While style and aesthetics come down to personal choice, some design elements aren’t a matter of taste. In a bathroom, where plumbing, necessary fixtures and electricity coincide in often a relatively small space, design don’ts are even more important. Check out these seven bathroom don’ts from Sheila Tilander, CKD, CBD, of Showplace Design & Remodeling in Redmond, WA, before beginning your next remodeling project.

1. Don’t recess a medicine cabinet without checking the other side of the wall to ensure there are no outlets, niches or other obstacles that might interfere. If the recessed cabinet is being installed above a sink, make sure the cabinet door will clear a single-handle faucet, if that is your desired fixture, and check to see if the vent pipe (which is often located behind the sink) needs to be relocated in order to recess the cabinet.

2. Don’t overload your water capacity. With the increasingly popular use of multiple outlets in showers to create the ultimate bathing experience, check to see if the water supply line is adequate. Look and see if the valve has a diverter to control multiple outlets, and if it can control volume and temperature (thermostatic). Multiple valves may be required along with volume controls. Also check the drain size to ensure it can handle the volume of water from multiple outlets. Plus, an additional water heater may be necessary to fill a large tub or operate multiple outlets such as body sprays and showerheads.

3. Don’t create obstacles to functionality. When using a frameless shower enclosure that has an in and out swing, be sure the door won’t hit the showerhead when the door swings in. And be sure that opened drawers on vanities do not block the swing of any passage doors.

4. Don’t put a chandelier or other light fixture above a tub unless it has a lens cover. This is a safety measure to protect the bather in the event that the bulb or globe should break.

5. Don’t install steps to a tub or recess the tub. Install it level with the floor. Different levels may cause the bather to lose their balance.

6. Don’t install a tub spout that is too far from the tub or is too short to adequately clear the side of the tub.

7. Don’t ruin decorative tile layouts with electrical outlets and switches or plumbing fittings and niches in a shower. Take care to position these elements so they don’t interfere with the drama of the tile design. Remember, however, that conditions in the field may change the original design so the layout may vary, making it difficult to avoid obstacles.