When remodeling a bathroom, you’ll need to decide whether you want to install a walk-in shower or a bathtub. Both options have their benefits, and the right choice often comes down to your lifestyle, available space, and the long-term plans for your home. Let’s break down each option to help you make the best decision. 

Why You Should Consider a Walk-In Shower

Accessibility and Convenience

Walk-in showers are easy to enter and exit, making them a great option for people of all ages, especially those with limited mobility and older adults. Many designs are barrier-free or low-threshold, offering a safer and more convenient option for those who struggle climbing over the side of a tub. 

You can also easily incorporate safety features like non-slip flooring, grab bars, and built-in benches. 

Space-Saving Design

Showers work well in smaller bathrooms, as they can help you maximize floor space. A sleek glass-enclosed shower can make the room feel larger, more luxurious, and more open compared to a bulky bathtub. 

Modern Style

From rainfall showerheads to custom tile work, walk-in showers bring a contemporary look that can instantly elevate your bathroom’s design. You could also add a steam bath or seamless glass enclosure to add extra sleekness. 

Efficiency

Showers typically use less water than filling a bathtub. For example, a 10-minute shower with a standard showerhead uses approximately 25 gallons of water, while a full bathtub can use 50 to 70 gallons. This makes showers more eco-friendly and budget-conscious in the long run. 

Because showers use less water, they also require less energy to heat the water, placing less demand on your water heater. A low-flow showerhead can also significantly reduce energy costs. 

Easier Cleaning

While both showers and bathtubs require regular maintenance and cleaning, walk-in showers are typically easier to clean because they have a more open design with fewer corners and hidden areas where grime can accumulate. Bathtubs usually need more scrubbing and deep cleaning because of the awkward angles and high walls. 

Why You Should Consider a Bathtub 

Relaxation Factor 

Bathtubs provide a spa-like experience that showers can’t fully replicate, giving you the perfect space for you to fully relax, lower your stress levels, and promote better sleep. It can also improve circulation and soothe sore muscles after a long day, especially if you invest in one with jets. 

Great for Families

If you have young children, a bathtub makes bath time easier, safer, and more enjoyable. Many parents prefer tubs because they are more practical for kids. You may also want a bathtub if you have pets or don’t have a laundry sink to hand-wash clothes in. 

Added Home Value

While showers are popular, many homebuyers still see a bathtub as a must-have feature, especially in the primary bathroom. A well-placed tub can make your home more appealing on the market, particularly for families with children. 

Versatility

A bathtub can double as a shower if you add a showerhead, allowing you the flexibility to enjoy long soaks after work and quick showers in the morning. 

Different Types of Bathtubs

Freestanding Tubs — A freestanding or clawfoot tub can add an elegant or modern touch to your bathroom, making it stand out.

Alcove Tubs — These tubs are more practical and can fit into tighter spaces.

Soaking and Whirlpool — These tubs add extra luxury and comfort and are ideal for evening soaks. 

Key Considerations Before You Decide

Space — Do you have enough room for a full-size tub, or would a shower better maximize the available floor space?

Budget — Do you have room in your renovation budget for a walk-in shower? A walk-in typically costs more than a bathtub to install. 

Lifestyle — Do you have younger children? Do you prefer quick showers or enjoy long, relaxing soaks?

Accessibility — Will you or anyone in your home benefit from an easier-to-access shower now or in the future?

Resale Value — Are you planning on selling your home in the future? If so, consider what future buyers in your area will prefer.

Upgrade Your Bathroom Today with a New Shower or Bathtub

Choosing between a walk-in shower and a bathtub comes down to balancing style, function, and personal preference. If you value convenience, modern design, and efficiency, a walk-in shower may be the way to go. But if relaxation, family needs, and resale value are top priorities, a bathtub may be the better choice. 

For many homeowners, the ideal solution is having both — a stylish walk-in shower for daily use and a bathtub for when you need to bathe your children or unwind.

When it comes to maintaining and upgrading your home, timing is everything. While many people wait for spring and summer to complete home improvement projects, fall actually provides the perfect opportunity for exterior painting. Before freezing temperatures, snow, and harsh winter conditions arrive, add a fresh coat of paint to protect your home’s exterior and improve its overall curb appeal. Here’s why fall is the perfect season to tackle this important project. 

Ideal Weather Conditions for Paint

In the fall, it’s not too hot or too cold. This perfect temperature balance allows paint to dry properly and adhere better to surfaces, resulting in a smooth, more uniform, and durable finish. Fall also typically means lower humidity levels, which helps keep paint from drying too quickly, allows it to cure correctly, and prevents streaks, bubbles, or uneven coverage. 

Additionally, with fewer rainy days and moisture interrupting your project, you’ll experience fewer delays and a more efficient painting process. 

Cooler weather also means reduced insect activity, so you’ll have fewer buzzing pests landing on the wet paint or interrupting you while working. 

Protect Against Harsh Winter Elements

Snow, ice, wind, and freezing rain can take a serious toll on your home’s exterior surfaces. A fresh coat of paint acts like a protective shield, sealing out water and preventing costly repairs down the road. 

If your paint is already peeling, fading, or cracking, your siding and wood trim are left exposed to moisture and damage. A new coat of paint can stop the growth of mold and mildew, protecting your home from costly damage. 

Prevent Wood Rot and Structural Damage

When bare wood is left exposed through cracked or peeling paint, moisture seeps in and causes not only mold growth but also wood rot. Once winter sets in, freezing and thawing cycles make this even worse. Painting before winter locks out moisture, helping preserve your siding, trim, and other wooden features. 

Boost Curb Appeal Before the Holidays

The arrival of fall means more gatherings, from Halloween and Thanksgiving to weekend football parties and the Christmas season. Giving your home’s exterior a fresh coat of paint will help you create a more inviting and welcoming environment for guests. It’s also a smart move if you’re considering selling your home in the near future because buyers tend to notice an updated exterior right away. 

Contractors Are More Readily Available

Since summer is the peak season for exterior painting projects, you may find it difficult to schedule a contractor when it works for your busy schedule and theirs. In the fall, they often have more availability and flexibility, meaning you’re more likely to get your project completed quickly and at a time that works best for you. 

Long-Lasting Results 

By painting your home’s exterior before winter, you set up your home for long-term success. The paint will have the chance to cure properly before extreme temperatures hit, giving it better adhesion and durability. That means fewer touch-ups and a longer lifespan for your paint job. 

Signs Your Home Could Use a Fresh Coat of Paint

Fading or Discoloration — Long-term exposure to the elements can lead to faded or less vibrant paint. 

Cracking, Peeling, or Bubbling — These issues often indicate that moisture has gotten under the paint, compromising its integrity and leaving your home vulnerable.

Mold Growth — Mold or mildew on exterior walls suggests the paint is no longer effectively protecting the surface from moisture. This is also the case if you notice woot rot on your siding. 

Chalking — If you can rub the paint off and it leaves a chalky residue, it’s a sign of wear and that the paint has failed to protect the surface. 

You may also want to freshen up your home’s exterior if you want to update it to match your style, if you are planning on selling your home in the future, or if you want to make a new home feel more like you. 

Get Your Exterior Painting Done Before Winter 

Fall brings cooler weather and colorful leaves — and the perfect opportunity to update your home’s exterior. By investing in a fresh coat of paint before winter sets in, you not only enhance your home’s curb appeal but also shield it from the damaging effects of snow, ice, and moisture. A timely paint job now means fewer repairs later and a long-lasting finish that carries you through the toughest months of the year. 
Don’t wait until spring — call Rosewood Painting today to take advantage of fall’s perfect painting conditions and give your home the protection it deserves.

A paint sample can look perfect at the store, under the bright showroom lights — only to look completely different once it’s on your walls at home. That’s because lighting plays a big role in how paint colors appear. From natural daylight to warm lamps, the type, direction, and intensity of light can dramatically change a room’s look and feel. Here’s a guide to lighting and how it affects the way your walls look.

The Basics of Color Perception 

Did you know we don’t really see color with our eyes? The brain receives light and interprets that light as color, so no one perceives color in exactly the same way.

When light hits an object, some of that light is reflected and some of it is absorbed by the object. The reflected light enters your eyes and photoreceptors in your retinas, known as cones and rods, transmit signals to the brain to interpret. Rods are responsible for vision in low light, while cones are crucial for color vision. This process all happens very quickly. 

Background color, light source, age, memory, number, and quality of cones in our eyes all affect how we view color. 

Why Lighting Matters for Paint Color

While you can’t completely control how people perceive color, lighting can still have an effect. Natural light, artificial light, and wall sheen all change how a color looks on your walls. 

Natural Light

North-Facing Rooms — North-facing rooms receive natural light, which tends to be cooler and makes light colors look more muted or even slightly gray, and dark colors appear darker. 

South-Facing Rooms — South-facing rooms get warm, intense sunlight that can make dark colors appear brighter and more vibrant, and white or pale colors a bit dull. 

East-Facing Rooms — These rooms receive soft and warm light in the morning, but cooler light later in the day, making colors look intense in the morning and muted later in the evening. 

West-Facing Rooms — West-facing rooms receive rich, warm afternoon light, which can intensify reds, oranges, and yellows and make them appear overwhelming. 

Artificial Light

Incandescent Bulbs — These bulbs cast a warm, yellowish glow, making warm colors richer but washing out cooler tones. 

Fluorescent Bulbs — These bulbs often create a bluish tint that can dull warm shades. 

Halogen Bulbs — Halogen bulbs mimic natural daylight, providing a more neutral and accurate representation of the paint color. 

LED Bulbs — LEDs are available in different temperatures (warm, neutral, cool), giving you more control over how your paint color is perceived. 

Sheen and Reflection

Glossy finishes reflect more light, which can make colors appear lighter and more intense, brightening the room. Matte finishes absorb more light, softening the overall effect and making colors appear deeper and richer.

What You Can Do About It

Test Paint Samples in Different Light — Paint a few swatches on your wall and check them throughout the day. Morning, noon, and night, as well as natural and artificial light, can reveal surprising differences. 

Consider Your Room’s Direction — Think about how much natural light your space gets and from which direction before finalizing a paint color. 

Choose the Right Bulbs — If you rely heavily on artificial lighting, select bulbs with a color temperature that complements your chosen paint. For example, choose warm white for cozy naturals and daylight bulbs for crisp blues and grays.

Don’t Skip the Finish — Remember to take into account the finish on your walls. Gloss can intensify colors, while flat or eggshell finishes give a more subdued look. 

Layer Your Lighting — Use a mix of overhead, task, and accent lighting to balance out shadows and create a consistent look in your painted space. 

Consider Room Furnishings — Be aware that other objects, such as furniture, flooring, and rugs, in the room absorb and reflect light, affecting color perception. Neutral colored curtains can be used to soften and diffuse natural light. If you have lamps, consider how white or ivory shades give the brightest light, and strongly colored shades can mute colors. 

Before You Pick a Color, Check the Lighting 

The right paint color doesn’t exist in the can; it lives in the light that surrounds it. Natural sunlight, artificial bulbs, and even the sheen of your paint all work together to influence how a shade truly looks in your home. By testing swatches in different lighting conditions, paying attention to your room’s orientation, and choosing the right type of artificial lighting, you can avoid surprises and achieve the look you want, no matter the time of day.