Myriad products make bathroom remodel fun

“Necessity is not an established fact, but an interpretation.” — Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (1844-1900), German philosopher, “The Will to Power” (1888)

If a new bathroom is in your future, you are in for a real treat. The sinks, cabinetry, bathtubs and showers available will absolutely delight and amaze you. Because we all believe that being clean is a necessity, we might as well make getting clean special and fun.

A friend asked me several years ago to help her pick out new parts for a renovated bathroom. She had lived with a dreary old master bathroom for the 10 years she had been in the house, and her husband was giving her a new bathroom for their anniversary.

The old bathroom had an old iron tub with a hand-held shower, outdated cabinets, a huge wall mirror over the sink, Hollywood lights and, horror of horrors, carpet on the floors. Please don’t ever do this.

Because my friend lived on the East Coast, I couldn’t be there to help in person, so I prowled around online to find things for her to look at. We could look at products together in virtual stores, and it worked. We managed to find new tile flooring, awesome cabinets, vessel sinks, a soaking tub and new shower enclosure.

The most fun we had was picking a shower. You might not have given that much thought before, but getting the right shower fixtures can change your life, according to my friend. How many shower heads and what size and shape are the main considerations.

One of the amazing shops here in Las Vegas is Infinite Trend, 5275 S. Arville St. The owner, Nate Jones, works with clients and, after helping you with the product selection, also can do the design-layout of the bathroom for you if you are interested.

You can go into the shop and will be amazed at the products. The store also has kitchen products, but because we’re talking about bathrooms, I wanted to share that information with you.

If you are lucky enough to get a new bathroom, pay attention to those pieces that are important to you. In my friend’s case, she chose the shower to be a luxury item and had definite ideas about what she wanted.

If lights in the shower are just a little too much for you, there are many manufacturers of bathroom fixtures and inspirations. Do your homework and select those items to make your dream bathroom special.

Just a word of caution. Make sure it’s what you want before you spend the money — not just on the product, but the installer. I had another friend here in Las Vegas who spent a small fortune on a new master shower and has had nothing but regrets. But guess what — it’s too late. It wasn’t the products she picked that were disappointing, but those who installed it. Keep that in mind.

Be selective and get references and also ask to see work of trade folks you get to install your equipment, flooring, tile, etc. You can select the most awesome tile, fixtures and finishes, but if they are installed incorrectly, you won’t be a happy camper. So picking out the product is just a small part of your decision process.

With making you happy by having a new super cool bathroom, as we all know, bathrooms are huge selling features if you put your house on the market. My East Coast friend sold her house last year, and the master bath was the highlight of the showings. It was one of the prime “looks” according to her Realtor. Good decisions will pay off in multiple ways.

So there are lots of things to take into consideration. Make a checklist and be sure you follow it through. And, enjoy the shopping.

Carolyn Muse Grant is a design consultant and creator of beautiful spaces. Questions can be sent to her at creativemuse@cox.net.