Real-life Renovation: Flooring Sets the Stage

After three years of living in her New Jersey home, Rosanna Camporeale was tired of her bathroom.

“While the bathroom was functional, it was not to my taste,” said the e-designer. The only full bathroom in her home was quite narrow, with a 60-inch-wide vanity that further dwarfed the space. It featured a bathfitter-style shower/tub combo, and despite being painted shut, the window allowed so much air into the bathroom that it was always cold.

Needless to say, it was time for a change.

“It was really one of the only rooms in the house I really wanted to change, and I felt it was worth the investment,” she said.

Getting started

First, Rosanna needed to figure out if she could change the room’s layout. Despite being narrow, the space was pretty large. Moving the shower, tub, and toilet would help open up the space, as would removing the existing linen closet and replacing it with a smaller inset one on a different wall. “Once we were able to get confirmation that we could change the layout, the design started to come together,” she said.

Rosanna envisioned a bright, open layout with a warm, rustic undertone. Her first step towards achieving that vision was to find the perfect floor.

“Hexagon was a pattern I was drawn to, as well as cement style patterned tiles,” she explained. “Once I found the floor tile, I was really able to put the room together from there.”

Although Rosanna is a big fan of color, she felt white was the best base color for the bathroom. “When it came to this room, I wanted it to feel bright and clean, but not cold, either,” she shared. Her patterned, geometric-shaped floor tiles also added some personality to the room, and brushed brass finishes helped add warmth to the space.

Even though Rosanna has a background in design and is no stranger to renovations, this was the first home reno she’s done where she was also living in the space at the time. “One thing I wish I’d known was how dust will get everywhere – and I mean everywhere!” she said.

Helpful hints

She stressed the importance of doing your due diligence, in terms of researching contractors, construction codes – and, of course, product. “When it comes to materials, pretty is great, but functional should be a huge factor as well,” she said. “Also think about how easily the products you choose can be cleaned and will remain clean. Those floor tiles with lovely ridges in it? So pretty right? Think about, will dirt get into those ridges which will make it impossible to clean and you will forever regret your decision? Yes, that happened to me in my last bathroom renovation and I knew better this time!”

It’s easy to focus on the design and forget that at the end of the day, the room has to be used. “Always consider both design and functionality.”

It was all worth it in the end, though. “The final result came out even better than I had envisioned,” Rosanna said. “It is my favorite room in my home and I still walk into the space almost a year after it was finished and think how gorgeous it is. It was worth every penny and every bit of dust to get it!”