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Page 24, Whitby Free Press, Wednesday, February 10, 1993 _____________A HOME DESIGN AND IMPROVEMENT FEATURE= Today' s bathrooms: A uxurlous escape How would yeu describe your bathroom? Do the words bering, blah, cold, uncornfortable and crowded corne immediately te mind? Are yeu constantly searchirig for space te store ail your toiletries? Do you find yourself coatinually battling mould and mildew, despite yeu! best efforts? Do you long for the luxury of a hot tub or whirlpoel? If you answered yes te these questions, then it's probably time for either a facelift or a heavy-duty renovation. Modern technology and imagination have transformed the traditional bathreom inte a thing of beauty. A complete turnabout from the cold, Spartan bathrooms of yesteryear, today's elegant bathrooms bring together aIl the best elements of hearth and home: warmth, luxury, cemfort and practicality. But, most of ail, they provide you with the ultimate escape where you can wile away the heurs and forget aIl yeur cares. There's aise ne doubt that a I e e e e e e s e e A renovated bathroem aise enhances your home's overal attractiveness and helps it maintain its value -- something te keep in mind if you're thinking of selling your home at some point in the future. Planning and patience To achieve your desired effect and what suits you best, it takes planning and patience. If you've ever done any renovation work in the past, you know it's wise te avoid attacking any home improvement project tee hastily. Youll be much happier with the results if you sit down and take the time te carefully consider your needs -- as well as those of your family. It's aise essential te take a good, long look at yeur present bathroom te discover what works and what doesn't -- and why it doesn't work. For instance, is your present countertep prone te scratches and chips or water damnage? Is your fleer an eider, ceramic one that has seen btter days and is cold underfeet? De E s, Fashionable & Durable Stainmaster Textured Saxony Luxurlous Stainmaster Plush Hardwearing Multi-Tone Berber Enduring & Appealing Multi-Level Berber Thick & Comfortable Textured Plush Practical And Stain Resistant Tracery And More! Brand Name Quatity & Reliability Professionally Installed With P'remium Pad* Free Estimates & Shop At Home Service *Fiat Surfaces Or THE ~YERO or - 6 va 17. yeu experience a lot of mould in certain areas of the bathreom? By identifying existing problems and things you don't ike about your present bathroom, yeu can avoid repeating the same mistakes with your renovation by choosing différent types of materials. There is a wide range of materials available for bathrooms, such as fibreglass, acrylic and real or simulated marbie -- te name a few. As well, ceramic tules are popular for use in and around tubq3, showers and fleors because they are easy to maintain. Examine existing bathroom You should aiso go over your existing bathroom with a fine teoth comb, examining sterage, counterspace, fixtures, ventilation and 80, on. By doing this, you'll be able to determine what your limitations are in ternis of space. You'1l also begin te realize if your expectations are within your budget. If yeu're working with existing space, you'll obviously be more limited than if you're expanding your present bath. Before making a decision on the types of fixtures you'd like, shop around and compare quality and price. Aise check eut bathroom showrooms and books and periodicals to get a really good idea of what's available and how you can use your space most effectively. If your space is unlimited, and you want te incorperate ail new fixtures, you may want te consider installing an oversize tub, steam bath or whirlpeol unit -- or a shower unit that's separate from your tub. Or how about a platform or sunken tub for that extra teuch of elegance? You may aise, want te choose one of the sleek, low profile àone-pece teilets available on the Market today. These use less water than eider, more conventional units, but they do tend te be more expensive. Fine details If you're interested in achieving a distinguished vintage JttLselÇL( YOU'LOOK in your mirror every morning. But when was the last time you really looked at it or in it? Now is a good time to replace that old rusty medicine cabinet and dlean out those outdated medications and supplies. look, what abeut incorporating a few antique pieces of furniture into your new bathroom? You may even want te, consider using a favourite heirloom as a vanity base. Or yeu can choose sinks with custom-carved cabinetry. If yeur budget permits, you may aIse want te censider a sink basin or bathtub with hand-painted decorations. If 'your bathroom is large enough, you may aise want te, incorporate an exercise area or a Custom nterior Expressions by Yvonne 436-74491I FULL - l- -O. *OVERSEAS CRAfNG0*OFFICE.,RELDGCAlON e LLEED S1URAE ELECTRONICS HANDLING SPEOIALISTS ~ Moving Systems Bui: Oshawa (416) 728-1603 M dressing area into your bathroom -- particularly if it is attached te, the master bedroom. Each area can be as distinctive as the person for whom it's designed. If your bathreom is a high-trafflc area, you may want to divide the bathroom into portions with deers. You could, for instance,, have the bathtub and shower areas separate from the teilet and sink. That way, more than one persen can access the room at once, but stili maintain privacy. Or how about installing a garden bath? You can combine the beauty of nature with the practical aspects of your bathroom te create a heavenly oasis where you can escapefrem the troubles of the day. Bause of the moisture generated in the bathroom, plants should do well, provding, of course, that you have adequate lighting. Whatever you decide te do with your bathroom, remember that you must comply with local building codes and probably won't be able te, do any work without a permýit. Check te see what the requirements are in your local This article is prouided by local realiors and the Ontario Real Estate Associat ion (OREA). ENEBGY CONSUNMION/ CONSERVATION TIIP A 60W incandescent (normal) light bulb radiates the same amount of light as a 15W compact fluorescent (energy-efficient) bulb. BEST CARPET CARI Stîeam Cleanlng Specl allst Commercial Rates Available Cali Our TOLL FREE jPager ,1- 10eP0-4157 BL.MDRCEANN 27 WHITBY* 725«4566 1621 McEwen Drive, Unit 2 ,19.93 PER SQUARE YARD BUYS VOUR CHOICE 0F: Active Carpet & Tîke 1 1