Your home bathroom is an important room of the house. Not only is it a place you visit at least at the beginning and end of every day, but it’s more often than not a room in which you’re most likely to enjoy precious and rare private “you-time”.

A bathroom countertop is often a part of the bathroom that, if not neglected, can be underappreciated. Much like your kitchen benchtop, your bathroom countertop can really anchor the design and aesthetic of your bathroom or stand in stark contrast.

Here are 9 fantastic bathroom countertop ideas that are great for every home. 

Idea 1: Sleek concrete countertops

Concrete countertops are becoming more and more popular, especially in homes that boast a modern, minimalist design. Concrete finishes are inherently sleek and smooth and are easily incorporated in colour schemes and interior styles of all kinds.

Contrary to what most people think, concrete also comes in a range of shades, colours and textures so it’s easy to find the right particular type that best suits your application. Other benefits of a concrete bathroom countertops are its durability, non-porousness (when sealed), and affordability. 

Idea 2: Wooden Countertops

A wood countertop is a stylish way to add a statement piece to your bathroom. While not a material often associated with that room of the house, a wooden countertop can be treated and sealed to protect it more than adequately from moisture and liquid exposure.

Wooden countertops also come in both glossy and non-glossy versions and in a variety of shades and colours so there’s plenty of customisability and versatility.  Another big attraction is that wooden vanities and countertops range in price so if you’re operating on a tight budget, you’ll still be able to find one that suits. 

Idea 3: Glass Bathroom Countertops

There’s something simple yet elegant about incorporating glass in your bathroom countertop. Not only is it easy to pair with colour schemes and styles of all kinds, but it allows for a feeling of extra spaciousness and increased levels of brightness.

That’s why they’re particularly popular for use in small bathrooms. Of course, glass is extremely water-proof so it’s an immensely durable and long-lasting material for use in bathrooms. Paired with unique see-through sinks or vanities, a glass countertop is an easy and affordable way to bring great style and practicality to your bathroom.

Idea 4: Laminate Countertops

Laminate is a highly affordable material for use in a range of interior design applications in the home. Available in ready-to-go sheets that can be easily installed by yourself, laminate is often used for wallpaper but it can also make for an excellent countertop. Being both durable and very easy to clean, it’s pragmatic and useful. Of course, because you can get laminate in a variety of designs, you can easily mix and match to suit the rest of your bathroom or even to make your countertop look like granite, marble or natural stone. 

Idea 5: Tiles

Tiles, especially in the classic subway pattern, are a quintessential bathroom aesthetic. Using tiles made of stone, in your bathroom countertop is an excellent way to infuse the bathroom style in your countertop.

Of course, the classic visual aesthetic isn’t the only reason why tiles make for such a good countertop. With high quality, professionally applied grout lines, it’s easy to keep a tiled countertop highly protected against moisture.

Idea 6: Marble Countertops

Marble is a highly sophisticated-looking and elegant natural stone and is a fantastic way of bringing a real sense of luxury to your bathroom.

While marble is going to cost more than some of the other bathroom countertop ideas on this list, it’s well worth the investment.

Known for its durability when properly treated and sealed, marble is a highly functional material for use in bathrooms.

Countertops see a particularly high amount of exposure to liquid and moisture, so choosing a very durable and high quality material like marble is essential. Plus, there are a wide range of colours and styles of marble beyond the classic cloudy milk-veined patterns of the iconic marble colouring, like black and gold marble or red marble.

There’s no reason why you can’t find the colour and shade that best suits your preferences.

Idea 7: Granite Countertops

Granite countertops are an excellent choice for your bathroom as well. With a perfect combination of elegance and durability, it’s easy to see why granite is a very popular construction material. Like marble, granite comes in a wide range of colours and shades. From dark greys and blacks to lighter blues and even reds, you’ll find a perfectly complementary granite countertop for just about any style bathroom. 

Idea 8: Limestone Bathroom Countertops

Limestone is a natural stone that’s often used to infuse earthy tones and a sense of natural elegance to a room. In your bathroom, a countertop made from polished limestone will bring a shine and nature-inspired beauty to the room. There are a ton of options when it comes to pairing a limestone countertop: You could incorporate chrome or nickel-plated fixtures or go with silver-toned finishes and light cabinetry.

While limestone is a highly durable natural stone, you do need to ensure it’s professionally sealed for moisture-protection. Here’s a great article on limestone uses in interior design.

Idea 9: Travertine Bathroom Countertops

Travertine, like limestone, is an excellent choice for bringing an earthy feel to your bathroom.

From deep olive greens to light, breezy beiges, the high mineral content of this sedimentary rock brings a rich complexity to the stone that is hard to replicate. As part of a bathroom countertop, the durability of travertine combined with the strong protection provided by a professional seal makes it an excellent choice of stone for your bathroom. 

You Can Count on Euro Marble For Your Bathroom Countertop

Want to discuss more ideas for your bathroom countertop or find out more about any of the ideas above? Make sure to speak to Euro Marble.

Not only are we experts in anything and everything natural stone and marble, we’re also experienced with sourcing and installing bathroom countertops in particular. So give us a call on (02) 8585 2999 or get in touch with us today. 

Who doesn’t dream of doing a bit of a renovation here and there in their bathroom? Whether it’s just a cosmetic touch-up or a wall-to-wall remodelling, one the biggest factors influencing whether someone is going to press the trigger on their reno is how much it is going to cost to remodel the bathroom. 

The Numbers Game

It’s an unforgiving task trying to give an average for the cost of a bathroom renovation because all remodelling projects are vastly different in type, size and scale.

Having said that, the average Australian spends somewhere between $10,000 and $20,000 on their bathroom remodelling with the median price being $13,000. 

That should give you some sort of a starting frame of reference. While small bathroom renovations can cost as little as $5,000 and others can cost as much as $25,000 plus, if you’re planning on a standard bathroom reno project it’s probably going to fall somewhere more towards the middle of that sum.

If you are working on a tight budget, then you should consider reading our guide about creating a breath taking bathroom on a budget.

Factors That Affect The Remodelling Cost

Bathroom size

It should go without saying that the larger your bathroom the higher the cost of a bathroom remodelling. As a sheer numbers game you’ll need more materials and from a labour cost perspective, if the brand new wall to be tiled is twice as large as your neighbour’s it is likely to take twice as long for installation. 

Structural work

The more structural work–think demolishing and re-construction–that you’re going to be doing the higher the price of the finished product is going to be. From labour hours involved to the cost of the raw materials, increased amount of work translates into increased price.

Material costs

The largest portion of your remodelling budget should be going to the costs of the actual materials. If you’re resurfacing the entirety of your bathroom’s walls, ceiling and floor, the cost of the materials alone will be significantly more than a simple vanity replacement.

Windows and/or skylights

Thinking of putting in a new window for added fresh air or a stunning skylight for extra brightness? While both are great ideas, they are also commonly high contributors to increased renovation costs.

Plumbing, electrical work and fixtures

Like the factors above, the more work that needs to be done the higher the cost of your renovation. If you need extensive electrical rewiring or are thinking of installing a bathtub for the first time, it’s going to cost more than just changing the cabinetry of your vanity and some fixtures.

Touches of luxury

We all deserve a bit of luxury in the bathroom and with modern technology there are a lot of opportunities to introduce a bit of opulent living to your home. If you’re thinking of including a heated towel rack or underfloor heating, make sure to consider the cost implications as well. It’s often well worth the investment, but we suggest carefully going over your choices so you are aware of the costs ahead of time. 

Bathroom Remodelling Budget Breakdown

Like we mentioned above, all remodelling projects are as different in scope as pieces of string are different in length.

We’ve broken down a rough average budget to help you gain some idea of how the costs of your bathroom are likely to be split.

• Design Work = 5%
• Material Costs = 75%
• Labour Costs = 20%

Design Work

At roughly 5% of your overall remodelling cost, the design work for your bathroom could include any number of things depending on the complexity and size of the project.

Moving a bathroom around the house might require an architect to get involved or even council permit applications if there are significant structural alterations going on. Some people like bringing in outside bathroom designers to provide professional design advice. Whatever your design process looks like, remember to keep it well within the smallest proportion of the allocated funds. 

Material Costs

Materials should be by far the biggest piece of the pie when it comes to your bathroom renovation. Materials, from taps to tiles and vanities to bathtubs, range significantly in price. Your choice in materials should reflect your budget.

Here’s a list of some of the more common parts or features of a bathroom that contribute to the material costs:

• Tiles or floor/ceiling/wall surfacing
• Vanities and mirrors
• Basins, tapware and fixtures
• Bathtubs and showers
• Toilets
• Accessories

Labour Costs

Labour costs represent a significant minority of your budget and should be roughly 20% of the total cost. Again, this will depend largely on the type of work getting done and how much of your bathroom remodelling you’re able to do yourself. 

Labourers can include electricians, plumbers, painters, tilers, waterproofers, grouters, carpenters and even skip bin providers. 

Tips For Approaching Your Bathroom Remodelling

1. Ask yourself what you’re looking to achieve in the remodelling (be realistic) and how much you can want or can afford to spend (be accurate).
2. Consider your home’s estimated value. As a general rule, you shouldn’t be spending more than 2% of the total value of the home on your bathroom’s remodelling. A rough guide equates to about $3,000 per square metre.
3. You can save money without compromising on the overall effect of your new bathroom with a few simple tricks:
   1. A simple repaint or surface re-tile can change a room.
   2. Changing some tapware and fixtures can make a world of difference.
   3. Add or replace mirrors and lights to increase the feeling of spaciousness and brightness.
   4. Clean your tiles and grout to bring your worn-looking bathroom back to life.
   5. Modernise your light fittings, shower head, tapware or even the whole shower enclosure without having to commit to a whole-room renovation. 

Have You Looked Into Natural Stone For Your Bathroom?

The team at Euro Marble are experts in all things natural stone and we would love to have a chat with you about how we could incorporate stone in your new bathroom.

We’ll walk and talk you through your entire bathroom-related dreams and match that up with realistic possibilities based on your budget so you’ll know exactly how much it would cost to remodel your bathroom. Want to find out more? Contact us today!