We loved sharing the stages of our primary addition build this past year. We’ve gotten quite a few questions about our bathroom and thought we’d hash out the biggest question we see across the board: “What are some upgrades you don’t regret?” These are items we see clients commenting on, wishing for, regretting not doing, requesting and more. So we thought about it and decided to turn it into a post here. 7 upgrades you won’t regret for a primary bath! These are the things we always want our clients to consider, and some things we added in our primary bath.
Disclaimer. We feel like this can go without saying… we believe in budgets. But these are some serious elements to consider with all things upgrades for your long-term sanity. We just believe in doing things right. These are some serious elements to consider for your primary bath.
1. 7 Upgrades You Won’t Regret for a PrimaryBath: The Tub
We’re about to take on a bit of a bathroom upgrade with a sweet client in their primary bath. She asked us “Do I really need that tub?” While part of us wants to say, “No. Do what you want!” She’s also thinking about resale value in five years. Universally, tubs are a must-have on most buyers’ lists. So we advised her to keep it. But let’s break it down beyond the practical / resale side of things.
If you’re a bath person anyway, we always say make the actual bathtub part of your bathroom, a priority. If you’re not a bath person, it’s still good to consider it for resale value. The tub in a main bathroom is always important for multiple reasons. I personally tend to love tub time to relax, especially in the colder months when we can’t take a night time dip in our pool. For this space, I chose the Brighton 67 in Matte White Acrylic Double Ended Freestanding Tub, and have absolutely loved it. This is our second tub from Vintage Tub {we’d just tackled a renovation in our last house, when we put it up on the market} but we loved the clawfoot, too.
How it started…
How it’s going. They are certainly giant floofers.
If you’re looking for an upgrade in your bathroom, do the tub. It’s great for resale value, and self-care, too.
2. 7 Upgrades You Won’t Regret for a PrimaryBath: Backlit Mirrors {And Ample Lighting}
Kichler to the rescue! You get ready in the bathroom. You tackle your morning and night routines here. It’s a space to feel safe, clean and pretty if we’re being totally honest. Not every day is a good day, but you may as well make that bath your personal retreat. An escape from the world, if you will.
We chose these mirrors, as a backlit option and will never be the same again. It’s a flattering light that turns on with the touch of a hand from underneath. It also works as an ambient night light when not in direct use. So we always advise our clients in their bathrooms {or especially baths without windows} to splurge on the backlit mirrors. They are game changers.
Good lighting is one of the most important things you can do in a bathroom. So we say lighting is something you definitely won’t regret splurging on.
When it comes to all things Kichler, their pieces and finishes work perfectly in just about any combo to create beautiful lighting within the space.
For the chandelier, we went with their Topiary 6 Light Chandelier in character bronze. I’d originally chosen another Kichler light, which ended up hanging in our bedroom. We debated a ceiling fan {they have really great options} but I am a chandelier lover at heart. So this one was perfect for over our tub. It’s like jewelry for the bathroom.
We paired the mirror with these two sconces make my heart swoon. We also used their amazing downlights to add even more options.
We’ve removed splinters, helped the kids with their nails, trimmed eyebrows… do I need to keep going? You get the picture. Lighting and thinking through all those options is always worth the splurge.
3. 7 Upgrades You Won’t Regret for a PrimaryBath: Heated Floors
We only wish we’d installed this option in other parts of our house, too. But now that the weather is colder, we’re definitely happy to have warmer floors in our primary bath.
Behind our little towel rack, is a hidden floor thermostat. We installed the Schluter system. Here we can control the temps, scheduling, and more. We have to admit, it’s kind of beyond amazing.
It’s programmable, and with the touch of a button we can schedule when we want the heat on. It’s crazy how much we don’t even notice it’s on when it’s on a lower temp… until we walk in other parts of the house that do not have heated floors. So in a bathroom where you’ll spend ample amounts of time barefoot, we highly recommend the entire system and this touch screen thermostat.
4. 7 Upgrades You Won’t Regret for a PrimaryBath: Nicer Fixtures + Countertops
Don’t skimp on the details. Many times we see people suffer from a little bit of what we like to call design fatigue. We get it… renovations can be overwhelming and exhausting. But you don’t have to default to generic to finish it off. I like to remind clients that they’ve spent all this time and energy on a beautiful design – so why skip the part that really matters? It all comes down to the details.
With all things countertops, we have found that the mass-produced vanities you can buy a-la discount from big box stores don’t really hold up long term, when it comes to logevity. Just do a little extra homework and we don’t think you’ll regret getting something a little more durable for the long haul. If you get a good deal on that vanity, we don’t object to using it in the space. But it may be worth the extra splurge to skip that cheap polished marble they always use {trust us, it doesn’t hold up} and upgrade on the countertops.
When it comes to fixtures:
We always choose a trusted brand like Delta, and all that they have to offer.
Be sure to check out all the specifics, here + all the amazing elements they bring to the table when it comes to the things that matter, like H2Okinetic® giving us more coverage with less water and TempAssure® which is perfect for kids.
5. 7 Upgrades You Won’t Regret for a PrimaryBath: A generous backsplash + larger shower
You can only work with what you have within the existing footprints of a renovation. In this instance, it was a new build, but the sizing was restricted for us, by strict septic codes. We knew what we wanted on our list, and worked hard with our architect to make that happen.
If I was the tub girl, Jamin was the shower guy. So we made sure to design a space with ample protection when it came to generous amounts of tile, and a larger shower to boot.
If you can go larger with the shower, we say DO IT. It means less cleaning down the road and allows for lots of space. We even went for double shower heads {See nicer fixtures above} to rock our world. It’s the finer details to make a big difference in maintenance and durability in the long run.
Bonus round: this applies to the shower glass, too. When your glass installer asks if you would like the special guard that is applied when made at the manufacturing plant, to help with all things smudging and cleaning… say YES. We also upgraded to low iron glass for no glare. It got rid of that blue tint in the bathroom shower.
Here’s the technical stuff you need to know Per DFI:
7. 7 Upgrades You Won’t Regret for a PrimaryBath: Storage
Whether the vanity design, a towel tower, a larger shower niche or storage over that toilet… think about what you can use, where. This was like gaining another linen closet, and it helps to store extra towels in this space. Plan ahead and use accordingly. You won’t regret that, either.
7. 7 Upgrades You Won’t Regret for a PrimaryBath: Making it Yours
This one’s really a bonus, but we thought it was important here. Make your bath yours with little touches of personality, and you won’t regret it.
At the end of the day, it’s your bath. These are just things we hope you’ll consider from our own experiences. In the meantime, lean into what you love and embrace your own personal style.
What are some major upgrades you’ve taken on or heard about that you definitely want to include in your next primary bath remodel? We’d love to hear. Have an inspired day!
Cindy says
Re the chandelier in your bathroom – it’s larger and has thinner metal work – did you redo it yourself? If so, what paint/finish did you use? I’m trying to achieve that color on my chandelier and am not sure how. Same with the one in the bedroom with canopy bed frame – it’s a slightly different color.