Here are the trends in bathroom design the team at Guhde Flooring America say might be here to stay

By Patricia Nugent

With temps hovering in the 80s and light, bright, sunshiny days on tap, it’s tough to think about hunkering down indoors over the winter. But if you imagine a houseful of friends and family gathered at your beautifully renovated home for holidays, the time is now to pull the trigger on a renovation.

“We’re grateful at how patient our clients have become in light of the wait times for products,” says Monica Guhde-Rosa, who is office manager at Guhde Flooring America. “Unfortunately, that timeframe is out of our control. But what is in our control are our crews of installers, who have worked with us for decades. We’ve been blessed with craftsmen we depend on and who never disappoint.”

Along with her husband, Sales Manager Shawn Rosa, the two say July and August are the key months to plan your renovation to have it finished by the holidays.

However big or small you plan to go with a home renovation, at Guhde you’ll be in good hands when it comes to a novel design.

The Custom Tile Difference
“A key focus for us is custom tile work,” says Shawn. “Our workers are truly artisans. This is a time-consuming craft and it shows. The sky is the limit when it comes to mixing shapes, colors, textures and finishes. For instance, one of the interesting effects we can create in flooring is the look of an accent area rug made from tile.”

In general, the duo report that providing a more “wide-open” feeling is what homeowners want now, and two elements of creating that include custom glass shower doors and curbless, no-entry showers.

Two other hot trends include:

1. Showers over tubs. In almost every master bath renovation, Monica says they are pulling out the old-fashioned Jacuzzi jetted tubs to make bigger showers.

“Creating custom master showers has become a niche of ours, and we build more than 70 showers a year,” she says. “Each one is unique to reflect the client’s tastes. Even considerations like the grout color can make a big difference. The finished effect is like a work of art. For instance, in the recent master bath renovation pictured here, we opted for an accent wall in the shower of high-gloss arabesque-shaped tiles in a medium shade of slate gray to be the focal point of the design. The client decided to go with a custom shelf that lined the wall for added storage, instead of a niche.”

Shawn says if the client wishes to keep a tub, they replace the bigger one with a much smaller, free-standing style.

2. Heated flooring. This trending innovation shows no signs of stopping. Shawn says luxurious heated floors in the master bathrooms are becoming a standard in their renovations. And he sees new construction homes featuring them, too.

“What makes the latest models so amazing is that they come with Wi-Fi-connected thermostats so you can control the timing and temperature from your phone,” he adds.

Guhde Flooring America is located at 7200 Center Street, Suite 100, in Mentor. Access to the showroom and parking are in the back of the building. Backed by the buying power of a 500-store nationwide retail flooring group, Guhde Flooring America offers its clients some of the lowest prices and best warranties in the industry. Call 440-639-1990 or visit GuhdeFlooringAmerica.com.