I’m in the middle of a mini-bathroom makeover due to a leaky shower. My parents are getting ready to renovate two bathrooms. Let’s be honest: we all want more from our bathrooms today than strict functionality. We want them to be fashionable, comfortable retreats which reflect out personal style as much as the rest of our home. Although you might not think about actual furniture in the bathroom, your Chicago furniture dealer has many suitable pieces.

When you prepare for a bathroom makeover the first thing to do is pad your budget. That’s because Murphy’s Law always applies to home renovation and bathroom renovation in particular.

I lived through a major bathroom renovation in my last house and it cost about twice as much as we thought it would. But the addition of a large custom closet for my clothing, a laundry closet and a Jacuzzi tub were well worth the mess and the stress! You know where to find the best furniture Chicago has to offer. Now do yourself a favor and find out where the best deals in fixtures are as well.

A few dollars can be saved if you do your own demo work, and, of course, you can save a bundle doing the entire project yourself. But that takes some knowledge and experience. Consider the possibility that you may encounter mold or water damage when you begin the demolition. This can add to your rebuilding cost.

Ventures into plumbing and electric work are best left to professionals. If you happen to have some licensed friends who owe you a favor, by all means give them a call! Other tasks like tiling and drywall can been done by the homeowner, but for a finished look I recommend a lesson. Many home improvement stores offer free workshops on these types of renovations.

With a bathroom space, your layout may be pretty well set, so think about smaller changes you can make such as cabinet and sink styles or how best to use the wall space. Well-placed outlets and good lighting and ventilation also should be discussed at the outset. Designers of the best furniture in Chicago can give you advice on room layout.

If it’s storage space you need, look at how you can work it into wall cabinets, closets or a vanity. Your Chicago furniture dealer will have ideas and samples of furniture-style sink stands and vanities you might want to incorporate. Make a mini-mock-up of the space – or better yet, a life-sized model out of appliance boxes. A friend advised me to do this before our first renovation and I was surprised at the difference in the real space and what I had pictured in my mind.

Keep in mind that even a small bathroom space can easily cost $4,000-5,000 to renovate. You may want to do the basic necessities and add in the niceties a bit at a time as your budget allows. As with any home project, choose something you like and that fits with your lifestyle. A bathroom is not as easy to trade out as a sofa.