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Need ideas? Here are trends for bath remodels

Posted by: under Home Improvement Updated: March 4, 2010 - 10:09 AM

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Last week's West Metro Home Remodeling Fair provided some good fodder for the blog this week. With a bath remodel on my DIY list this summer, I was interested to hear if my ideas and plans were on track.

Lynn Monson, from Monson Interior Design and DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen, gave a presentation on trends and innovation to a packed room, so there must be plenty of others interested in redoing their space. Remodeled bathrooms have a pretty high return on investment when selling, it's one of the projects realtors advise taking on - even in a down economy.

The trends he's seeing:

Larger bathrooms with his-and-her spaces
A move away from tubs to great showers
More creature comforts, like coffee bars, steam rooms, TVs
"Aging in place" remodels: Showers with large openings as people age
Matchy-matchy elements going away
More private toilet rooms
Showers that include steam units, seating and spray systems

Here are some images of his company's work to illustrate those trends.

His-and-her vanities. All photos courtesy Lynn and Sandy Monson.

Another double vanity.

This space was created at the request of the homeowner to have a place to put on makeup.

This bath had a tub area that was converted to a shower. These types of conversions are easier for the elderly and handicapped to step into than a tub.

This bath was redone with a granite kit that included solid granite walls, shower pan and mataching floor tiles.

Below: Monson also talked about the move toward using green materials in these spaces. Shown is a photo showing Kirei board used to reface the vanity. Kirei is made from reclaimed sorghum straw and a no-added-formaldehyde adhesive. Learn more about it here.

The countertip is Richlite, made of recycled paper.

Monson said the materials used were not inexpensive, but the impact on the budget was miminized by reusing much of the existing bath. The vanity was refaced, the shower was overlaid with thin marble sheets and bamboo was installed over the pre-existing tile material. Monson's company strives to minimize demolition and minimize waste in many of their jobs.

Other neat ideas Monson showed:

Using Marmoleum for bathroom floors, it's a heavy-duty linoleum used often in schools. Read more about marmoleum here.
Digital images on acrylic sheets and panels used for privacy screens and walls.

More trends you're interested in? Share them here.