At LaBonte Construction, we focus on delivering the highest quality remodeling projects to our clients. Even if you do not have an unlimited budget, incorporating some of these ideas into your bathroom remodel can be a cost effective way to make your bathroom stand out.
Adding Upgraded Angle Stops and P-Traps
Angle stops are the valves that act as the shutoff for each of the fixtures in your bathroom. Traditionally, there is one located on the supply to your toilet. There is also one on both the hot, and cold sides of your sink’s faucet. If you have a standalone bidet, there would also be an angle stop on the supply line to that fixture. Usually, production builders would install the least expensive stop code allowed. These stops would require several turns to close. These valves often omit quality brass internals in favor of plastics for cost saving measures.
At LaBonte Construction, our standard is a solid brass quarter turn valve. This angle stop requires you turn it 45 degrees from on to off, and also gives the handle a better chance of not failing over time. It is vital that these valves work years later to avoid flooding when you have a leaking faucet, or to avoid draining the water lines of the entire home during routine maintenance.
P-Traps
As another cost saving measure, builders use a PVC P-Trap to connect the sink drain to the waste lines in the wall. Although we think these are fine for the inside of a vanity where they will not be seen, they are ugly and can cheapen your space when exposed. A pedestal or console sink does not do a great job of hiding the pipes under the sink. We recommend considering other options to make your bathroom remodel look more refined.
Our standard inclusions are great for vanities, but designers and clients often appreciate using upgraded, decorative angle stops and P-Traps in their projects. These plumbing upgrades are most common on toilets and sinks, where valves are visible and can be appreciated. Not only are several styles of handle offered, but also all of the popular finishes. This allows our remodeling clients to match the angle stop to the finish of their plumbing fixtures.
Make sure to let us know you want upgraded stops at the beginning of your project because the builder needs to install the plumbing in a way that allows for these upgraded valves. To complete the look, our plumbers will utilize hard-piped supply lines and premium escutcheons around the pipes.
Custom Medicine Cabinets
LaBonte Construction’s cabinet shop can fabricate a medicine cabinet to match your space. Stacked moldings with butt hinges and a hand-brushed oil finish can give your bathroom an old-world feel. Other clients may desire a modern look and have us fabricate something like a sleek walnut frame. Choosing between a flat or beveled mirror can also make a big impact. While usually not a large portion of the budget, the mirror takes up a lot of the total surface area in your bathroom remodeling project. Quality execution is essential when tying the space together, as well as providing the perfect place to store your toiletries.
Painting Light Fixtures and Fans
When trying to achieve the most luxurious feel for your bathroom remodel, we suggest getting rid of white eyesores on the ceiling (unless your ceiling is white). Usually, it is easy and inexpensive to paint the plastic trims around can lights and bath fan covers. Our qualified painters prepare these plastic and metal surfaces, then apply paint that will help the electrical fixtures vanish into the ceiling in a stylish way.
Upgrading Light Switches
Upgrading light switches is one of the least expensive ways to add luxury to your bathroom remodel. It can have a big impact on the way you enjoy you newly remodeled space. In a bathroom that is meant to look historic, we recommend reproduction push-button light switches. They look like the originals, but increase safety and include the ability to add a dimmer function.
If your bathroom is more modern or high-tech, you can select a smart switch that allows for smart phone and home automation integration, programmable moods, and can even control the shades.
Others prefer an industrial or masculine look, and opt for a machined-metal light switch like the offerings from Buster & Punch. Adding decorative or sleek switch plate covers that match the finishes in the bathroom can complete the look, and turn an eyesore into a focal point.
If you are remodeling your bathroom and want the switches to disappear, it might be worth investing in a solution like the offerings from TRUFIG or Forbes & Lomax.
Using an Oriental Rug
Most people use a bath mat that coordinates with their towels in their newly remodeled bathroom. There is nothing wrong with that. If you are looking for the perfect bath mat, we love the offerings from Waterworks. You might, however, be missing an opportunity to express yourself and add visual interest to your new space. Oriental rugs in bathrooms have been popular for years and can add color to the monochrome bathrooms so many remodeling clients request.
It is a popular belief that Oriental and Persian Rugs are very expensive, and in many cases that’s true. However, size is a major factor in the price of many of these rugs. Your new master bathroom gives you the opportunity to buy a luxury item in a smaller size. Oriental rugs may not be a good option for your living room where your kids or pets might destroy them, but may be a worthwhile investment for your bathroom.
If the local rug galleries do not have a rug you love, we have had success buying them at auction in Chicago, at resale stores and at local estate sales. Buying your bathroom rug this way can involve a little more knowledge, and will likely require coordinating the cleaning of your new rug. Additionally, your new rug should have a pad so you do not slip. Please make sure to check with the tile manufacturer if your floor has a temperamental natural stone in order to avoid staining from dye bleed or materials in the pad.
Adding Custom Shades
While we are not usually involved in the selection of window treatments as a remodeling contractor, we do assist with coordinating the installation of specialty shades and blinds. In addition to adding beauty through another texture and material, bathrooms benefit tremendously from harnessing and controlling natural light. The right lighting can positively affect your mood, help you while you shave or put on your makeup, and present your newly remodeled bathroom in the best light.
For privacy, many of our clients select plantation shutters or top-down bottom-up blinds. Clients with an interest in home automation can tie their blinds to their lighting scenes. With the touch of a button or by schedule, they can open and close their blinds to suit their needs.
Heated Towel Racks
Much like a heated floor, a heated towel rack is a luxury some can’t live without during our cold Milwaukee winters. There are three types of towel racks we install: electric, central/hydronic, and dual-fuel. Electric towel racks use a heating element that is on a timer or a switch to heat the towels. A central or hydronic towel rack is hooked up to your home’s boiler and can act as an additional heat source in your bathroom, often requiring no additional energy. A dual-fuel towel rack is connected to your boiler and is supplemented by an electric element when the boiler system is not on.
Upgrade Your Baseboards
Most homes in the U.S. have a 3.25” painted wood baseboard. In some applications, this type of baseboard fits with the style of your home, but in others, a taller or more ornate option would better fit the bill. Together with the client or designer, we can work to select a more significant baseboard, mill a custom baseboard in our shop, expertly install a tile baseboard to match your bathroom tile, or combine several stock molding profiles from a lumber supplier to create a one of a kind stacked baseboard.
Add Decorative Cabinet Hardware
Decorative hardware can be subtle or make a statement. When well executed, hardware can tie a bathroom together and have a huge visual impact. Often described as “jewelry for your cabinets”, decorative hardware comes in all shapes and sizes. When compared to a kitchen, bathrooms usually require fewer pulls and knobs which allow many of our clients to splurge without impacting their budget while having us install something really special. With the variety of shapes, sizes and price points, most of our remodeling clients find hardware is a great place to inject their personality into their bathroom remodel.
Heated Tile Floors
One of the most popular upgrades clients request are heated tile floors. There is nothing worse in a cold Midwestern winter than getting up early and stepping onto a chilly floor. Luckily, you do not need a boiler to have heated floors. There are several manufacturers of electric in-floor heating. We work closely with the architect, suppliers and HVAC contractors to make sure we specify the correct system to provide safe, reliable underfloor heating for the life of your bathroom.
Our current favorite system not only warms the floor, but also provides uncoupling, load support and vapor management for the most solid tile installation possible. These in-floor heating systems can be put on a schedule like a traditional thermostat, and some can also be connected to home automation systems.
Finishing Touches
LaBonte Construction has focused on high quality remodeling since our founding in 2006. Our motto is “Home is in the details”, and in no place is this more evident than in the details we incorporate into our client’s bathrooms. When designing and budgeting for your next bathroom project or addition, it is important to onboard the builder at the early planning stages. This allows you to make sure you have an accurate budget, but also take advantage of our years of experience. We have done hundreds of bathroom projects and can help you create the heirloom quality space of your dreams.
Contact the home remodeling team at LaBonte Construction today to get started.