Home & Stone Email Save 2. Contemporary. Clean lines dominate this look. And you won’t find architectural adornments like moldings or face frames on cabinets. The cleanliness of the design carries over into the lack of clutter as well. The focus is placed on sleek materials and simple lighting for a refined feel. The very latest materials, finishes and technology all have a place in this style.
Bill Fry Construction - Wm. H. Fry Const. Co. Email Save Edging details. Understanding how the tiling edges will be addressed is an important step in planning your shower. Looking closely at this photo of the other side of the same shower in the previous image, you can see that the edges where the tile meets the wall and vanity are beveled. Before starting your shower renovation, take some time and study other installations in photos and at tile showrooms to decide on an edging detail you like.
If you're working with a darker grout, I suggest an epoxy grout for a regular shower. Currently my two favorite grouts are Mapei's Ultra Color Plus (a rapidly setting cementitious grout) and Laticrete's Spectra Lock Pro (an epoxy grout). Cementitious grout is a standard grout that comes in a sanded version for large grout joints (3/4 to 1/8 inch) and an unsanded version (1/16 to 1/8 inch) for narrow grout joints. Cementitious grout also comes in a rapidly setting formula, which can be tricky to use — don't try these formulas for your first tiling project.
AT6 Architecture : Design Build Email Save Grout. I like two grout colors: white and light gray. Black, dark gray and other dark and warm grout tiles can start to accumulate buildup or fade, depending on the local water supply and thinset choice. If the grout is mixed incorrectly or overwashed, the pigment can be wiped away unevenly. Efflorescence happens when grout lightens as salt leaches out, leaving a light, powdery film on the surface. The effect of it on tile installations is nasty. Avoid efflorescence by using premium setting materials like Ardex X32 and Mapei's Grani Rapid. These are pricey products, and not everyone will be able to afford them, but they make a difference. If you're building on the cheap, use a light gray grout, since it is the most forgiving and looks the best in the long term.
Tile layout. Now it's time to start designing your tile's layout. Look at how simple and clean lined this shower is — the shower niche is exactly in between two tiles. This is no coincidence; planning ahead can make the difference between a sloppy look and a clean look. If you're aiming for a polished shower layout, make sure you and your installer know exactly where every tile will lie before framing starts. 10 Top Tips for Getting Bathroom Tile Right
10. Epoxy grout. It is more expensive, unwieldy to work with and stinks. But epoxy grout has a big benefit over its sanded and nonsanded cousins: It makes it difficult for mildew to grow, and liquids have a hard time penetrating it. We have been installing it frequently in master showers and at kitchen backsplashes (where food and grease can splatter) with great results.
9. Handheld showerhead. If you are still mulling over your showerhead options, don’t leave out the handheld ones. While they can be a bit unwieldy with their hoses and pivoting heads, they have a distinct advantage over their fixed-in-place cousins: They make it easy to clean the shower stall. The showerhead that comes from the ceiling? Supercool, but good luck washing the walls of your shower with it. Same thing with showerheads on the wall. A nice compromise between the two, if you can afford it, is to get one of each with a diverter. That will allow you to use the main showerhead most of the time, the handheld one for cleaning and both at the same time if you want a spa experience.
4. Humidistat fan. It used to be that exhaust fans in baths had two options for controls — the on-off switch and the timer. Now the options have multiplied, with motion detector and humidistat fans. My favorite is the humidistat — you set it to a humidity level you deem reasonable, and it will run if the humidity goes over that level, and keep running until the humidity decreases to below your set level. It doesn’t address all of the reasons you might run a fan in a bath, but it does handle the one that can make a mess of paint and other finishes: moisture.
Sylvie Meehan Designs Email Save 3. Hidden outlets. The scourge of bathrooms is the clambering masses of electronic devices that demand an outlet and adjacent counter space: hair dryers, electric toothbrushes, electric razors and curling irons. Don’t you wish they would all vamoose to where you can’t see them? That could be a real possibility if you install outlets inside medicine cabinets and drawers. Out of sight, out of mind until you need them.
2. Electric floor heat. Tile is a cool surface — literally! If your toes shrink at the thought of crossing your frigid tile floor, make sure your tile setter installs an electric heat mat before putting in the tile. The mats come as custom self-contained mats or as wire strung between plastic pegs (known as an RPM system). Conscientious tile setters will attach a “loudmouth” to their heating system while installing tile, so that if the electrical connection is broken, the loudmouth makes noise. Installing two sensors to the thermostat is a good idea too, so if one breaks, the other still functions. When you program the thermostat to go on at 5 a.m., you will be rewarded with warm toes at 6, and that’s worth every penny of the cost.
3 or 4: The maximum square-inch size of tile easily installed in the pan of a typical shower. Because the shower pan slopes to the drain (usually in the center) larger tiles can’t be installed to match the slope without being cut. Sometimes a cut installation can work, but it’s easier to install smaller tiles. A side benefit of the small tiles is that they have more traction because of the grout lines.
75: The average dollar cost of tempering a bathroom window, if required by code. Most building codes require tempering for any windows that are placed on walls with showers or tubs below them. Tempering keeps the glass from splintering if it breaks, which reduces the potential for injury.
radiant heat floors
blue green and beachy
Maybe we could put a Corian or Quartz or Granite wall between the shower and toilet in the Master Bath with some shelves opening in each direction with some doors on the toilet side.
Austin Patterson Disston Architects Email Save 4. Beachy. Anchoring a bathroom to a sense of place like the beach makes sense. Most people prefer a calm, relaxing but uplifting vibe in a bathroom, and few things do that for people like a coastal getaway. Durable finishes, watery and sandy colors and accessories you might have found washed ashore highlight this accessible style. Just be cautious. You don’t want to overdo the theme to the point that it becomes a cliche.
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