bathroom
Marble basics. Marble is a metamorphic rock that's been used for thousands of years. Each piece of marble is different — the variety in veining and coloring is often considered its best trait. Marble tile can have an even or less uniform look, depending on the type and quality of marble you purchase. Most high-end marble has a very even color palette with soft veining. The look — like in this shower — is elegant, soft and uniform.
Washlet S300 Toilet » The leading super toilet maker in Japan is a company called Toto. And if you’ve ever visited a nice hotel in Japan with a Toto toilet, you know you’re not in Kansas anymore. Toto’s most advanced toilets are sold only in Japan, with controls labeled only in Japanese. The most advanced Toto toilet you can buy in the United States is the Washlet S300. It has a heated seat, a remote-controlled bidet feature with air drying and the option of an oscillating bidet stream of water.
Consider a shower transom in steam showers. If you study this photo closely you will see that this great shower is most likely a steam shower, due to the full glass surround. The transom above the door can be used to help dry the shower when the door is closed. Placing the fan close to the transom also helps draw air out of the shower when the door is closed. Tip: If you have a steam shower, you'll want to
Consider a heated floor. Having a timer for the fan and a floor heating system is a great tag-team approach to a dry and healthy bathroom. Nothing dries out a shower floor or bathroom tile floor faster than some lovely floor heat. Tip: Make sure your heating system is allowed inside the shower. This cable kit from NuHeat is a great option for this.
Leviton Decora Electronic Countdown Timer » 3. Install a fan timer. Find a fan timer with a one-hour setting and have your family use it with every shower. Tip: If you are building new construction, consider adding a remote timer so you can turn the fan on in the middle of the day or evening. It is also possible to wire in a dehumidistat as well, so the fan will run when needed.
Before calling your contractor and complaining about a broken fan, try holding a single sheet of toilet paper in your hand close to the fan grille. If it's a working unit, the fan will suck the paper right off your palm. If it doesn't, you probably need a new fan. Private Comment Add to ideabookby Alderson Construction by Alderson Construction 2. Have multiple ways to dry out your bathroom. This shower has two things that can improve its air quality: a small window for fresh air and a fan. You can also take shorter showers to help reduce mold and mildew, since less moisture will need to be removed. Tip: If you have low ceilings or a steam shower, avoid placing a fan inside the shower. You do not want the steam vapor using the ductwork of the fan as a chimney.
Whisper Quiet Bathroom Fan » 1. Get a great fan. A top-quality fan is a must in the quest for better indoor air quality. If you have a noisy fan, no one will want to use it. This Whisper Quiet Fan from Panasonic is my all-time favorite. I have been installing these for more than 12 years and have had only two complaints. Both times my clients complained that the fan was broken, but in both cases the fan was fine — it was just so quiet they couldn't hear it! Tip: Before calling your contractor and complaining about a broken fan, try holding a single sheet of toilet paper in your hand close to the fan grille. If it's a working unit, the fan will suck the paper right off your palm. If it doesn't, you probably need a new fan.
Decide on your hose's placement. Before placing the supply line for your handheld unit, get out the hose and positon it on the wall. Where does it look best? This photo shows a great installation. Most hoses look best with 8 to 10 inches of spacing. This seems to create the natural bend and allows the swag to stay constant and not kinked.
Lacava Minimal Wall Mount Rain Showerhead - $420.00 » Check the shower arm. Make sure your showerhead has a quality arm. Chrome-plated brass is a great option. It looks great and has some weight to it. Many budget fixtures come with chrome-plated plastic; these can fail in time and are far inferior to chrome-plated brass shower arms. Leaks in the wall can cause thousands of dollars in damages if they go undetected. If you and your partner are different heights and each adjusts the showerhead daily, this is all the more reason to have a quality shower arm or sliding bar with a handheld sprayer.
Gessi Shower System » Don't forget about inspectors. If your bathroom is being inspected, you should ask about the approval ratings needed. Sometimes European fixtures come with an approval letter for your inspector. If the inspector asks for it, you'll want to have it handy.
Plan ahead for steam showers. If you're planning to have steam in your new shower, then look for shower fixtures that have steam vapor flashings included with the rough-in. This might be tough for some sales people to determine, so be prepared to look into it more after you leave a store. You'll also need to shop for a steam generator. Make sure it can be easily accessed — try not to install the generator in the ceiling or under the shower bench. In a specific mechanical room or above the washing machine tends to be a good place that offers more serviceability and drain-pan connection points.
Moen TS2713 90 Degree Posi-Temp Single Handle Tub and Shower Faucet Trim, Chrome - $123.86 » Mix and match fixtures. When shopping for fixtures, don't just walk by the tub packages. These packages usually include a control, a tub filler and a showerhead. The tub filler can be omitted and the water line sent straight to the shower head instead. A simple system like this is perfect for a basic one-fixture shower. Often the tub packages are priced better than shower-only fixtures. Mixing and matching a couple flow valves or a handheld with a tub package can help you save a lot of money in the long run.
Decide on your handheld nozzle's placement. If you're planning to have a shower bench, make sure you can reach and control the handheld while sitting down. A dedicated flow valve for a handheld is great, but often the controls can still be reached in the center of the shower. You can also place the shower controls close to the entry for easy startup with minimal splashing.
This custom MTI air tub (or "bubbler") has wonderful built-in lighting. If you have the option, choose four LED lights in a tub over two. The grid lighting on the back wall is made of individual fiber optic strands set into an installation of stacked slate ledge stone. Tip: Source your LED lights from a reliable store. Place the LED color driver (the driver is what changes the color of the lights — many are remote controlled) somewhere out of the way. Many can generate a little noise and a little heat, so a proper electrical box is key to a safe installation.
I like how this shower uses the light to accent the back wall. The downlighting showcases the rough texture of the natural slate tile. Be careful with this type of setup on a regular tiled wall, since lighting can showcase tile lippage and make a great installation look sloppy. Tip: Try to keep lights as far from walls as possible to reduce highlighting on tile lippage.
This shower drain has its own LED battery pack, which activates when the shower turns on. When water enters the drain, the LED light comes on. The designer incorporated the light so the clients would have more illumination and a way to orient themselves in the shower. This can be a handy feature if you find you have trouble seeing when things steam up in the shower.
If you love sparkle, then consider choosing tile with a little shimmer. Many types of mosaic tile have iridescent properties, which really take light well. The small mosaic on the back wall here will glimmer and sparkle with the right lighting levels. Tip: If you or your spouse suffers from migraine headaches, consider a colored lighting system. A soothing bath and a long steam with just the right color might make things a little better when those pounding migraines kick in.
A backlit art piece like this one is a great way to add something special to a new shower. The lighting is remote controlled and can cycle through all the colors of the rainbow. With the right installer, anything is possible!
There are so many shower fixtures available, and many feature built-in lights. The look is impressive. Consider fixtures that are controllable — many are a fixed color or show blue, green and red. Tip: Take care in the framing and construction of these shower ceilings. Some of these lights can weigh more than 20 pounds
Here is a great example of an intense colored light and its effect on the water spray; steam and water come to life with the incorporation of colored lighting. Four LED pool lights installed on the ceiling of this steam shower create this look. Tip: Red, green and blue light-emitting diodes (LEDs) can be installed to create any combination of colorful or white lights. It's important to make sure the lights are all installed in the same direction so that the pattern and reflection of red, green and blue is consistent.
The bathroom repeats the Plyboo and quartz from the kitchen. Glass vessel sinks and wall-mounted faucets leave the counter feeling open and spa-like.
In the master bath, we were going for an Asian spa-like feeling, where one thing flows into another," says Dahlin. Case in point: The stained concrete tub surround also serves as a shower bench, blurring the line between the bathtub and shower areas. A new teak floor and teak ceiling slats create continuity, while clerestory windows let natural light stream in.
downstairs bath?
shiny tile
serat, lighting under seat, mural
tile work
lights in shelving
shelf
glass shelf
stone in shower wall
shower step up
tile
marble vanity
vanity
For a modern look, use Schluter's Jolly trim to cap the edge of the tile. Coordinate with the other metals in the room and make sure to compare the thickness of the tile to the trim so that it fully covers the edge without hanging over. The L-shaped Jolly trim has a perforated flange that gets set in the thinset before laying the tile — no fasteners are necessary.
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