Basement Bathroom Inspiration for Your Next Remodel

Say all your bathrooms are being used and you have a real emergency. Not a serious emergency, of course, but one that urgently requires a bathroom. Sure, one of the household members might understand your dire situation and come out of the bathroom a little earlier than needed just to help you out. But this may not always be the case as they might be having an emergency as well. This is a good time to put that small basement bathroom to good use.

In many houses out there, the basement bathroom is nothing more than a little room with a toilet in it. Some don’t even have sinks. But a proper basement bathroom remodels should turn this little room into something more than that. With a properly functioning and fully fitted basement bathroom, you will no longer have to knock on doors for someone to vacate a bathroom, nor will you be forced to go upstairs if you’re spending time in the basement.

But before you can think about remodeling or adding a full bathroom to the basement, you should first consider what purpose it’s going to serve and what design features you want it to have. If you don’t know where to start when it comes to building a bathroom in the basement, these few design options should give you some inspiration. 

Cost of Building a Bathroom In Basement

Before you consider any design options or put in various installations into your basement bathroom, it’s good to calculate the budget and overall cost of building or renovating one. To build a basement bathroom from scratch, you will pay anything from $8,000 to $15,000 depending on what you install in the bathroom, what design features you implement, and how big the bathroom is going to be. This includes material and labor costs, from toilets, shower units, and vanities, to flooring, walls, and all other essentials. If you already have a bathroom in the basement and are simply looking to renovate it, you can make it happen with $3,000, though don’t expect to install a smart toilet or a solid marble vanity with this budget. 

Modern Bright and Biophilic

Brightening Up Your Basement Bathroom

Down in the basement, surrounded by floor-to-ceiling walls, the lack of color and light can be both visually and physically straining. This is why it’s so important to bring in as much bright color and lighting as possible. Use recessed lighting fixtures to illuminate every corner of your modern basement bathroom to brighten up the interior. Use wooden paneling and plants to add natural colors and textures to your bathroom as well, since this will take your mind off being underground.

The Marvel of Marble

Why Marble Makes for Good Material to Use In a Bathroom

Marble may be on the expensive side, but there’s a reason why so many homeowners prefer it over other materials. Its natural grains and veins immediately catch anyone’s attention, as our eyes are programmed to gravitate towards the complexity of natural textures. As a result, marble has been proven to have soothing qualities that help your visual senses relax. Implementing features, textures, and materials into the bathroom that are relaxing is crucial to making an enjoyable bathroom experience. The last thing you want to be is tense when you go to handle your personal business. Additionally, marble is easy to clean and is water-resistant, making it a great addition to your basement bathroom design.

Muted Grey and Blue

How Muted Colors Can Create a Soothing Bathroom Interior

You should be careful when introducing darker colors into your basement bathroom since lighting is not as abundant underground as it is upstairs, where there is plenty of natural light. Muted bright greys and blues are often used in modern bathrooms and you can still use them effectively in your basement bathroom remodel. Use these two colors to create a serene bathroom interior that coupled with a hopper window, will brighten up the room. Consider these two colors for your next basement bathroom renovation and watch as you spend more time in this bathroom than you do in the ones above ground. 

Convenient Shower Unit

The Benefits of Installing a Shower In the Basement

Many basement bathrooms typically only have a sink and toilet, as these can be used in case of emergencies when all the other bathrooms are occupied. While this does make sense from a practical standpoint, as toilets and sinks are two of the most commonly used bathroom features, there’s really nothing stopping you from installing a small basement shower. Though showers and bathtubs can take up more space than the toilet and sink, it is still very convenient to have an auxiliary unit. So if all the showers are being used on those busy mornings as everyone gets ready for work or school, you always have the basement bathroom with a shower unit that will save you the time you would have otherwise spent on waiting for your turn.

Bringing In Some Luxury

How Basement Bathrooms Can Look Luxurious

Simply because it’s in the basement doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t or can’t make your bathroom look luxurious. Find a vanity with molding on the cabinet doors and gorgeous handles that gleam with the light. That same shine can be implemented via the handrails and shower door handles. Even with these small additions, the light reflects off their surface and brightens up the interior even more. As with the above-ground variants, basement bathroom paint colors need to be bright but also somber enough to allow those inside to relax. This can be achieved with luxurious beige tiled flooring and walls. Add to that vibrant yellow mirror light fixtures and you have yourself a gorgeous bathroom worthy of your basement living space or guestroom. 

Wetroom Basement Shower

What Is a Wetroom and What You Need to Create One

A wetroom is a next step in shower evolution. It is essentially a big open bathroom where the entire area can be used as a shower. Instead of having to worry about spills and puddles of water outside of the shower unit or bathtub, install flush basement bathroom flooring that will allow the water to drain easily and prevent slippage. There are a ton of basement bathroom flooring options on the market, but vinyl planks are favored by many homeowners. It is considered to be the best flooring for basement bathrooms as it is very easy to maintain, installation is a breeze, and most importantly, it’s waterproof. It will shrug off moisture without warping or molding, especially if your basement bathroom subfloor is in good condition. Install flush vinyl plank flooring all throughout the wetroom and keep furniture to a minimum. This will create a comfortable and very functional wetroom that you can use any time you need to unwind and have a unique shower experience. 

The Importance of Ventilation and Heating 

Why You Should Prioritize Ventilation In Your Basement Bathroom

All your bathrooms should have ventilation of some kind that helps to reduce steam. But your ground-level bathrooms have the advantage of also having windows that can help to ventilate the space. The same cannot always be said about basement bathrooms, as they may have hopper windows that are quite small and don’t allow for much airflow. There may not even be any windows at all. In this case, the ventilation you install has to be efficient enough to get rid of all that steam with minimal to no help from the windows. A fan that leads directly to the outside is a very effective way of ventilating your basement bathroom. This way all that steam can easily escape the interior, reducing the chances of mold or moisture damage.