Whether you're finishing a basement or remodeling one- be sure to include a bathroom

Basement Bathroom Ideas Part 1 of 2

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Add a Stylish Powder Room

If your basement will serve primarily as a space for entertaining, you may need only a powder room instead of a full bathroom. Because a powder room is a small space with only a toilet and sink, your remodeling budget may stretch to include striking materials, such as stone tiles for the walls and a stylish sink with gooseneck faucet.

Indulge in Luxury Features

If your basement will include a guest suite or a bedroom for a parent or a teen, a full bath is a must. Just because it's in the basement doesn't mean the bath can't be as luxurious as one upstairs. A curved-front sink and walk-in shower are two luxury features in this lower-level guest bathroom. Rough-hewn stone tiles in a variety of shapes and sizes add visual interest to the space.

Plan for Good Lighting

Lighting is important anywhere in the basement but especially so in the bathroom. When planning a basement bathroom, remember lighting fixtures in the shower area must have waterproof lenses. Ceiling lights in front of this wall-size mirror illuminate the vanity and provide ambient lighting.

Choose Water-Resistant Materials

Just as in an upstairs bathroom, you'll want to choose materials with functionality and style in mind. Stone tiles are a popular choice for floors and walls because they are durable, water-resistant, and easy to clean.

In this tiny, practical corner, there are six different surfaces. Because they're complementary in texture and tone, visual harmony prevails.

Expand Space with Mirrors

Mirrors stretch wall to wall and countertop to ceiling to make this modest 5x7-foot basement bathroom seem bigger than it is. The mirror also increases light by creating the illusion of double the windows and bouncing back illumination from light fixtures.

Checkerboard wallpaper is visually busy, but the perspective is enhanced by the mirror reflection, making the room seem deeper. A sink that measures 18 inches front to back saves on valuable counter space.

Find Room for a Full Bath

Because it's generally not the main bathroom for the house, a basement bathroom doesn't have to be large. An area about 35 square feet can accommodate a toilet, vanity, and shower or bathtub. Building codes allow ceiling heights of 84 inches--6 inches lower than other living areas.

Compact but not tiny, this basement guest bathroom includes a generous vanity, toilet, and shower stall. Close the pocket door, and the bathroom teams up with an adjacent office to serve as a welcoming, private guest suite.

Use Color to Enlarge the Space

A checkerboard of ceramic tiles in two closely related tones covers the walls and floor in this bathroom and makes the space look bigger. Solid color and lack of pattern are the secrets.

An angled shower to the right uses the space more efficiently than a typical square shower.

Glass Blocks for Light and Privacy

If you can locate your basement bathroom on an above-ground exterior wall, consider glass-block windows to usher in light and provide privacy. A large mirror over the sink reflects both the window on the opposite wall and the pendant lights, bouncing more light through the room.

Adding a bathroom to the basement requires connecting the fixtures to the main drain, which may mean cutting through a concrete floor. If you have the headroom available, an alternative solution is to elevate the bathroom so the new plumbing lines and drain can be hidden under the new floor.

Make the Bath Accessible

In a basement that is wheelchair-accessible, it's a good idea to design the bath with universal-design principles in mind. Proving that universal design can be as beautiful as it is practical, this stunning marble-lined basement bath features a shower free of doors and raised thresholds, making it easily accessible.

The adjacent vanity compartment features a dramatic pedestal sink and mirrors lit by long warm-light fluorescent tubes.

Soften the Bath with Fabric

Fabric outlined in decorative cording gives these bathroom walls a soft, finished touch. Reserve this treatment for basements where condensation and moisture are not a threat.

A powder room is an ideal candidate for upholstered walls because it's small enough to keep the job manageable. Staple batting to the walls, then stretch and staple lengths of fabric over the batting. Use hot glue to secure decorative welting over the staples.

The lower walls are painted to resemble stained wood wainscoting with bamboo molding.

Scotts Contracting is available for all your design and design build bathroom remodels and also supplies free Green Site Evaluations. email scottscontracting@gmail.com for additional info

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Scott's Contracting
scottscontracting@gmail.com