9 Tips To Ensure You Get Your Dream Bathroom Remodel

Read article : 9 Tips To Ensure You Get Your Dream Bathroom Remodel

This bathroom remodel ideas post is sponsored by Sears Home Services.

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In our last house, we thought we were in our forever house. We bought it when the wee ones were almost 3 and not quite one. At the time, we planned to live there until they graduated high school or longer, and we treated the house that way. We replaced all the windows, we made an amazing front walk and redid all the landscaping. My favorite project included a gut of the master bathroom, and a complete kitchen remodel was next on our list.

Plans change, and we sold that house five years ago now. This house is now our forever house, except that forever is definitely a much shorter horizon. We built the new garage last year and just finished a roof replacement on Monday. I met with the house painter yesterday, and a completely redone basement (needed due to water issues that we’ve since fixed). Are you surprised that our master bath is on the list again?

We learned from our last house, and I have a ton of bathroom remodel ideas, both ideas we incorporated as well as some new trends that have sprouted. Our new bathroom won’t happen overnight, but even small changes can make a difference. I pulled out the brass and chrome fixtures from throughout my bathroom already. Just that little thing helped make our bathroom (built in 2005) feel less dated.

9 Bathroom Remodel Ideas

Add heated floors.

This was the best thing we did in our remodel. Hands down it was the best idea we had. Since we ripped out (all three layers of) the old flooring, we laid heating coils under the new floor. Nine months of the year, we used this floor and loved it. There is nothing worse than a cold Chicago morning and dancing from rug to rug to avoid frostbite on your feet.

We set it up to include a programmable switch. It turned on ten minutes before we headed to the bathroom each morning, so it was beautifully warm every time. It turned off by itself, and oh my word it was worth the investment. This is hands down the best of my bathroom remodel ideas ever. I’ll never do a remodel without one again.

Create a point of interest in your bathroom.

As much time as we spend in bathrooms, you want to enjoy the look. In our old bathroom, the towel rack hung over the far end of the bathtub. We had to walk from the shower over and climb in the tub or carefully reach over it to get our towel. That towel rack went away in the remodel, but initially we had no idea what to do with that blank wall. There was an identical blank wall on the other side of the tub.

Fortunately, my contractor came up with a fantastic bathroom remodel idea. I knew I wanted a window from my shower to make it feel bigger since we couldn’t increase the size of the shower itself. We chose an arched design, and our contractor suggested a tiled arch shelf built into the wall to hold some knick knacks and bath oils, etc. It turned out gorgeous. A shelf like this may not be the best fit for every bathroom, but it created a great point of interest on an otherwise boring wall. How can you give personality to your bathroom?

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Make sure you have enough storage.

Our current second floor has no linen closet. In fact, there’s nowhere to really store towels and sheets and other items in general. There is some wasted space behind the bathroom door, and we purchased a wooden shelf that we painted white to act as a temporary closet. It isn’t the prettiest, but it’s functional. For now.

When thinking about bathroom remodel ideas, don’t forget about storage. Do you have enough with your current setup? In our last house, we added a storage tower between the two sinks. We had a large bathroom and a long sink area, so this worked well. It separated my husband’s stuff from mine, and all our “things” stayed out of sight.

When we remodel our current bathroom, we won’t put a tower between the sinks because our bathroom is narrower. On the far edge of our vanity, we have wasted space there, and we’ll extend the cabinet up to create storage for towels and sheets and add some vertical interest with a change in heights.

And yes, we’ll build in a real linen closet where that space is currently wasted.

Choose the right sink.

Growing up, sinks were all the same. They were slightly oval and mounted into the counter. Now? Oh my word, the options! In so many bathrooms, a vessel sink looks amazing. It’s so sophisticated and so many have the personality many bathrooms lack.

They can be pretty expensive, however. A more traditional sink now comes in a variety of shapes. We chose a rectangular sink that gave me more room to presoak laundry in the “extra” sink since we had a second floor laundry and no laundry sink. It was large and gorgeous. An undermount sink worked great for us there because it minimized dirt that got stuck around the seal of the sink. In our current bathroom – because storage is at a premium – we know we’ll do a top mount sink that gives us more room in the vanity, but that doesn’t mean we won’t find one with the right look for our bathroom.

Choose the right fixtures.

Now that you have your sink, make sure your fixtures fit the aesthetic of your bathroom as much as you sink does. If you have a vessel sink or pedestal sink, make sure your faucets have enough room for you to wash your hands and more.

When it comes to the shower, it’s easy to find a showerhead in the same family as your sink faucet without it being identical. Do you want a showerhead you can move easily? Do you want an overhead shower for a more spa like experience? One of the bathroom remodel ideas I nixed last time was a steam shower. I didn’t think it was worth the money. Once we were done, I regretted it. Now there are smart showerheads that create that spa-like experience.

More and more fixtures provide great spray while still saving water. I miss the days in my old Chicago apartment where my shower beat on me. When I think of all the water wasted, I cringe. I can regain that experience with many showerheads now available without the need to hang my head in shame for the excess water.

Build a niche into your shower.

I am not a fan of the shower surrounds. When I do my bathroom, I want tile everywhere, which allows a ton of customization. My current bathroom? Yep, it’s a surround. And there’s nowhere to put shampoo or soap or anything. Shaving my legs? I’m balancing with a foot on the wall, and it isn’t pretty.

Another of those great bathroom remodel ideas? Build your shower to fit your needs. You can find a place to create a niche in a wall to hold your bath products. Make sure your contractor tilts it so water doesn’t stay in it. This is not only a functional addition, but it looks cool, too. We flipped the direction of the tiles we used elsewhere in the shower so they were diamonds instead of squares, and it looked fabulous. Major custom look without a major custom price. That inset? It’s a prefab option so my contractor didn’t have to build it by hand.

Create a bench, too, if you have room. We were able to have enough room for a bench so I could sit while shaving without feeling cramped in our last shower. Barely. Not every shower has that ability, but even in a standard size shower, you can build a foot rest into the tile so you have a secure place to rest your foot or booty while shaving. As with the inset for shampoo, just be sure your contractor angles it to avoid water pooling.

Don’t go too trendy.

Full bathroom remodels aren’t cheap. It isn’t the most expensive home renovation you can do, and it provides a great return on investment relatively, but you don’t want to go super trendy so that someone walks in and says, “Oh, yeah, this bathroom was done in 2016.”

That doesn’t mean you want to be blah or avoid any trends at all, but think about what has a longer term appeal. The pink tiles in my old master bathroom? I know they were from 1993. By 1996, I knew that. Avoid those traps.

If you plan to live in your house long term, create a bathroom that is your haven. You live there, not the person who’ll buy your house in 15 years. If it fits with the rest of your house design, go for it. What works in my 1925 more traditional home doesn’t work in an Italian villa style or in an ultra modern home. The overarching philosophy behind my bathroom remodel ideas is what matters.

Honestly, I can look even now at our bathroom remodel from five years ago and know that we chose too trendy a color wood that is too dark, especially with the granite countertop (which I do still love). This is where an expert designer comes in handy to help ensure you love your bathroom today and in 10 years. They have so many bathroom remodel ideas to make it fit you without being so trendy you’ll regret it.

Look for flooring with personality.

We chose rough stone tiles. Smooth is not your friend in the bathroom. The rough surface wasn’t uncomfortable to walk on, and we never had to worry about falls. Even better, the crags and such in the flooring meant we never had puddles when leaving the shower. We actually removed rugs from the bathroom entirely, which I loved. Why? The water that doesn’t evaporate quickly enough in a humid bathroom? Yuck.

While we love stone, that isn’t the choice for everyone. There are so many neat options out there today. Porcelain and ceramic tile come in so many neat patterns and textures now. Don’t do wood, as wood and moisture don’t get along. There are now wood looking porcelain tiles, however. Whatever you choose, find something that complements the entire style of your bathroom.

Update your counter surfaces.

We honestly may update our countertops in the master bathroom and in the guest bath on the main floor before we do a complete redo of the master bath because we have so many other major projects on our list with this house. Right now, they are a very cheap laminate countertop that doesn’t go with the aesthetic of the house. It bothers me every time I look at them.

Countertops aren’t as expensive as you might think, especially as bathroom counters tend to be a fairly limited area. Quartz is a great alternative because it requires no maintenance. You can find great designs with this. I love granite, personally. The uniqueness of granite and the personality it can bring to your bathroom make it worth the investment in my book.

Ready to Implement These Bathroom Remodel Ideas?

Just writing this, I’m excited to redo three of our bathrooms whether just a little countertop change or a full remodel. I’m not quite ready, but when I am, I know what I’ll do. Sears, of course, offers everything you need, whether you’re looking at a quick change like refacing your cabinets or a complete overhaul of your space.

Taking these bathroom remodel ideas and doing the whole thing? Sears has a savings of $500 on bathroom remodels of $1,500 or more through 11/30/2016.

Replacing or refacing your cabinets? Get $500 off a project of $1,500 or more through 11/30/2016, too.

Changing up your countertops? You can save $250 off a countertop purchase of $1,500 or more through 11/30/2016.

And of course, Sears offers free consultations on your projects so you can easily figure out what exactly you want to do and how much it will cost. Just know that if you’re anything like me, you’ll end up increasing the scope of the project as you go along, so make sure you budget for some changes!

What are your best bathroom remodel ideas?

great bathroom remodel ideas will give you a good place to start. Some tips on how to stay happy with it long term and some ideas you may not have thought about." />s

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How To Make The Most Out Of A Small Bathroom Space

Read article : How To Make The Most Out Of A Small Bathroom Space

Designing for small spaces can be difficult, and nowhere is it as difficult as the bathroom. With a small bedroom or living room space, you can at least choose furniture and create a layout that maximizes the interior space – but that’s not the case when you have a small bathroom.

No matter what, you’re still going to need a sink, toilet, storage space, and a shower at minimum. And unless you’re looking to put some serious dollars into the pocket of your local plumber, the interior plumbing of your home dictates that you’re stuck with the existing layout as well.

Although getting the most out of a small bathroom space can be difficult, you can create the illusion of a roomy space by applying basic principles of interior design and adding a touch of your own creativity. The key is to examine each and every element of your bathroom with an eye towards elimination and integration. Does the item take up more space than necessary? Could its functionality be integrated with another item? Could it be tucked away somewhere else?

You’ll also want to ensure that you eliminate any features that jut out into your already small space – this makes it feel more cluttered and cramped. Combine this with the right color combinations and lighting to create the illusion of a spacious retreat.

Whether you’re looking to remodel your bathroom, or just add some finishing touches, here are some additional DIY ideas that you can implement to get the most of your small bathroom space.

1. Use Narrow Wall Shelves

While your first instinct may be to tuck your storage space into the vanity or in a medicine cabinet and eliminate shelves altogether, narrow wall shelves let you maximize interior space while still looking stylish. They’re also extremely easy to install.

A secondary benefit is that you’ll have your key toiletries easily accessible, without needing a large counter space. Use narrow wall shelves to store your soaps, shampoos, cotton balls, towels, and lotion, while leaving your more private toiletries for the vanity.

Photo: Narrow Wall Shelves

2. Switch To A Pedestal Sink

There’s certainly a trade off here – on the one hand, a vanity offers hidden storage space and more counter surface. On the other hand, it takes up unnecessary space and makes the bathroom feel smaller. While a pedestal sink may not always be the best choice for your overall design scheme, it’s certainly something to consider.

Photo: Pedestal Sink

3. Switch To A Floating Vanity

If a pedestal sink isn’t the right look for you, consider switching to a small floating vanity. This will give your bathroom a more modern and spacious feel, while also giving you some easily accessible storage space under the vanity – a place to tuck your trash can for example.

Photo: Floating Vanity

4. Use A Clear Shower Curtain/Door

You can’t magically expand your bathroom space – or can you? If you have an opaque shower curtain or shower door, you’re just closing off your existing bathroom space. If you want your cozy little bathroom space to feel a little bigger, just add a clear shower curtain/shower door. Your bathroom will instantly feel a whole lot bigger.

Photo: Clear Shower Curtain/Door

5. Choose Soft, Pale Color Schemes

Choosing softer, pale color schemes will help give your bathroom the illusion of space. This certainly doesn’t mean your bathroom has to be painted a flowery pink or all white, but it does mean you’ll want to avoid using bold, strong colors. For background surfaces like the floor and walls, choose from a palette of white, neutral colors, and pastels. Add some brightly colored accessories and towels for accents in order to add some “pop”.

 Photo: Soft, Pale Color Schemes

Author bio:

Simon is a professional blogger/designer/SEO guy a sort of “digital renaissance man” of many talents. He writes the blog of Seattle plumber company Fischer plumbing and his own blog. In his free time he works on DIY projects around the house.

16 Ways To Deep Clean Your Bathroom - And Keep It Clean

Read article : 16 Ways To Deep Clean Your Bathroom - And Keep It Clean

If there were one room in the house you were to hate cleaning the most, it would be the bathroom. Somehow it just always seems a little dirty, yet it’s the room we clean ourselves up in. All the dirt just somehow manages to find a way to store up in the little nooks and crannies we often forget about, where it gets worse until you eventually do something about it.

With just a few household items and these helpful tips, you’ll be on your way to effectively deep cleaning your bathroom in no time.

1. Make shower grout sparkle again

With a baking soda and bleach concoction, a toothbrush, and some time to scrub, you’ll have immaculate shower grout in no time.

2. Easily get rid of stubborn mold in caulking

By soaking cotton balls in bleach, you can get rid of stubborn mold the easiest way possible. Simply set the cotton balls along the stained or moldy caulking, allow it to sit overnight, and presto!

3. Accomplish a clean jetted tub

You don’t need the help of dish detergent or harmful cleaners to clean the small crannies of tub jets. With just the help of a little baking soda, vinegar, and water, you can let it soak and easily scrub it with a toothbrush and towel.

4. Clean out the bath drain

Throwing some Draino in there is an easy, quick fix, but it doesn’t get down to the root of the problem. By cleaning out your drain the old-fashioned way, you can. All you’ll need is a few tools to disassemble the tub stopper, vinegar, and baking soda.

5. Create a spotless plastic shower curtain

Did you know a plastic shower curtain can be cleaned in the washing machine?! Just add one or two cups of white vinegar to the load and a couple of towels to avoid the shower curtain clustering together. Make sure to allow it to air dry as the plastic will melt in the dryer.

6. Say goodbye to deep stains in the sink

This will take a little more time, as it is a three-step process. But you don’t have to worry about scrubbing until your hands burn with the help of a product known as “Bar Keeper’s Friend.”

7. Fix a slow draining bathroom sink

If you have a U-shaped trap, you know just how easily grime, hair, and other crap builds up. To ensure your sink works better for a longer period of time, you can completely clean it out with the help of this tutorial.

8. Remove hard water buildup with ease

Forget about CLR or other cleaners that promise to remove hard water buildup. With a mixture of white vinegar, dish soap, and lemon juice, the grime will be gone in no time.

9. Keep the toilet clean all year without scrubbing

Try making your own DIY tablets to clean the toilet. All you need is citric acid from the canning aisle, hydrogen peroxide, baking soda, vinegar, and any essential oil you prefer. PopSugar

10. Abolish hard-to-clean toilet rings

Did you know Kool-Aid actually contains citric acid that can break down grime and even hard water deposits?! Just sprinkle a little Kool-Aid (lemonade flavor only) around a toilet bowl, let it sit for a couple hours, and stubborn toilet rings are gone in no time.

11. Eliminate grout stains in the floor

To make your home look brand new again, a little powdered oxygen bleach and water can go a long way. Scrub the mixture into the floor, and watch it transform.

12. Make your own floor cleaner

Not only do store bought floor cleaners smell like chemicals, they don’t always clean as well as we’d like them to. You can make your own that will leave your floors in squeaky clean condition by mixing equal parts vinegar, water, and rubbing alcohol with a few drops of liquid dish soap. It will cut through grease easily, and you can even personalize it by adding your favorite essential oils to aid in the process and make your house smell wonderful. Tea tree oil, for example, is great for disinfecting.

13. Don’t forget to clean the bathroom exhaust fan

As one of the most neglected things probably in your entire home, it needs a good cleaning from time to time too. Because you’re taking the cover off to clean the entire fan, make sure you turn off the breaker to make sure you don’t accidently shock yourself. You can find a full tutorial here.

14. Rejuvenate your bathroom storage cabinet

Whether you have a cabinet under your sink, or on the other side of the room, go through your bathroom storage area. Consolidate products, get rid of anything you don’t use or need, clean it out, and add a shelf liner. You can make it more productive and organized by adding baskets, hooks, or a lazy susan.

15. Disinfect your toilet plunger often

After uses, rinse off the plunger by flushing the toilet a few times. Then, mix dish soap with bleach directly in the toilet, swishing the plunger around in the mixture. Your toilet and plunger can all be cleaned at the same time.

16. Remember to clean the toilet brush too

If you think about it, the toilet brush is probably one of the dirtiest things in your bathroom. Combine hot water with two caps of bleach, let the brush soak for an hour, and then rinse it off with hot water.

 

Bliss Duo Oval 1800 Bath

Read article : Bliss Duo Oval 1800 Bath

Clean simple form follows function with the Bliss Duo Oval 1800 Bath made from high quality enamelled steel with a self-cleaning surface by Kaldewai. This bath design brings together the best of a traditional bath form with an effortlessly modern silhouette to make it the bath you’ll easily sink into.

Deep Clean Bathroom Tips for all the forgotten areas

Read article : Deep Clean Bathroom Tips for all the forgotten areas

This post is sponsored by Dettol

I’ve shared recently how to create a shower cleaning kit, speed clean the bathroom and organise the bathroom cupboards, but there are so many other little areas in the bathroom that get neglected during the weekly bathroom cleaning routine.

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Deep Clean Bathroom Tips

Below are a few deep cleaning bathroom tips for all the forgotten areas.

Plastic Shower curtain

It’s the worst when you jump into the shower and see dirt spots on the shower curtain, it can happen if the curtain doesn’t dry properly.

HOW TO CLEAN: Wipe over the curtain bottom of your curtain with a bathroom cleaner to remove any soap scum or dirt build up.  To freshen up the shower curtain pop the curtain in the wash with 2-3 bath towels (this will help prevent the curtain from crinkling too much in the machine) along with your regular detergent.  Then hang up to dry or check the label for washing instructions as you maybe able to put it in the dryer.

Dettol Healthy Clean Bathroom

Dettol Healthy Clean range all help the home stay clean and hygienic.  The Healthy Clean Bathroom Spray is an easy effective everyday bathroom cleaner that can be used on bathroom surfaces such as sink & tiles, bath and counter tops, toilet seats, sealed wooden surfaces, glass surfaces, bins and floors, leaving the bathroom sparkling clean and kills 99.9% germs (E.coli and Staphylococcus aureus). Always read the label. Use only as directed.

Use Dettol Healthy Clean Bathroom on all these tips to cut through dirt and soap scum to help keep your bathroom clean and hygienic with a fresh fragrance.

The sink drain

When brushing your teeth you’ll often see beyond the drain cover in the sink and see that it’s grotty.  In a regular clean, you would usually wipe over the top of the cover but just under the drain cover is usually a big build up of dirt, yuck!

HOW TO CLEAN: Get an old toothbrush and poke it into your sink drain cover, use this to help lift up the cover. Spray inside the drain and the drain cover with your bathroom cleaner, use the old toothbrush to help remove all the dirt. Once clean place cover back on.

Smelly Toilet

Whilst we clean the toilet seat and inside the bowl in a regular weekly bathroom clean, under the seat can often be forgotten, it an be a scary place, especially if you have boys as we know their aim can be terrible.

HOW TO CLEAN: Read how to clean a smelly toilet here. I’ve suggested natural products, but for those that don’t have the desire to make your own products, Dettol Healthy Clean Bathroom Spray can work wonders.

Shower Door Tracks

When cleaning the shower this area can often be neglected, which leads to a heavy build up.

HOW TO CLEAN: As the buildup is quite hard in this area your cleaning solution needs to sit on top to soften the area so you can easily remove the grime.  Spray area as required and allow to sit for 10 minutes.  Use a toothbrush to get into the hard to reach areas, then wipe over with a cloth.

Shower Head

Shower heads are prone to build up of mineral deposits, dust, dirt etc which affects the water pressure and spurts water out in all different directions.  Cleaning the shower head in your regular bathroom cleaning routine will help prevent the build up.

HOW TO CLEAN: Read how to clean a shower head here.

This post was coordinated by The Remarkables Group and run in accordance with my disclosure policy

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20 Cute Mermaid-Inspired Bathroom Décor Ideas

Read article : 20 Cute Mermaid-Inspired Bathroom Décor Ideas

Not only a little girl can be a mermaid fan, a grown up can be too! Whatever type of girl you are, if you feeling the call of the sea, why not add ocean-inspired touches to your spaces? We’ve already shared some ideas but today I’ll be more specific, let’s add some mermaid touches to your bathroom.

Tiles

Tiles are the main thing for any bathroom, and if you want to create a mermaid-inspired space, your choice is fish scale tiles. Fish scale tiles are truly seaside-inspired, they are just amazing! All shades of green, blue and purple are right what you need to remind of fish in the sea.

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teal and turquoise fish scale tiles in the shower zone create a show-stopping impression

one green fish scale tile wall for a bold statement in a marble bathroom

shower area clad with fish scale tiles in the shades of blue

light blue fish scale tiles create a calming impression and gold fixtures add interest

fish scale tile sink wall in the shades of blue and green

Shower Curtain

Add a mermaid feel easily with a proper shower curtain! This is a cheap and easy solution that doesn’t require much expense. Choose shades of green and blue, try a ruffled curtain that will remind of sea waves, and ombre curtains are cool, too.

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fish scale curtain in green shades

ombre ruffled shower curtain from white to teal

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ruffled aqua-colred curtain inspired by sea waves

neutral shower curtain with white sea creatures painted

Mirrors

A mirror or a mirror frame is another cool idea to try, a very easy solution that can be DIYed or bought for cheap. You can find a shell-shaped mirror, or cover the frame with shells and starfish. Sea rope is another cool idea to add a nautical feel.

bubble mirrors inspired by the ocean ones

super lush shell and coral bathroom mirror frame wows

twine covered mirror with starfish decor

shell-shaped mirror is a cute and very modern idea for a bathroom

Accessories

Accessories is one more great solution to rock, cheap, fast and easily changeable. These can be teal and aqua soap holders, sea creature hooks for towels, shell shaped soap holders and bathroom mason jars for storage with sea creature décor.

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mermaid soap holder is a simple and easy idea to realize

blue mason jars with twine and starfish decor for stroing bathroom supplies

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create your own mermaid inspired jewelry bowls with some treasures of old knobs and shells

scallop bathroom containers and holders in shades of green

sea reature towel hooks are an easy and cheap idea to add an ocean flavor to the decor

Some Assembly Required

Read article : Some Assembly Required

The Open Range 3X349RLS by Highland Ridge RV takes longer to set up than most fifth-wheels, but the extra effort is worth the time

When we were kids, the best gifts underneath the Christmas tree always required some sort of assembly, be they bicycles, wagons or dollhouses. The anticipation of the finished product, patiently assembled by Mom or Dad, bordered on excruciating. And though we were always delighted when the moment of completion arrived and we could finally enjoy our special gift, there seemed to be just a tinge of disappointment when we realized that moment was now over, not to be relived again until next year, if we were lucky. Happily, the Open Range 3X349RLS by Highland Ridge RV recaptures some of that Christmas morning excitement, and the good news is, you can reassemble this toy again and again.

The living area is well laid out with a large flat-screen television, electric fireplace and audio system. Space between the dinette
and sliding door is a bit tight but manageable.

Certainly, all fifth-wheels require some setup, which most of us look forward to as a sort of ceremony leading up to a weekend, or several weeks, of relaxation with friends and family. But this particular floorplan offers an optional exterior deck that folds down from the curbside slideout, which not only adds to the entertainment space but provides a feeling of openness few RVs can match.

The idea of an outdoor deck is not a new one, but as with all RV components, the success of a feature depends on its overall execution, how well it complements the floorplan as a whole, and in general, if it is truly useful or just a gimmick. In the case of the 3X349RLS, the concept works whether you’re enjoying it in the summer or winter months. The residential-style sliding-glass door admits welcome light from the outdoors, which prevents feelings of claustrophobia on rainy or snowy days. And in the summer, the door can be opened and the screen left shut to bring the fresh breeze inside. Of course, the deck itself would be essentially worthless if it couldn’t support the weight of a few guests, so Highland Ridge built it to hold up to 1,500 pounds — more than enough capacity for a few revelers.

handsome vessel sink highlight the roomy bathroom." width="200" height="300" />A residential-size shower and handsome vessel sink highlight the roomy bathroom.

As you might expect, a trailer as unique as this one requires some consideration when planning trips. The Open Range 3X349RLS starts out with a wide, 102-inch exterior, then adds two giant opposing slides. This alone makes the 3X349RLS big enough to fill most RV park sites, but add the deck, and the width roughly equals one-and-a-half fifth-wheels. For our test, we reached out to our friends at Pechanga RV Resort and Casino in Temecula, California, who set us up with a large deluxe site bordered by a grassy area featuring a picnic table. By moving the table and folding down the deck, we had just enough space to fully deploy the slides and deck but not much more. So, make sure wherever you plan to stay has adequate space. If there isn’t enough room, you can still enjoy this floorplan, but you’ll have a windowless curbside slideout, as the deck floor will cover the glass slider.

Once we leveled the fifth-wheel with the automatic jack system and deployed the slides, the extra work began. The deck floor unlatches easily from the side and lowers without much effort, thanks to spring assist. Once down, the integrated stab jacks are lowered and adjusted; it takes some practice to guess how long the jacks need to be to provide a level deck surface, not to mention crawling under the deck a few times to make sure the jacks are properly placed. This could become messy if the ground is wet or muddy, so you may consider carrying a plastic tarp with you to crawl onto if necessary. If the ground is dry and comfortable, it’s just a matter of a few adjustments that shouldn’t be a problem for those with a good back and knees.

decorative backsplash add upscale flair." width="375" height="250" />The kitchen features a movable island with a matching solid-surface countertop. Stainless-steel appliances, a dual-bowl sink with pull-out sprayer and a decorative backsplash add upscale flair.

Once this step is completed, it’s time to put up the railing. Open Range cleverly provides an extra bin underneath the forward storage compartment in which to store the railing sections and pins. It slides out like a large utility drawer and is secured during transit with a pin. Made of black plastic, the drawer is not the prettiest thing, but it’s a far better solution than having the railings tangled with your other belongings in the main storage area. The railings are marked so you know which side they go on, but even then it takes a bit of time to organize, install and secure them. We recommend you complete this step before the sun goes down.

Once set up, this fifth-wheel is quite a spectacle and drew more than its fair share of interested RVers at the park. The white, gray and blue exterior graphic scheme with frameless windows is handsome, and both power awnings feature LED lighting, which makes for a cool-looking party pad in the evenings. The unit seemed well-constructed and offered nice features, such as a heated and enclosed underbelly, a Trailair pin box and landing jacks featuring JT’s Strong Arm jack stabilizers for a solid, shake-free foundation. We also appreciated the small details, like TV prep on the exterior wall adjacent to the deck area, which allows you to mount a small TV once the deck is deployed.

Stepping inside, the living area feels massive and is a treat for the eyes with Stone decor (one of three available) featuring light wood cabinetry and faux wood-plank Beauflor vinyl flooring that seemed durable and was easy to clean. Providing visual contrast were the rear couch and streetside theater seating, which were finished in embossed black upholstery with white stitching. Both were very comfortable and perfectly placed for watching the flat-screen television, mounted in an entertainment hutch in the corner of the curbside slideout. The hutch also offers an electric fireplace, making for a cozy environment ideal for kicking back and relaxing during the evening.

The forward kitchen is somewhat unorthodox, in that it offers an optional island with casters that can be located wherever it’s convenient for you, although overhead pendant lighting suggests it should be placed in the center of the floor space. The island features a dark brown finish, complemented by a solid-surface countertop, and cabinets and drawers with brushed-nickel pulls. During travel, the island stows on the backside of the dinette and is secured with straps (there are anchors in the floor), and the dinette chairs reside upside down on the theater seats so they don’t interfere with slideout operation. It’s a little extra work, but once you get used to it, setup goes pretty quickly.

A 12-cubic-foot RV refrigerator with wood-panel fronts is located in the streetside slideout, and next to it is a stainless-steel three-burner stove with an oven and a residential-size microwave mounted overhead. We found that the corner-mounted stove was rather confining when cooking meals, but the reality is that cooking is only a small portion of meal prep. The bulk of your time is spent chopping and slicing, and the forward wall, with its large solid-surface countertop and dual-bowl stainless-steel sink provide plenty of space. There’s also an abundance of cabinet and drawer space, and a nice-size pantry on the curbside slideout, next to the entertainment hutch. Moreover, we found little to complain about, though everyone who walked through the Open Range had negative comments about the floor register located dead center in the living area floor. This is something Highland Ridge should consider locating in a less conspicuous area.

Next to the forward cabinets are a small coat closet and angled stairs that lead up to the bath and bedroom. The entry door has an obscured glass treatment that makes the area feel more open and is just more pleasing to look at than a solid door. The bath area is well executed with plenty of space where you need it most. There’s lots of elbowroom around the toilet, and the opposing vanity, with its glass-vessel sink, is an elegant touch. We particularly enjoyed the residential-size 48-inch x 30-inch shower with molded seat and appreciated the drawer space between the shower and bedroom entry. Above the drawers are a mirror and a pull-out counter for extra space, which allows two people to get ready for a night out at the same time.

mirrored wardrobe features large drawers beneath to store folded items." width="400" height="266" />he bedroom has plenty of walk-around space, and the mirrored wardrobe features large drawers beneath to store folded items.

The bedroom features a 72-inch x 80-inch bed, bordered by shelves that are perfectly sized for books, water glasses, etc. There is plenty of walk-around room and enough space near the headboard on either side, so making the bed in the morning is not a struggle. A mirrored wardrobe up front easily accommodated our travel essentials, and a cabinet on the curb side offered washer/dryerprep. At the foot of the bed are a chest of drawers for more folded items and space for an optional TV.

Make no mistake about it — the Open Range 3X349RLS isn’t for everyone, particularly those who just want to press a few buttons and kick back once they get to their campsite. But for those willing to do a little extra work, this fifth-wheel rewards with a lot of entertaining space and a fun factor that will make you the talk of any RV park.

Highland Ridge RV Open Range
260-768-7771 | www.openrangerv.com

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