Beautify and Update Your Bathroom

Updating and renovating bathrooms is a great way to enhance your home.

Kevin Walsh, owner of Trinity Home Center in New Haven, and Dana Knueve, an interior design consultant with the business, say there are many trends that are making the bathroom safer and more aesthetically pleasing, rather than just being functional.

According to Walsh, there are certain things to consider when remodeling a bath. Simple changes can make a big impact.

“You have to think about what you want to change, in what order, and your budget,” he says.

Simply changing the hardware and countertops can drastically change the look of a bathroom, while a tile shower, multiple shower heads, hand-held faucets, seating and body sprays can create a spa-like experience. Other luxurious amenities include LED-lighted mirrors, quiet exhaust fans with chromatic lighting and built-in speakers, heated floors and towel bars, atmospheric lighting, and sound systems.

Homeowners should focus on the ultimate goal they want to achieve.

“People want to stay in their homes longer,” he says. “We can help with that by putting more safety measures in place.”

Eliminating the step into a shower, adding grab bars, a built-in seat, and faucets that are easier to use can all add to a safer experience in the shower or bath. Slippery shower floors can be transformed with smaller tiles, which have more grout lines for a rougher surface.

Linear drains provide a flatter surface for better balance, and they keep the shower floor freer of soap and water. A hand-held unit allows a person to sit or stand while showering.

Other fixtures are popular, too.

“We have completed remodels that turn a single shower head into dual shower heads with various functions such as providing the feeling of more water, without using more,” she says.

Rain head showerheads can be mounted on an extended shower arm or from the ceiling to give the feeling of standing in a warm rain.

Taller vanities make for less bending. Toilet seats that are higher off the floor make it easier to get up and down, and they’re safer for those with mobility issues.

Other trends for the bathroom include decorating in neutral colors, especially warm tones of beige and brown, using natural materials, different finishes on hardware, and simple, clean lines.

Trinity has four designers on staff, two of whom work exclusively with kitchens and baths; they offer free home visits to measure and help homeowners make decisions to achieve the results they want; and they can show customers computer-generated pictures of how the finished product will look.

The business services people living within a 50-mile radius of the business’ 8,000-square-foot showroom, where there are displays of vanities, tubs, showers, faucets and lighting.

They are also licensed and insured in Indiana and have installers who have regularly worked with the company for many years.

To speak with a designer at Trinity Home Center, call (260) 493-2574.