Bathrooms are small rooms with a lot of decisions in them, and the order you make those decisions in is what keeps a remodel on budget. Clients usually come to me having fallen in love with a tile. That is a fine place to start emotionally, but it is the fourth decision, not the first. Here is the order I use on every bathroom, from a powder room refresh to a full primary bath.
1. Fix the layout before you touch a finish
Moving plumbing is the most expensive thing you can do in a bathroom, so decide early whether the toilet, vanity and shower stay where they are. Then check the clearances: 30 inches of width for the toilet (15 inches from its centerline to any wall or fixture), 21 inches of clear floor in front of the vanity and toilet, 24 inches in front of a shower door, and a shower that is at least 32 by 32 inches, ideally 36 by 36 or larger. A scaled plan with those dimensions on it is the first drawing I make.
2. Choose the vanity, because everything else measures against it
The vanity sets the sink count, the mirror width, the sconce placement and the counter material. A single 36 or 48 inch vanity suits most baths; a double needs 60 inches minimum and 72 is more comfortable. Decide between a furniture-style piece, a floating vanity (easier floor cleaning, more modern) and a built-in. Pick the faucet hole configuration at the same time so the counter can be cut correctly.
3. Pick the plumbing fixtures and their finish
Faucet, shower valve and trim, tub filler, towel bars, paper holder and robe hooks should be chosen as one family in one finish. Polished chrome is the most forgiving and the least expensive; brushed nickel hides water spots; matte black and brass are beautiful but show every fingerprint and should be bought from one manufacturer so the tones match. Order the rough-in valve early; it goes in the wall long before the trim.
4. Now the tile: floor, shower walls, then accents
Choose the floor first. A smaller format (2 inch hex, 4 inch square, or a mosaic) gives more grout lines and better slip resistance; large porcelain planks look seamless but need a flatter subfloor. Then the shower walls, usually a larger and simpler tile so the floor and vanity can do the talking. Finally, one accent: a niche, a band, or a feature wall behind the vanity. Two accents compete; three is a showroom. Take grout color seriously; it changes the look of a tile more than most people expect.
5. Lighting in three layers
Sconces on either side of the mirror at roughly eye level (about 60 to 66 inches off the floor) light a face evenly; a single light above the mirror casts shadows. Add a recessed or surface light over the shower and tub, and a general ceiling light on a dimmer. Choose warm white bulbs, 2700 to 3000 Kelvin, across all of them.
6. The things nobody plans and everyone regrets
- Storage: a recessed medicine cabinet, a niche in the shower, drawers rather than doors in the vanity.
- Ventilation: a quiet fan sized to the room, on a timer switch.
- Outlets: one inside a vanity drawer for the hair dryer, and GFCI outlets beside the sink.
- Door swing and towel bar placement: check them on the plan with the vanity drawn in.
- Samples: see the floor tile, wall tile, counter and paint together in the room's own light before ordering.
Below are examples from my projects: a bathroom plan and elevation drawn to scale, a custom vanity drawing beside the finished piece, and two completed baths that followed this exact order.
If you want this done for your bathroom — the plan, the elevations, the fixture and finish selections and a shopping list — my Flat Rate Bathroom Design is $850 per room, delivered online, for anyone, anywhere.
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