them, but the smooth sided toilet is so quick to wipe down the side.
Hi! I really like your ideas and the way you present them, so…new subscriber here!
I’m surprised you suggested mosaic type tiles that require lots of grout for shower floors. Grout indeed makes the floor grippy, but impractical as it means more mold later on! I’ve seen sandy-textured tiles that are heavily glazed, thus r grippy but not sharp on the feet, and quite glossy. I’d use such tiles in sizes smaller than 12"x12" (but not mosaic) so it’s easier to grade d floor slightly towards d floor drain. You’re right that one must first ask about a tile’s suitabiliry for bathrooms.
(Do u now realize that I’m obsessed with bathrooms?)
In any case, it’s always good to install a grab bar in the shower and also by the toilet. I don’t care if they subtract somewhat from overall style.
on point !!!!
I’m sorry… I should keep the tub for someone ELSE’s future kids?? Not happening lmao
Lights over the tub may be totally against your code, unless it’s rated correctly for that application.
Just got a small 2 bed apartment, it’s our first and I’m completely furnighing it myslef, bar our sage courderoy couches (I’m thinking about swapping one of the 3 for a different one). These videos are helpful for my stress level rn
if you want your contractor to hate you choose black grout with white tiles lmaooo
You can actually put your shower curtains in the washing maschine they never have to look durty
In addition to the toilet choice: Try to look for toilets that don’t splash back and don’t get stains easily! I lived in an apartment where you always had to brush the toilet afterwards, because there was always a stain, no matter how you sat on there (trust me, I’ve tried it) whereas my parent’s toilet has a slightly different curve and therefore you don’t have that issue
I know you "should" have a contractor but I was able to completely gut and redo my bathroom with just YouTube and a prayer…lot’s and lot’s of prayers 😂
I’ve passed on several homes because of no bathtub 🛀..
Just say "no" to barn doors! Over it. I’m also not a fan of children, but that’s my problem, keep having them people, just keep them under control.
I agree with you on the bathtub. I take baths, not showers, and would never buy a place without one.
I stayed in a hotel in Key West that had a barn door bathroom a few years ago. The barn door left gaps too. The hotel had advertised that the rooms were recently renovated.
I complained to the manager and we used the bathroom in the lobby instead for the entire trip.
My favourite comment ever "I don’t care for children…" amazing! and yes I am a mother of 2.
Agree about the toilet—I’m hoping to get a toilet I can just mop under instead of around. Also taking out my old bathtub to put in a deep soaking tub. I need hot water, bubbles up to my chin, epsom salt & lavender—plus a book. No tub is not an option for me! Fortunately I have a tiny separate shower so the tub won’t have shower dirt! 👍🏼
I do think themed bathrooms are acceptable for a little kids bathroom, but otherwise agreed.
We had a pocket door installed in our renovated powder room and it made the space seem so much bigger. We love it!
LOL my first house had 70s SHAG CARPET in the bathroom. Former owners had 3 BOYS. We were still moving in and I had to go. Sat down there on a warm, humid day and almost passed out from the stench. We rolled that sucker up and shoved it out of the bathroom window and bleached the slab underneath.
I love the honesty! So good. Ship Ahoy in the bathroom😂😃💙
I went over to a friend’s new house for a dinner, they were so proud of their new place. Unfortunately the guest bathroom was off the kitchen/dining area and had a barn door. At some point of course people needed to use the restroom and a couple of people asked where the bathroom was, and the host would just point at the barn door, but people would then ask if they could use another bathroom and the host seemed upset no one would use the "guest" bathroom and had to use the master bath which was through their bedroom and a messy walkthrough closet. People just refused to use the bathroom with the barn door, many people just left early.
I don’t understand the idea of how compulsory a bathtub for children. I guess it’s nice for them to play water in it? Which for that occasion, can be easily solved with a small inflatable pool outside the house. For babies, there are baby bath tubs. Kids are toddlers for few years until they can shower like adults.
I always carry flushable wipes in case of the no toilet paper situation. Just make sure they are really flushable
We are finally getting to the end of our master bath remodel. What a pain in the A** it has been. We signed contract on April 2st last year, job didn’t start till February this year. It has taken 4 ever. I hope I never will have to endure a bath remodel. Our master bath was stuck in the 70s , brought up to date. We got rid of the bathtub and now have a huge shower, we have a bathtub in other bathroom .
Freaking love you and your advice! Thank you! I just did a Reno and you stroked my design ego! Lol
We have a shower curtain that looks like a kitten riding whales. No kids in the house, we are all over 50 here. It makes us laugh.