My Top 3 Tricks for an Amazing Primary Bath
1: Know when to use a deck mounted faucet and when to use a wall mounted faucet.
Wall mount faucets provide a clean, contemporary look. I love them for that reason, and also because they make cleanup a breeze. Water always splashes on the counter, right? With wall mounts, you don’t have to wipe around a faucet every time you use the sink. Here’s the snag: Wall mount faucets require a valve and supply lines in the wall, whereas deck mounted supply lines run through the floor (and the valve is in the faucet itself). So, placing a wall mount faucet on an exterior wall is a bad idea in a cold climate. Unless you a. live in Hawaii (please call me if you need a bathroom in Hawaii) or b. can double up on the thickness of your wall, use a deck mounted faucet if your sink is on an exterior wall. One more caveat about wall mounts: to access the valve means needing to get into the wall behind it, so make sure you will be able to get into that wall just in case a repair is needed.
2: Use a floating vanity.
These are great looking contemporary features in a bathroom, and it’s so easy to clean underneath them. Make sure to block the wall with 2 x 4s or plywood so that when they are installed, they are securely fastened to this wood. The mounted height on these can be variable for my very tall or smaller clients. You can raise or lower it a couple of inches to suit your preference. There are many options that are large enough to have plenty of storage. We can even design a matching tall cabinet elsewhere in the bathroom for even more storage.
3: Use a lit makeup mirror, and the bigger the better.
My favorite gorgeous workhorse in a bathroom is a recessed medicine cabinet with plenty of storage, an internal outlet for an electric razor or toothbrush, and a door that is a lit mirror. Think 24 inches wide or more. The entire frame illuminates your face, which means you can really see your makeup or hair before you leave the house. And whatever you do, do not use a small, lit wall mount makeup mirror. A wall mounted makeup mirror that is only 6 or 8 inches wide, when lit, will do nothing but shine light in your eyes so you cannot see anything. If you are doing a lit mirror, go big!