Bathroom Wall Cabinets – Go Beyond the Basics

Bathroom wall cabinets are functional, in fact that is the main reason we add them to our bathrooms.  Though function is important, design is equally important.  You can really have some great cabinets that enhance your overall design.

Bathroom wall cabinets vary dramatically in size.  The size variances include the height, width and depth of the cabinets.  You should keep this in mind when designing your bathroom and selecting the wall cabinets.

Bathroom Wall Cabinets – Go Up to Conserve Space

The cabinets you choose must provide you with sufficient storage space.  If you have limited space to work with or you simply like an open looking bathroom, think height more than width.

If you go up rather than wide, you can obtain the storage space you need without overcrowding your bathroom.  Two tall, narrow cabinets can have as much, if not more, storage space as one wide cabinet.

Tall cabinets are also dramatic and can add great style to your bathroom.  Think beyond the basic vanity cabinet and go up.

Bathroom Wall Cabinets – Design Elements

When choosing bathroom wall cabinets you should have key design elements in mind.  For example, is the cabinet completely closed, meaning there are no open shelves or open spaces?  This can look great, but that does take away from giving your bathroom an open feel.

Some bathroom wall cabinets have open features including uncovered shelves, glass elements and mirror elements to help retain an open feel to the bathroom.

Other design considerations are the color of the cabinets.  The colors and tones of the materials used will have a dramatic impact on the overall look of your bathroom.  You want to make sure the color chosen matches the rest of the décor and does not clash with your walls, floor or fixtures.

Look at the hardware used on the cabinets and make sure they match the other hardware and metal in your bathroom.  Depending on how close they will be to other metal elements you may have to really take your time to get the right hardware.

Bathroom Wall Cabinets – The Budget

Every consumer has a general or specific budget in mind when they are doing any type of home improvement.  When you are putting together you budget for bathroom wall cabinets make sure you consider how they will add to the overall resale value of your home – remember, kitchens and bathrooms sell homes.

Try to find the best quality bathroom wall cabinets your budget will allow for.

The bathroom light is probably  the most important light in any room of the house.

Lighting is crucial to how well your bathroom functions.  The bathroom is where we all do some very detailed and important work such as applying makeup or shaving.  Obviously, you do not want to make a mistake with either one of those tasks due to poor lighting.  It is also the first place we see ourselves in the morning and the last place we see ourselves at night.  Don’t you want the sight of yourself to be a positive one?  I’ve got some tips for lighting that I learned while researching the possibilities for our own bathroom.

Tip #1 – Consult a Lighting Designer

A lighting designer will consider the bath’s overall design to determine the amount and placement of light needed in the space.  Visit the International Association of Lighting Designer’s website at www.iald.org. However, if a designer does not fit in the budget, there are many books and guides to help you along.

Tip #2 – Layer the Light

Anyone who has been in a bathroom with just one light source knows how unflattering a single source of light can be.  A bathroom remodel calls for the following 4 types of light:

1. Task Lighting provides adequate light for applying make-up and shaving. The best way to achieve this is a pair of fixtures mounted on the wall flanking the sink or “work area”.  This is called cross illumination.
2. Ambient Lighting is achieved by bouncing the light off the ceiling, which softens shadows and can take ten years off a person’s age.
3. Accent lighting adds depth and dimension.  It allows you to illuminate design features, such as art, plants, or beautiful tiles.
4. Decorative lighting, created by hanging eye-catching fixtures from the ceiling, will dress up the bath, and add some luxury.

Tip #3 – Create a Scene

Zoned lighting and dimmers can adjust for a variety of situations or “scenes”.  Different lighting scenes give you bright light in the area where you get ready in the morning, or create soft lighting for a relaxing soak in the tub.

Tip #4 – Overcome Design Challenges

Often bathrooms are located on interior walls, lacking any source of natural light.  This lack of a natural light source can feel a bit subterranean.  It is best to try to incorporate natural light wherever possible.  Experts recommend the addition of windows or skylights as part of a remodel.

Basically, if your bathroom light looks good, you will too.

The bathroom is undoubtedly the wettest room in the house.

Not only do the sink, tub, and shower add moisture every time they are used, but the toilet and bidet are, in effect, just open pools of water, adding the products of evaporation to the room.  Many problems can occur just because of unvented moisture in the bathroom.  The warm, wet atmosphere encourages the growth of mold and mildew, unattractive and odorous substances.  A steamy mirror or sweating toilet is a sign that the bathroom is just too moist.  These seemingly innocent, if annoying, problems can be the symptoms of deeper trouble that can affect the integrity of the structure of your home.

The excessive moisture in the bathroom can actually penetrate the walls and cause the wood to rot in them.  Insulation can be ruined and rendered ineffective by bathroom moisture, and warping of the supports, walls, and floor can cause expensive problems as well.

Fortunately, there is a simple solution to the problem of excessive moisture in the bathroom, and that is with the installation of a bathroom fan.  These fans  draw the moisture away from your bathroom and vent it outside your house.  Be aware that venting a bathroom fan to the attic will not solve your moisture problems, it will only redirect them to your attic, where the moisture may cause even more damage can to your home. To be effective, the fan must be vented to the outdoors.

The fan you choose will work best if it is scaled to the size of your bathroom.  Obviously, a large, spacious bathroom will need a much larger fan than a small one.  Many people tend to think that one size fits all, but it does not – make sure you get a fan that can adequately vent moisture for the size of your bathroom.

However, bathroom fans can provide more than just simple ventilation.  Fans that combine a decorative light with the fan can add a beautiful and sophisticated touch to your bathroom.  These decorative combination units are available in many different traditional styles.  There are also more functional fan/light combinations available for a sleeker, more modern look.

Bathroom fans with lights will not only provide a way to rid the room of excess moisture, but will also assist in providing more light as well.

And in those areas that experience cold winter temperatures, extra heat can be provided to your bathroom with a fan that comes with a heater.  These fans will quickly warm your bathroom while removing moisture.  Besides all the types of bathroom fans mentioned already, these appliances can also come equipped with a humidity sensor which will turn the fan on automatically when the moisture in the bathroom reaches a certain level.