Just like buying your first home, your first bathroom renovation can feel overwhelming. From designs to fixtures, the bathroom remodeling industry offers a bewildering variety of choices. The National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA), for example, notes no less than six bathroom design styles, including Victorian, Southwestern, and Eclectic! While we agree with the NKBA that choosing a specific design style will make the process much easier for you and for your designer,
we prefer to limit our choices to three essentials: traditional, contemporary, and modern.
We believe the traditional, contemporary, and modern design styles offer perfectly suitable templates for most homeowners. Below we discuss each style in detail. However, if you're looking for a style more uniquely suited to your tastes, you can combine elements of each of these designs, or you can consult a professional bathroom remodeling company.
Enterprise Home Remodeling is always available to answer your bathroom design questions. Call us at (215) 355-4747 to schedule your Free Bathroom Design Consultation.
Traditional Bathroom Design
As the name implies, a traditional bathroom design is the timeless style that has outfitted homes since the early twentieth century. Before the first bathrooms, many families bathed in a galvanized tub located in the kitchen. Meanwhile, the toilet's ancestor, the outhouse, was located outside. Only in the early 20th century, when scientists discovered the role of bacteria in human health, did the bathroom become a permanent fixture. Still, for most of the 20th century, home designers prioritized bedrooms and closets over bathrooms. As a consequence, most traditional bathroom designs are much smaller than contemporary or modern designs.
The relatively limited space of the traditional bathroom determines its simple and elegant nature. From porcelain claw foot tubs to marble sinks, a traditional style emphasizes sturdy materials and charm. The color scheme is typically muted. Primary colors like white and black best - think checkerboard tiles - serve the style's simplicity, but many patterns and patinas can easily harmonize with traditional design elements. Of great appeal to most homeowners (and many potential homebuyers), a traditional bathroom update can increase your home's value significantly.
Contemporary Bathroom Design
If bathroom designs were placed on a timeline, form traditional to modern, contemporary would fit somewhere in the middle. A contemporary bathroom design might utilize elements from the modern style, but its roots are often traditional. While a contemporary bathroom update might include a modern-style stainless steel bath or granite countertop, the feeling of the space will inevitably preserve the elegant simplicity of the traditional bathroom.
Simplicity is key: contemporary bathroom updates are characterized by clean lines, minimalist fixtures, and unobstructed space. Many spas and health centers exploit a similar design to inspire a mood of no-frills sophistication and relaxation. Relaxation is key, too: color schemes often combine warm neutral colors with accents of bolder colors like sunshine yellow or mint green. While basking in the comfort of, say, a warm ocher, a bold color is meant to offer a feeling of proximate but not necessarily intruding drama.
One important difference between contemporary and traditional bathroom designs is space. Contemporary bathrooms often benefit from additional space not available to traditional bathrooms. If you're a traditional bathroom enthusiast, but live in a relatively new home with ample space, a contemporary bathroom update might be your most suitable choice.
Modern Bathroom Design
A modern bathroom update might be a bit busy,
but it should still maintain the clean lines and elegant sophistication of the best contemporary bathrooms. The key to a successful modern bathroom update is the integration of a variety of design elements. Drawing inspiration from across the globe, from Japan's Zen to the French Riviera, a modern bathroom might include elements as diverse as a Zen-inspired pebbled floor and a pink pastel accent wall straight out of the Cote d'Azur. Contrasting materials work well in a modern bathroom update, so think both natural and man-made materials, from stone to porcelain. Color schemes should suit the materials, too, so think beige to complement wooden fixtures or ivory for your new, yet modern, porcelain tub. And don't forget those accents: bold colors can work in a modern bathroom design, too, as long as they complement the fixtures.
Kitchen Remodeling
Master Kitchen & Bath Design has set the standard for kitchen remodeling in the Bucks County area for over thirty years. A rare find in the kitchen remodeling industry, MKBD excels in both in-house design and construction. We never use subcontractors, all of our team members, from our lead designer to lead carpenter, take ownership of each project.
Bathroom Remodeling
Master Kitchen and Bath Design designs beautiful bathrooms to complement both older and newly constructed homes. For over thirty years, MKBD has distinguished itself as the leading bathroom remodeling company in the Philadelphia area. When you work with MKBD, you partner with the most innovative and skilled talent in the bathroom remodeling industry.
Finished Basements
In many homes, the basement is a neglected space, a hideaway for moldering storage boxes, discarded furniture, and outdated supplies. A remodeling project can transform your basement into a functional living space. From recreational rooms to guest suites, Master Kitchen & Bath Design excels in the design and construction of finished basements.
