HELP Remodeling Bathrooms

I have gone through two bathroom renovations, one I did myself and one I had a contractor do. It can be a bit intimidating at first but you'll get through it! Here are some of my learnings, and suggested retailers:

The bath is likely the most difficult piece, especially for a smaller size room. Older bathrooms might have a non-standard size and so a 60" won't necessarily fit in without wall modifications.

Until the bath goes in, you can't really start any flooring, tiling or painting. We lost 8 weeks on our project from the wrong tub being delivered, the replacement tub being broken, and finally changing suppliers to just getting one that was in stock in the Bay Area. We ended up going with an Americh tub and have been very happy with it. Fiberglass tubs are very durable, not excessively priced, still look great, and are a lot easier to install than porcelain or cast iron (which can take 3 people to maneuver). For all the trim, we used Moran Plumbing Supply in Oakland. For the tub we used The Plumbery in Redwood City.

There are plenty of showrooms in San Francisco, but (at least earlier this year) supply chain delays were still causing everything to be backordered. We had some success with build.com for various pieces like towel bars, and their customer service was actually quite good.

For tiles, we love Italics in Berkeley. They have a great selection and are very helpful.

Something I learned the hard way on both my own job, and the contractor job is to spend the extra time and care to really flatten the floor and walls that will be tiled. Even the tiniest bump or screw sticking up can cause the tiles to not lay flat. Make sure you can inspect the work before tile goes down to ensure it's level.

Paint was the last item we worried about. It's easy to change down the road, vs. tiles which you are mostly stuck with.

Lastly, have everything shipped and arrive _before_ you start any demolition! Verify everything for quality when you receive it as well. We had floor tiles arrived, but didn't check them all until they were being laid, only to find half of them were cracked and we had to scramble to find replacements. The overall work took maybe 3 weeks, but with shipping delays and replacements the job took 10 weeks of mostly waiting around and not having the bathroom available.

Here's my quick tip run-down having remodeled one bathroom and built another from scratch:

• Toto toilets are my favorite - whatever you get, definitely go for the low-water-use eco-flush - it has saved us so much water (and might be required at this point, anyway)
• On our contractor's recommendation, we paid a lot for a Hansgrohe shower fixture that has been a complete bust, literally - breaks regularly, and requires a $50 part to fix it each time, and the company couldn't care less. Maybe that's just my experience, but I would not shell out for that brand again. (Note that Grohe is a different company and seems to have better products. But in general I don't think faucets/shower parts are the place to splurge, in my experience.)
• Last time around we got tile from Daltile in San Leandro, which has a nice showroom to browse. Art Tile on Broadway has beautiful but more expensive options.
• Don't skimp on your tile installer - our low-cost installer did such a poor job that we had to pay someone else to take it out and reinstall it, but I'm so glad we did - you will see the tile and finishes every day so you want them to be something you love
• HeavyLux did a good job with shower glass and has great customer service - they even came out years later to check on something at no cost. They have a showroom in San Leandro, I think.
• Make sure you have plenty of light, either natural or electric, including around the sink and over the shower.
• Install a good (and quiet!) exhaust fan.
• Whenever possible, go with timeless choices (or at least things you love) over trends - bathroom trends change so much over time, but neutral colors and natural materials will go a long way (when in doubt, we thought back to hotel bathrooms we had liked - which might be a little bland, but my theory is you go for simple bones and then you can always add in artwork and bathmats and towels to change it up, like adding throw pillows on a basic sofa)

Hope that brain-dump is useful! Good luck with the remodel!

A lot depends on how "handy" you are and whether you want to do the work yourself or hire a contractor or plumber (as I did).  Most of the decisions are aesthetic, but I suggest making low maintenance and easy to clean priorities.  Safety: you will need GFCI outlets in wet areas; non-slip floors, single lever temperature controls so you can't scald yourself in the shower.  I suggest Paul Heiser at Ashby Lumber for the showroom and advise. 

Just have a small thing to add: it may be obvious to everyone else but we made some mistakes with towel bar placement. Be sure to consider the following: How long are your towels and where will they fall? On the toilet, esp the flush lever? Covering the light switch? Also, if you have kids and expect them to take care of their own towels, make sure the towel bars are low enough for kids to use them! LFMF! 

I also second the comment about choosing your tile installer carefully. Tile placement is super important, and requires an artistic/aesthetic eye. Be sure to pick someone who is not only experienced, but whose previous work you like. 

Good luck with your project! 

Just a few additional thoughts based on our experience. 
If one of the bathrooms will be used primarily by adults, consider having the sink placed a little higher than standard. That may require a custom vanity (or raising an off-the-shelf one), but will be way more comfortable to use.  (Notice how much you're probably bending over every time you wash your hands and face or brush your teeth). 
I definitely recommend a hand-held shower head with an adjustable height mount. We used a higher end brand for the hose, mount, and (required) anti-siphon valve, but have been very happy with an inexpensive adjustable Waterpik shower head, which we got at Target. 
Good lighting!!  Lights on each side of the mirror - rather than above it - will give you much more even light on your face (if anyone uses the mirror for makeup, etc.). 
In the tub with shower, we mounted the on-off lever slightly off center - easier to reach from outside the tub without getting wet.

I definitely recommend a lever-type shower control you can use with one hand rather than separate hot/cold handles. Decide how important it is to you to adjust shower temperature separate from water volume. A lot of single-handle shower controls give you only two flow settings -  off or on (though you can sometimes adjust flow on the shower head). We chose (and are happy with) one with the ability to adjust flow and temperature separately, with the same easy-to-move lever. (Note that the one we have in our other bathroom adjusts flow but pushing a knob in or pulling it out, and it's horrible; difficult to fine-tune the flow, and constantly coming off altogether). 
Since we mostly shower rather than use the tub for baths (especially with the drought), we opted for a shorter, cheaper tub. (Also easier to step into).   But if you're a bath family, sit inside and see how high the water can get.

Install grab bars in the tub/shower!!!  Really. Even if you're young and steady. It's much safer for everyone, and you might find yourself in a temporary situation where you'll really appreciate them. 

A few more thoughts.
Consider what items you want to store in the bathrooms (at least extra TP, tooth care things, and menstrual care products) and plan for that. We keep medicines (as recommended) and towels elsewhere, but there's still things like shaver, hairbrushes, deodorant, cleaning supplies, etc. to consider. Also outlets. What do you want to keep plugged in at all times (a nightlight) or longer periods (recharge electric toothbrush, shaver, etc), and what just when you use it (hair dryer?). Have enough, and in the right places. 

One feature your might consider while undertaking your remodel. Install an electrical outlet low and behind the toilets. You may know there are very nice bidet seats now available which can be easily installed in of place of a regular toilet seat and plugged in to an outlet. Some people find them very convenient and useful.