As we decide more and more that moving is just not the smart thing to do for the moment, many homeowners have decided to begin investing in what we already have. This is the wisest choice that a homeowner can possibly make. What has fallen down, crashed and burned must eventually trickle back up, so the value of our homes will not always reside in the toilet and the best way to help them out is by mini remodels.
Naturally, the most important rooms that you can enhance; the one's that give you the greatest value, are your kitchen and bathroom. You can always embark on a massive remodel, knock down walls, rip out major fixtures... if you need to. Or you can make those small investments that will make the most dramatic impact on your room and help generate value.
Here I have a small example of just that. This client's master suite had a few small issues that blocked value. They have a separate 5' shower and garden tub in great condition, but had plumbing fixtures with a brass and chrom combination, indicative of the late 90's. By replacing the shower faucet, we added instant value. Bye, bye brass!
The most promising area for improvement in their bathroom was their vanity. It was natural maple, which is not a crime, but still a tad outdated. Worse than that, it had cultured marble countertops with shallow sinks built-in and low chrome faucets. There was also textured wallpaper and a huge plate mirror with dressing room spot lights above. You know the ones, you might have some yourself. Who keeps insisting on manufacturing those ball lights anyway?
*** If you have no money to your name other than $100.00 and want to make an impact on your bathroom- nothing says custom or renovated like replacing your plate mirror or medicine cabinet with a framed mirror. Target, Bed Bath and Beyond and Linens & Things all have decent, sometimes great looking mirrors that you can use above your sink. That one change will go a long way!
On this bathroom, we refinished the cabinets to match the merlot/ brown color that we did in their kitchen. I strongly suggest that you do not embark on a do-it-yourself finishing project, as a refinish should always be done by professionals in order for it to be a quality finish that will not come off in time. By adding granite countertops called Juprana Angel, we accentuated the cabinets with the top's black, brown and merlot veining. To add some punch to the cabinets, I chose multi-level vessels in white vitreous china. the great thing about these sinks, is that you can mount them at whatever level you want. Are you shorter? You can invert the sink so only the top ring is showing. Taller or have a lower cabinet, mount this sink from a higher area. The other great thing about these sinks is that your faucet mounts onto the sink, as opposed to the faucet going into the sink itself. It eliminated the need for a vessel sink. (One thing that's important to know when using this sink withiut a vessel faucet is that you will want to use a decorative metal pipe chase or housing to go over the connectors, so you do not see them from the side of the cabinet as you walk by!)
We finished the look of this remodel by removing the wallpaper, testuring and painting the walls of this serene space in Sherwin Williams Halycon Green SW6213. Then, we added two brushed nickel, straight framed, contemporary mirrors and two new light fixtures.
Here's a realistic price breakdown of what you should expect to pay for the basics on such a project. (Hey, that's something they don't tell you on HGTV!)
In my area of Arizona you can now find discount stores that sell slab granite countertops. They are not first rate quality and they have to fit the exact size of your cabinet, as they only come in a few sizes. Most have pre-cut holes, so you could not use them with a vessel sink, but you can pick one up for between $300 to $1,500. The piece in our picture was a little over $2,000, as it was a rarer, better quality stone and was custom cut.
You can find china sinks for as low as $60.00 a piece at the box stores and they can easily be undermounted by a stone worker. Granite is not something that Joe Homeowner can install himself, as you need tools with carbide bits and stone cutting blades. The sinks in this example cost $300 a piece. A good quality faucet can run as little as $200 each. Each mirror was $100 and the lights were $200.
All in all, for a few grand you can completely transform your room and add a great deal of value to your home for when the market picks up...one day. But I'd just do it to beautify your home. Who wouldn't love to come and soak a while in a bathroom like this? Have a good night, all!
No comments:
Post a Comment