Your Bathroom Beautifully Remodeled in Just One Week

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“You can look anywhere and find inspiration.”
-Frank Gehry
When people decide to work with One Week Bath for their bathroom remodeling project, we don’t expect
them to have a source of inspiration for their bathroom design. It’s not a requirement in order for us to
help create a beautiful bathroom for them.
But many people do come to us with an idea that inspires them. Sometimes it’s a bathroom that they saw
in a hotel they made them feel really good. Or maybe they like a bathroom at a friend’s house or would
even like to recreate a bathroom from a previous home.
Inspiration can mean something different to every person. Our job is to find out what this means for each
person on each project.
Bathroom design, for us, is very much a co-creating process. Interestingly, we find that a lot of clients know
what they don’t like more than what they do like. Our designers are very good at asking specific questions
to help narrow down preferences. Our website is often a starting place where people will identify certain
elements or flavors that appeal to them. And then we take off from there.
Matt Plaskoff, Owner and Founder
One Week Bath
© 2013 by One Week Bath.
All rights reserved. No part of this document may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic,
mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of One Week Bath.

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Finding Inspiration for your Bathroom Design
The bathroom is where most of us start our day. It is also a place
where many people seek respite or transformation through a long
soak in the tub or an invigorating shower. If you are considering
updating or remodeling your bathroom, why not create an
atmosphere that evokes positive feelings and enhances your
sense of well-being? Approaching your remodeling project by
asking yourself, “What inspires me?” is a good starting point.
Bathroom design has evolved from something of an afterthought
in a home’s overall styling to a skies-the-limit scenario, rich with
opportunity for self-expression. There are a vast number of
options available in bathroom features, fixtures, wall treatments
and floor coverings. A professional bathroom designer can help
you sort through all of your choices to come up with a plan that
will match your vision, budget and needs.
Design inspiration can come from just about anywhere. It may be
as simple as a striking photograph or as elaborate as the luxurious
spa environment you enjoyed on your last vacation. You may
choose to develop the theme of your bathroom around a single
focal point or incorporate multiple elements that fit easily into a
unified style. Creating consistency in the look of your bathroom
can give you a more harmonious setting, even if your inspiration
springs from a single item. Having all of the elements
communicate with one another keeps the design from looking
disjointed.
Inspiration is not a requirement for you to get a bathroom that
you love. The One Week Bath design experts are adept at creating
custom bathroom designs from scratch. Their process, which
eliminates the usual stress and hassle of remodeling, can give
anyone the bathroom of their dreams.

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Dream + Reality = Inspired Design
While the bathroom is a space dedicated to specific functionality,
it can also be a place of refuge, rejuvenation, comfort and
serenity. User needs, room size and footprint, budget, plumbing
and electricity capabilities, ventilation and surrounding home
design will all impact design decisions. The goal is to fuse
creativity with the particulars of your situation to generate the
ideal outcome and ambiance.
The following pages outline a process that can help you first
identify a source of inspiration, then capture the essence, and
finally, focus your ideas into the specifics of your bathroom
design. As you explore ideas and images that attract and inspire
you, it is helpful to keep at least a few concepts in mind, such as
how much the bathroom is used and by whom.
Master baths or other full bathrooms may get daily use, while
powder rooms and guest baths are generally less frequented. You
may not want the bathroom you use every day to be saturated
with vivid colors or mood lighting (particularly if you’re applying
makeup or trying to put in contact lenses), but an entryway
powder room may be just the place to express yourself and make
a grand impression on visitors.
Also worth contemplating in any bathroom remodeling project
are the changing likes and needs of bathroom users over time.
Children’s bathroom design can warrant some special
considerations. Also, if your retirement years are looming on the
horizon, you may want to include some Universal Design elements
in your new bath to ensure comfort and accessibility as you age.
Finally, it is important to consider how long you plan to stay in
your home. If you think you may be selling your residence in the
near future, it’s probably not the best idea to try and recreate the
Taj Mahal in your condominium half bath. On the other hand, if
you are a homeowner who intends to stay put then you have
greater freedom to pursue any number of inspired design options.
A big part of the process is taking
the inspiration and figuring out
how functionality fits into the
picture. For example, someone
may like the idea of using stone
and other natural elements.
However, if they are looking for
easy upkeep and don’t want to
deal with grout, we would look at
larger format products that lend
themselves to both the inspiration
and the desire for low
maintenance.
Matt Plaskoff, Owner and Founder
One Week Bath

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Finding a Source of Inspiration
If you do not have a particular theme or focal point for your
bathroom design, or if your design ideas are not fully formed and
you want to explore further, below are some general concepts to
help stimulate your creative thinking process. As you read through
the list, pay attention to the feelings and images that come to
you. If one or more ideas seem to speak to you, write them down.
It’s also helpful to list six to ten words or distinct thoughts that
come to mind when you think about what inspires you.
For example, if your inspiration is a trip you took to the Bahamas,
you might come up with a list with words such as: tropical, sunny,
exotic, water, beaches, luxury, island, paradise, intimate.
Nature
Artwork, sculpture, poster, photo, map
Building or other architectural design
Favorite Place (vacation spot, skyline, city, landscape)
Spa or Retreat
Time period
Season
Elements (Fire, Water, Earth, Air)
Photograph
Landmark
Fabric or textiles
Personal collection
Color palette
View from your bathroom window
If nothing on the list above speaks to you, consider some of
these other ways to find inspiration:
A museum, park, gallery or even a shopping mall
Bathrooms at hotels or restaurants
Magazines and blogs (design, fashion, photography, gardening)
and the home design section of newspapers
Television decorating shows
Websites such as Pinterest, Houzz and Apartment Therapy
Something that captures your attention on a walk or a drive
Inspiration can also come from practicality:
Making a small room look larger
The desire for better lighting
Storage expansion
Much like when Michelangelo
looked at a piece of marble and
saw the statue inside the marble,
sometimes it’s a matter of looking
at the existing bathroom space and
extracting a creative idea from
there. Many times a view from a
window is a starting point for the
overall inspiration.
Matt Plaskoff, Owner and Founder
One Week Bath

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Analyzing What Inspires You
Once you identify your sources of inspiration, the steps below can
help you figure out ways to pinpoint the particular essence of
each concept and extract individual elements. This can help you
narrow down an idea like “New Mexico” or “a Japanese spa.”
You may want to jot down the answers to the questions below
much like you did with your inspiration list. This gives you some
language to use when you meet with a design specialist.
Things to ask yourself:
1. What are the thoughts and feelings this inspiration
evokes?
2. What are the colors?
3. What is the light like?
4. What textures embody the inspiration?
5. Are there certain persons, places or things that you
identify with your source of inspiration?
Example: French Polynesia
1. Relaxation, warmth, calm, escape, peacefulness
2. Turquoise, light blue, green, white
3. Bright, warm
4. Glassy, smooth, sandy
5. Beaches, thatched huts, tropical fish, Gauguin, palm trees,
orchids, gardenias
What are some of the more interesting sources of
inspiration we’ve worked with? I’ve had several clients
who had a mural or large art piece that they took
from another home or that’s been sitting in a closet.
We were able to incorporate the artwork as
centerpieces in the bathroom design. I also worked
with someone who had sinks they bought in Fiji and
wanted to design the bathroom around them. I don’t
usually recommend this because it can be quite
challenging with plumbing and such, but in this case,
we were able to make it work.
Matt Plaskoff, Owner and Founder
One Week Bath
A client may tell me they want to
create a spa-like atmosphere in
their bathroom. My job is to find
out what that means to them.
Roman bath? Something Asian-
inspired or Zen-like? Or, something
else entirely. I keep asking
questions to drill down and get at
the heart of what they’re picturing
in their mind when they use the
word “spa.”
Sarah Keane, Bathroom Design
Specialist One Week Bath

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Fusing an Established Style with Your Inspiration
Your inspirational ideas may or may not match one or more
established style categories. These style categories are some of
the more common interior design genres that reflect a set of basic
elements such as color palettes, design lines and finishes.
Identifying an established style or combination of styles does not
mean your bathroom will look like every other traditional or
modern bathroom. It simply provides another way to
communicate your vision and pinpoint the specifics of your
unique design when you are choosing fixtures and features for
your bath.
Some of the more common styles are described below.
Modern
Focusing on organization and function, modern bathroom design
combines basic geometry with clean lines. Modern design often
incorporates a monochromatic color scheme and industrial
materials like concrete, glass and chrome. Texture plays an
important role as well, with chrome fixtures and lacquered wood
cabinets juxtaposed with granite or concrete flooring and
countertops.
Traditional
Traditional bathroom design is just that, based on tradition. Today
we think of traditional bathroom design inspired by our own
American style. Traditional design incorporates a simple palette
with warm tones and bronze or brushed nickel accents. Time-
honored styles like Shaker and Mission are seen on vanities.
Granite counter tops and tile flooring are often used in this style.
Transitional
Transitional bathroom design combines elements from both
Modern and Traditional styles. Utilizing the color palette of
Modern design and Traditional textures and finishes creates a
style that is timeless. A lack of embellishment and decoration
creates a sophisticated space. Strait lines, mixed with curved,
evokes a balance in the masculine and feminine. Modern tile work
combined with traditional materials often appears in Transitional
design schemes.

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Cottage / Vintage
As the name indicates, a Cottage / Vintage style bathroom is
inspired by a romantic old world style. This style is characterized
by a natural, weathered look combined with a botanical color
palette and painted or decorated furniture style vanity. Bead
board is often used on walls, wainscoting or ceilings. Finding the
right roll top footed bathtub will set the tone for this bathroom.
Accents of weathered metal and wicker with bright spots of color
taken fresh from the garden put the finishing touches on this
style.
Spa
A Spa bathroom design is one that makes YOU feel relaxed and
rejuvenated. Commonly, one thinks of an Asian inspired design
with bamboo accents, calming colors and luxurious fixtures like a
spa bathtub and an oversized shower with multiple shower heads.
Concealed halogen can lighting on a dimmer helps to create
multiple lighting scenarios. If you have room, don’t forget foliage
which creates a feeling of bathing in nature.
Eclectic
Anything goes with an eclectic bathroom design. It can bring
together a variety of styles and periods. Color palettes can vary
with an Eclectic design. Using a neutral backdrop will help your
character pieces stand out. Working with a designer can be
important when you want to create an Eclectic design. If you are
not careful, too many differing elements can give you a finished
project that looks disconnected. Make this space your own. You
can highlight a piece of art or make use of an unusual piece of
décor to make a truly unique space.
Contemporary
Although sometimes thought of as interchangeable with Modern
design, they are distinct, with Contemporary being more difficult to
pinpoint. This design style is relatively fluid, reflecting the design
trends of the current moment. It can reflect some of the sleek style
elements of Modern design, but it can also reinterpret other design
styles using up-to-the-minute elements. Contem-porary design may
incorporate molded plastic, Lucite or recycled materials, and can
include asymmetrical design elements and bold color splashes.

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Universal Design / Age In Place
Universal Design/ Age in Place is used for a variety of reasons and
should be as beautiful as any bathroom design. With Universal
Design, it’s important that any special needs role does not make
the space unusable for someone without the need. The special
functionality of a Universal / Age in Place design can be as simple
as building in certain function and ease of use for those who live
with physical disabilities or limitations. With One Week Bath, you
can take any of the above design styles and incorporate the
function of Universal Design.
Other Style Types
In addition to the more standard styles described above, there are
any number of popular style influences and variations. The
definitions of these style types are less specific, but in most cases,
they fall into the “you’ll know them when you see them”
category.
Romantic
Designed to evoke feelings of romance, luxury, warmth and
elegance, the romantic style is heavy on mood-enhancing
elements designed to engage the senses. Often incorporating
what were traditionally defined as more feminine features,
lighting, color and fixtures can vary, but there is a distinct sense
that a romantic design provides a place to relax, unwind and
transcend the day-to-day environment.
Mediterranean
Much like Asian-Inspired design, Mediterranean design pulls style
concepts from a variety of countries and regions including Greece,
Spain, Italy and Northern Africa. Frequently, walls are plastered
and the floors are tiled and covered with area rugs. Marble, terra
cotta and limestone may be used. The warm climate of the
Mediterranean region is often featured in the design colors, which
can fall into the richer tones of red, yellow and rust or the sea-
inspired colors of blues, greens and white.
I find that people may have a
style in mind based on something
they’ve seen on our website or
Houzz. But that style type may
change as we get into the design
process. I talked to someone
recently who told me on the
phone they liked the idea using
cubism in their bathroom design.
Once we met and began looking
at options and figuring out what
they wanted in the space, they
ended up make choices that fell
into what could be considered
more of a contemporary style
definition.
Sarah Keane, Bathroom Design
Specialist
One Week Bath

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Asian-Inspired
Asian-inspired design can draw from any number of countries
including China, Japan, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia and
Vietnam. Like the culture and geography of these countries, the
design elements can be quite different. Often, this design style
incorporates natural elements such as water, fire, earth and air
and it may reflect a minimalist approach or a rather luxurious
ambience, depending on the country of influence. Principles of
Feng Shui focused on balancing the energy of a particular space
and those using the space may be applied, as well.
Rustic
Rustic design uses natural materials such as wood and stone and
related colors such as brown, rust and other earthy tones. Non-
shiny metals may also be used, especially those depicting an
earlier era. Elements and furnishings are often handcrafted,
distressed or salvaged. The feelings evoked in rustic design are
those of country cabins and farmhouses, western lodges or other
structures typically found in natural settings.
Tropical
This style incorporates elements reflecting the abundant sky, sea
and sun associated with the tropical island environments. Color
palettes range from neutral, with splashes of bright color to warm
tones of turquoise, coral or yellow gold. Teaks, bamboo, rattan
and sea grass may be used, in addition to fabrics such as barkcloth
depicting exotic flora and fauna. An overall ambiance of relaxation
and tranquility permeates Tropical design, making the
environment reminiscent of a dreamy vacation.
Certainly there are purists, but there are a lot of people who tend to like certain textures and
colors and mixtures that don’t fit any particular style. Our designers can sometimes see
overall patterns in a person’s preferences that lean toward elements of a certain style, but
most bathroom designs fall more into the catch-all territories of transitional or eclectic.
Matt Plaskoff, Owner and Founder
One Week Bath

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Elements of the Bathroom: The Building Blocks of
Your Inspired Design
When you hear the word “bathroom,” some basic images probably
come to mind: sink, toilet, shower and tub. But a bathroom designer
will be thinking of a much longer list of elements that may play a role
in the design plan. These may include:
Walls, ceiling, floor, doors
Windows, skylights
Lighting
Sinks/Faucets
Vanity
Shower/Tub
Toilet/Bidet
Shelves, cabinets, closets
Mirror
Medicine cabinet
Towel Racks, curtain rods, shower rods, toilet paper holder, hooks
One Week Bath clients have the benefit of working with a design
specialist who will make it possible to review all of these options and
make selections in the comfort of their own homes. For others, it will
probably require multiple trips to view, shop and compare these
features and fixtures.
There are also many less-permanent components that can help round
out your inspired bathroom and provide flexibility to enhance the
environment over time. These include items such as:
Artwork
Benches or other seating
Rugs
Window coverings
Vanity accessories
Linens

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Putting It All Together
Oftentimes, through the design process, a bathroom will take on a life of its own. The client gets clearer
on what they want as we look at the specifics of their bathroom, and they may end up going in a
direction that they hadn’t anticipated. That doesn’t mean the inspiration is not there. It just evolves and
solidifies throughout the course of our design meeting. Sarah Keane, Bathroom Design Specialist, One
Week Bath
As mentioned earlier, it is not necessary to have a specific source of inspiration in order to create a
beautiful bathroom. It is just one approach that will be of interest to some people, and less so for
others.
One of the primary benefits of focusing on something that moves you and makes you feel a certain way
is the resonant quality that goes along with inspiration. Bathroom design trends may come and go, but
if you choose to base a design around something that holds special meaning for you, there’s a good
chance it will continue to feed your psyche and enhance your sense of wellbeing over time.

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We hope the information in this e-book helps you explore what inspires you and how to turn
that inspiration into a part of your bathroom design. We welcome any questions, comments or
feedback and are happy to respond to any inquiries at info@oneweekbath.com.
Call 1-800-ONE-WEEK or visit the website at www.oneweekbath.com.