Renovating your bathroom or kitchen has the potential to enhance every aspect of your day to day life and with careful planning can also increase the value of your home. This makes renovating either your bathroom or kitchen an incredibly worthwhile investment for both today and tomorrow. To achieve this though, it is imperative to choose materials and a colour scheme that will not date just a few years down the track. Whilst the latest colours and trends can be enticing, renovating your bathroom and kitchen is an investment that most can afford to do only once or at most twice in a lifetime. Not to mention the inconvenience of undertaking such renovation, no matter how perfectly all goes to plan. Being without a bathroom or kitchen for any period of time, even if short, takes a toll on any household. So its extremely practical and cost effective to get it right.
Let’s look at what we consider to be truly timeless materials and colours:
Gorgeous neutral coloured schemed kitchen renovation with polyurethane cabinets, quartz benchtops & stainless steel appliances
Timeless Bathroom & Kichen Renovation Materials:
Stainless steel:
The ultimate on trend, for any kitchen renovation be it contemporary or traditional; stainless steel rules all! This is the one finish that has yet to go out of style and is still considered the very top tier of kitchen finish for big ticket appliances such as ovens, rangehoods, fridges etc. Stainless steel also looks great on benchtops and splashbacks, but as these are both highly used areas, consideration needs to be given to the extra cleaning and maintenance that is required to keep the stainless steel looking at its best.
Porcelain stone look wall & floor tile.
Stone:
Natural stone in all varieties is without question stunning and largely a timeless finish for any bathroom or kitchen renovation, although it must be noted that granite is fast being replaced by engineered stone and some granite types are even considered to be dated. Engineered stone has become increasingly popular for good reason. It not only looks great but is stronger, easier to clean and requires less maintenance than natural stone. Being engineered, there is a larger variety of designs and colours to suit any bathroom or kitchen style. In addition to engineered stone, there are many beautiful porcelain stone look alike tiles that are now available that perfectly mimic natural stone, veins and all. These stone look alike tiles are perfect for all types of bathroom renovations as they are non porous and do require the special treatment that of natural stone requires.
Should natural stone is an absolute must have, marble is without question the timeless stone, However, consideration needs to be given to the special cleaning products required for marble and the sealing required to prevent it from becoming porous to avoid damage and accumulating bacteria.
Gorgeous timber wall hung vanity with marble mosaic floor tile.
Timber:
Timber is timeless provided it is not too light, dark or red. Timber is best suited to a single item or limited area as a feature. For example; a single feature piece such as a timber vanity or timber benchtop or kitchen island rather than say, an entire timber wall or a complete timber kitchen. It must be noted though, timber benchtops do require regular maintenance, extra care and special cleaning products to avoid porosity and every day damage.
Timeless chrome tapware & accessories.
Chrome:
Chrome will not be denied its place within this timeless category. Chrome is the sister of stainless steel, just with a little more edge. Chrome tapware, accessories and appliances are available in abundance of styles for bathroom and kitchen renovations for very good reason. It simply fits and continues to sell for longer than any other finish. Stick with chrome if you truly desire a timeless finish for tapware and accessories. Black tapware may be popular now, but it will date just as gold tapware has time and time again.
Timeless White Kitchen Renovation with polyurethane cabinets, quartz benchtops and stainless steel apppliances.
White:
Particularly for kitchen cabinets and for bathroom wall tiles and P.C. items. Black sinks and baths may be on trend at present, but will date similar to that of pink and ivory items from years past. There are many variations of white. From the brightest of whites to off white, encompasses almost 20 variations. Choosing your white tone, especially for the kitchen cabinets and wall paint, may very well be the most difficult decision you have to make. However, whichever you choose, white is timeless as it creates a look that fits well with any design type be it traditional to modern, will not date and in addition, creates the all important appearance of space.
Gorgeous neutral colour schemed bathroom renovation with wall hung timber vanity and chrome tapware.
Neutrals:
No matter what your thoughts may be regarding neutral color schemes, they are here to stay for both kitchen and bathroom renovations. Neutrals need not be boring. From warm creams, beiges, soft taupes to greys and edgy charcoals, they are without question, the cornerstone of any good, calm and welcoming colour scheme. Neutrals work well with any style of decor whether it be your ultra modern contemporary right through to more traditional and rustic themes. Choose white and neutral colour schemes for your bathroom and kitchen for a truly timeless finish. You can always quite easily add the latest colours with decor and change them as often as you like without going to great expense.
Stunning black wall hung vanity with white above counter bowl, white free standing bath with chrome tapware and fittings.
Black:
Now this list wouldn’t be complete without black. Black is the ultimate in making a statement. Although, one needs to be tread carefully when choosing the finish of each individual area and item when considering black for their kitchen or bathroom renovation, as each area and fixture has its own rules for a timeless black finish.
For handles; it’s cast iron.
For tile; high gloss right through to complete matt, used as a feature tile only, that is, not the entire room or a huge bulk. Black tile is timeless and creates an amazing effect when used as a feature.
For kitchen benchtops, black granite is out, skew towards a more industrial charcoal type of finish such as quartz, which is very much in and will continue to be so for some time. This look is not only on “trend” but a decor code on its own.
Tapware, yes, for now, black is the new gold and there is no doubt it looks incredible. However, it will date just as gold has time and time again. Chrome continues to reign supreme in all tapware and accessories.
Kitchen cabinets; when used as a contrast to the bulk of other cabinetry, this look can be completely timeless. However, one should avoid a large block of black cabinetry. Just as in the bathroom for tile, black should be considered a feature for example; a kitchen island or feature cabinets, lower or upper, not both.
Appliances; in the right kitchen setting, black kitchen appliances can complete the look of a kitchen , however, stainless steel will always reign supreme.
Splashbacks; this is an area where black can truly make a statement and become an amazing feature of any style kitchen. Whether it be glass, mosaic, stone (steering clear of granite) or tile. Remember; use black as a feature only.
Related Articles:
3 Ways to Cut the Cost of your Bathroom Renovation
Choosing your Kitchen Splashback
Benefits of Bathroom Electric Floor Heating
Master Bathrooms & Kitchens are a family owned and operated company that have been renovating bathrooms and kitchens in the Hills & Hornsby areas for over 23 years. Check out our Guides & Projects Section for expert advice and be sure to peruse our website for more renovation inspiration.
See our video below of just some of our beautiful bathroom & kitchen renovations:
