Have you ever tried to quantify the number of decisions required in building or renovating a house? I will try to do that for just one room - the master bath. This should be relatively simple and straightforward, eh? We'll see....
Decide: What overall look do you want?
Decide: What overall look do you want?
Subtotal: Master Bath (1)
- What color do you want on the floor?
- What kind of flooring? Wood? Tile? Marble? Cork?
- What size pieces for the floor? 18 x 18 in tile? Uneven boards?
- What pattern for the floor?
- All the same or not, e.g. large format tile with small patterned border?
- What kind of commode?
- Two piece or one piece?
- Dual flush? Single flush?
- How many gallons per flush?
- How high do you want the seat?
- Seat should be oval or elongated?
- Design should be modern/traditional/transitional?
- Color?
- Do you want a privacy wall?
- Will you install grab bars against a future infirmity?
- How many sinks? One or two?
- What shape sink – oval, round, square?
- What color?
- Free standing or in a cabinet?
- If a cabinet, what style? What finish? What kind of hardware?
- If in a cabinet, will the sink will be self rimming or undermount?
- Will it have a single hole faucet?
- If not, will the faucets be wide spread or narrow spread?
- What style will the faucets be?
- What finish will the faucets have – brushed chrome, bright chrome, etc?
- Will you have a bathtub?
- Free standing or encased?
- Acrylic or cast iron?
- What shape?
- What length?
- What width?
- What color?
- What kind of faucet?
- Wall mounted?
- Standing on floor?
- Will you have a shower?
- What size will it be?
- What material will be on the walls and floor – tile, marble, silestone, etc?
- Will that material be on both walls and floor?
- Same size or different size?
- Will the material go to the ceiling?
- Will the shower have a shelf? A niche? A seat?
- What kind of hardware? A stationary shower head? Hand held shower? A bar for the shower head?
- Soap dish?
- Will the door be glass? With a frame or frameless?
- Put in a grab bar against future infirmity?
- What kind of mirrors?
- Separate mirrors over sink or one large mirror?
- Framed or frameless?
- What kind of lights? Twin lights beside mirrors? Strip light above mirror?
- Ceiling fixture: Light near tub? Light in shower?
- What will be on walls? Paint? Flat? Special finish? Paper?
- Will there be artwork?
- What kind?
So the final number seems to be 64 decision points in putting together one bathroom. Choosing each item takes time for research into availability, quality, and price. So take pity on the homeowner who takes on a renovation – her brain is swimming with details about materials, colors, design elements, environmental requirements, etc, etc.
And, in this case, the Folly has 4 full baths and a powder room! Yikes!
