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Remodeling a primary bathroom can provide a spa-like sanctuary while adding value to your home. With some design upgrades, including countertops, tiles, fixtures, cabinetry, and a bathtub, you can create a new look that really makes a splash.
The vast array of materials, colors, and design choices can be overwhelming. To help get you started, read on for 20 primary bathroom — formerly referred to as a “master bathroom” — remodel ideas.
Key Points
• Primary bathroom remodel ideas include updates such as new countertops and space-saving floating vanities.
• Master bathrooms have evolved away from opulent designs to be functional, spa-like spaces.
• Current trends emphasize organic materials and earthy tones for a natural, calming atmosphere.
• The average primary bathroom size is around 100 square feet, typically featuring double sinks, a large shower, and a toilet.
• Remodeling costs vary, with a full renovation costing $25,000-$80,000.
How the Primary Bathroom Has Changed Over Time
In the 1960s and 1970s, people started migrating from the cities to suburbia. More space meant more square footage. Initially, a primary bath meant a bigger bathroom with a double sink. In the 1980s, opulence was king. Primary bathrooms meant sunken jetted tubs, lavish fixtures, and expansive countertops for perfume bottles and dressing vanities.
Today, many real estate agents and developers use the term “primary” bathroom or bedroom and have dropped “master” from the vernacular. While primary bathrooms are still spacious, style trends have taken a more subtle turn toward organic materials and earthier tones.
Regardless of trends, the primary bathroom is here to stay and is considered a must-have for many first-time homebuyers and experienced buyers.
What Is the Average Size of a Primary Bathroom?
A primary bathroom is defined as the largest bathroom in the house and is almost always connected to the primary bedroom. A suburban primary bath averages around 100 square feet but may range from 36-200 square feet or more.
A primary bathroom typically features:
• A double sink
• A large shower
• A toilet
A bathtub is not a requisite, but these days, most homebuyers want a tub in the primary bathroom, especially if there isn’t another one in the house.
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10 Standard Primary Bathroom Remodel Ideas
An average-size primary bathroom renovation may cost $6,700-$30,000, depending on material types, labor costs (do you need to find a contractor?), and the scope of the project.
Here are 10 remodeling ideas for a standard primary bath that can offer panache for your cash.
1. Refresh Your Countertops
Replacing worn-out countertops in a primary bath can transform the feel of the space. Granite, marble, and quartz counters add a sense of contemporary elegance but cost more than laminate.
Granite can cost $15-$140 per square foot, marble, $15-$190, and quartz, $50-$250. Laminate costs around $8-$27 per square foot. That’s just the materials.
2. Go for the Hip, Hip Bidet
While common in Europe and Japan, bidets are finally gaining popularity in the United States. Because bidets limit the use of toilet paper, they’re considered good for the environment and better for your skin.
A stand-alone bidet with installation can run between $500 and $15000. An all-in-one bidet toilet can cost anywhere from $1,200-$2,000.
3. Install a Walk-in Shower
Walk-in showers are usually partially enclosed with glass and devoid of doors, tubs, and shower curtains. The lack of barriers creates an open, contemporary look, almost like bathing in an outdoor shower.
Beyond being stylish, walk-in showers are accessible. With no steps or ledges to trip over, this type of shower remodel will age well with you and your home.
4. Consider Shower Speakers
As long as you’re redoing the shower, you might as well add some in-ceiling shower speakers. These advanced sound systems offer hands-free use, connecting to voice assistants such as Siri or Alexa. Singing in the shower never sounded so good!
5. Install a Fan Timer Switch
A long, hot shower can generate a lot of steam. A smart-fan timer will sense the amount of steam and moisture in the air, turning on and staying on long after you’ve toweled off. This can prevent water damage, excess moisture, and potential mold.
6. Upgrade Outdated Fixtures
Switching out your old faucets, knobs, and light fixtures is a quick and cost-efficient way to spiff up your primary bathroom.
7. Tile an Accent Wall
Retiling the entire bathroom can take a big bite out of your wallet. Some homeowners are choosing to tile a single wall or focal area. You can energize the space by contrasting white subway tiles with a colorful wall of hexagonal tiles.
8. Elevate Your Look With Floating Shelves
Even a primary bathroom can use more storage. Floating shelves on the walls can help achieve a sleek, minimalist look and cost less than installing cabinets.
If the bathroom has a closet or you’d like to add one, a closet remodel might be in order.
9. Keep Things Cozy With Heated Floors and Towel Racks
If you’re renovating your primary bathroom floors, perhaps you could put in an electric or water-based heating system. This will ensure toasty toes without clunky radiators or exposed pipes.
Heated towel racks provide warmth in the winter and a quick-drying option for summer beach towels, all for about the same electric costs as flipping on a light switch.
10. Outlets in the Vanity Drawers
A primary bath typically has a lot of vanity drawers. Installing outlets inside the drawers will help keep hair dryers, electric razors, and other appliances from cluttering your countertop.
10 Small Primary Bathroom Remodel Ideas
Not every primary bathroom has enough space for a Jacuzzi tub. Here are some remodeling ideas for a small master bath.
1. Install a Pocket Door
Doors that open on hinges can take up a lot of space. A sliding pocket door to the bathroom can make the primary bath feel much roomier.
2. Add a Skylight
Adding a skylight in your primary bathroom can flood the space with natural light, making it feel more airy and spacious. So can recessed lighting.
3. Choose a Long Sink
Instead of the standard double sink, consider a long, trough-like sink for a primary bathroom vanity. It can provide a chic, modern look, and the elongated sink creates the illusion of more space.
4. Mount an Elongated Mirror
As with a long sink, stretching a mirror across a whole wall, instead of just over the vanity, can add depth and extra reflective light.
5. Opt for a Floating Vanity
A floating vanity is a cool design choice for a smaller primary bath. It can add openness and more space underneath the sink for storage.
6. Add Lights Under the Cabinets
Cabinets, vanities, and shelves can cast a shadow on the floor, darkening a master bathroom and making it feel smaller. Installing lights underneath countertops and storage units can cast a downward light to add dimension.
7. Stretch the Floor Tiles Into the Shower Stall
If you have a walk-in shower, consider extending the floor tiles into the shower stall floor. The continuity of design will give the illusion of a longer space.
8. Add Storage
Select bathroom pieces with a dual purpose, such as mirrors with built-in shelves or a vanity with multiple drawers. Containing your clutter will make the primary bath seem bigger and is one of the ways to refresh your home.
9. Consider a Freestanding Bathtub
Although a stand-alone tub can need more room for its fixtures, a clawfoot or modern oval bathtub can make a small primary bathroom feel grand.
10. Stick to Light Colors
Soft whites, blues, and greens reflect natural light from windows and skylights, making the primary bath seem more spacious. Choose light vs. dark colors for wall paint, shower curtains, and countertops.
Ways to Finance a Primary Bathroom Remodel
A primary bathroom renovation can add up. Here are several ways to finance the project.
HELOC
If you own your home and have sufficient equity, you may be able to open a home equity line of credit (HELOC), using your home as collateral. You’ll only make payments on the amount you borrow, and a HELOC may offer a higher borrowing limit and lower interest rate than a credit card or personal loan.
But the rate is usually variable and can increase, and you could face closing costs and a minimum withdrawal requirement. If you default on a HELOC, you risk losing your house.
Still, HELOCs tend to be hot when interest rates are rising.
Cash-Out Refinance
If you have sufficient home equity, you can apply for a cash-out refinance. You would refinance your home mortgage loan for more than you owe, take out part of the cash difference, and use the lump sum to build your new primary bathroom.
Expect mortgage refinancing costs of 2%-5% of the loan amount.,
Personal Loan
With a personal loan for home improvements, you can receive a lump sum and repay it with interest in monthly installments. These loans typically offer same-day funding with no collateral required. The rate is based on the loan term, the amount of credit requested, and your credit score.
Credit Card
If you have a 0% interest period on a credit card, it could be a smart way to pay for your primary bath reno. But unless you pay attention to the end of that introductory period, you could end up buried in interest charges. A missed payment will hurt your credit scores, and most of the time, a late payment will stay on a credit report for seven years.
The Takeaway
Remodeling a primary bathroom will add value to your home and create a retreat where you can invest in some serious self-care. The cost to remodel has a wide range.
SoFi now offers flexible HELOC options to turn your home equity into cash. Access up to 85% of your home equity, or $350,000, to finance home improvements or consolidate debt. Competitive interest rates and repayment terms up to 20 years could result in lower monthly payments versus other loans. And the online application process is quick and convenient.
FAQ
Does remodeling a bathroom increase home value?
Yes. Recent estimates show that the average cost of a full bathroom remodel is around $25,000-$80,000, and homeowners could expect a return on investment upon resale of about 70%.
What is the biggest expense in a bathroom remodel?
Labor in general, and plumbing and tile work in particular. Want to move the toilet? That’s a complicated task.
What is trending in bathrooms?
Steam showers, towel and floor heaters, and spa-inspired decor are popular, along with vintage-inspired sinks, mirrors, light fixtures, and clawfoot tubs. Wet rooms, where the shower, tub, sink, and toilet are all in the same room at the same level, earth and jewel tones, and smart devices are also trending.
What should you not do when remodeling a bathroom?
A downward-facing light centered over the mirror can cast a shadow. Other mistakes: not adding enough storage, buying fixtures made with plastic parts instead of metal, installing a hook out of reach from the shower, and not adding a hand shower, which will mean a tougher task cleaning the shower walls.
Photo credit: iStock/stocknroll
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