How to Renovate and Design your Bathroom Yourself

While it is much easier to give the job to contractors to help with your bathroom design and renovation, it will cost you a lot less if you decide to handle the design and renovation yourself. It might look like a herculean task, but it becomes easier to wrap your head around it when you break the project down into smaller, more straightforward tasks. Other advantages to self-designing your bathroom space are the sense of accomplishment that comes with completing the remodel or renovation and the fact that you can design the bathroom exactly how you want it. 

The design and renovation process is divided into two phases, The pre-renovation or preparatory phase and the renovation phase. Let’s jump in!

Pre Renovation Tips

Deciding to renovate your bathroom does not start with taking a sledgehammer to everything in sight or having a wrecking ball pound your old bathroom to smithereens. Instead, have a look at the things you need to do before hammering any nail. 

Clear the space

The first thing to do is take away things that are of value from the bathroom. Anything that you can easily move should be taken away, and you should discard things you would no longer need. This step is necessary to mitigate avoidable collateral damage and ensure no holdup when the process kicks off. 

Make precise measurements

Free remodel advice? Don’t hit the hardware store without making precise measurements of your space. It would help if you had a floor plan on paper or at least a mental idea of what you want to do with the space, what goes where and in what order. For example, the bathtub usually takes the most space, and everything else comes in around the tub. Therefore, you must know the typical bathtub size and other size options available in your bathroom space.

Choose a design

You can decide to retain the old design and only change the fixtures, features and bathroom fittings. But if you are looking for a completely new look, a change of style and layout would give your bathroom a fresh feel. You should check out more ideas to aid your decision to choose between modern, contemporary or other bathroom styles and themes. 

Colour scheme

After you have decided on your bathroom style, the next step is to determine what colour tones you would implement to bring your bathroom to remodel ideas to life. You can either follow the colour scheme in other rooms or break out the norm with something utterly alien to your home setup. Whatever choice you make, you would have to live with it for as long as it takes until you next consider a bathroom remodel or renovation, so make a conscious choice. 

Source tools and supplies

All that is left is for you to hit the hardware store to purchase all the supplies you need to work uninterrupted. Below are some essential tools for you to purchase:

  • Safety masks
  • Hammer
  • Tape measure
  • Power drill
  • Hacksaw
  • Utility Knife
  • Extension cord
  • Goggles
  • Silicone sealant
  • Caulking gun
  • Bucket
  • Chisel
  • Adjustable wrench
  • Flathead screwdriver
  • Pry bar
  • Cordless drill

Renovation Tips

Now to the crux of the topic. You currently have all the tools you need and a clear mental picture of what you are trying to achieve. So let’s see how we can put all these together and create a bathroom you would love! 

Remove old fixtures

How much you would be removing from your old bathroom depends on whether you are doing a partial or complete remodel. The first step is to drain your toilet to avoid any sticky spills. If you are replacing your bathtub, the first thing is to cover the tub and remove the bath tile down to the studs. You should then proceed to remove drywall and old cabinets or vanities. 

Install new fixtures

Out with the old and in with the new. After you have carefully removed old fixtures, it’s time to install replacements. The ones to go in first are the shower and bathtubs or bathtub-shower combo if you are not working with a lot of space. You should consider where the door is and the direction it opens when installing your tub or shower, especially if they have a glass aesthetic. 

With your tub and shower out of the way, you can shift your attention to fixing the lights and other electrical/wiring connections. After which, you can proceed to lay down your new floor tiles. The new look is incomplete if you don’t swap out tiles. 

Consider also replacing your old toilet with a new water-saving macerator toilet to save labor and cost. The majority of old toilets use a lot of water, which might be the source of your excessive water costs. Thus, it is high time that you replace it with a new and efficient one.

Paint the walls or put up wallpapers

At this point, you should already like what you see. The next step is to hang your drywall. This would not be easy at first but would ease up as soon as you get started. The following are some tips to make it easy to hang your new drywall. 

  • Use tape and drywall mud to cover seams and fill in gaps
  • For your tub/shower wall, you should use cement board instead of drywall

Upon successful completion, you should then proceed to splash paint on your bathroom walls. You can stick to the traditional bathroom colours or be daring and expressive with your colour choice. 

Install your vanity

It is about time for the vanities to join the fray. The first ones in should be the taps and sink. You can move to install the mirrors and other cabinets as soon as you have connected the drain to the tap. 

Hook up the plumbing

There is no good or bad time to fix the plumbing, particularly to reinstall the toilet. It is only better to avoid chipping as you work on other bathroom parts at the end of the process. You are good to go as soon as you are done with this step. 

Finishing Touches

Congratulations! If you have been following step by step, by now, you have all the information to renovate or remodel your bathroom yourself. If it is your first time taking on any construction project, you should ask for help from family or friends. Happy remodelling!

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