Getting a bathroom design right, can be more tricky that meets the eye. Like many rooms in your house, it is often used by many people in the house and needs to fulfil a range of needs – from refreshing showers to get you motivated in the morning, bath time for the kids, and somewhere to unwind with a book and glass of wine!
If you are lucky enough to have a number of bathrooms in your house, then you can tailor each ensuite to the needs of the family member or likely guests. Even so, a lot of thought at the design stage, can make sure you future proof your design.
Here are our 5 steps to creating bathroom bliss!
1. Layout
Bathrooms are often called the smallest room in the house, so that means layout and use of space is of paramount importance. No one sets out to design a cramped room, so first of all decide on all the needs for the space. Do you need a shower and separate bath? Can you combine these or choose between them if space is tight?
Storage – we come on to this later, but allowing space for storage helps declutter a bathroom. What is the vista from the door way? Particularly in an en-suite, do you really want the toilet to be the thing you see first, if the door is left open? Have you got enough space to hang towels? Where is the most convenient place to have them – by the bath or sink or both? Where will you keep your toiletries so they are in handy reach? What about bathrobes – perhaps a hook on the door? How easy to clean will the design be? – freestanding baths can create awkward spaces behind them, that are hard to reach and therefore clean!
View of the Loo ! Combining bath & shower in a smaller space, or installing a statement piece
2. Atmosphere
When designing any room, understanding the atmosphere and vibe you want to create, is critical in deciding on the décor. Bathrooms are no exception.
Colour has a great effect on our mood. If you like your bathroom to feel refreshing and energy boosting then consider a fresh colour like teals and sea greens which are great colours to give you energy and positivity. If you are trying to create a spa feel, then you will need to introduce lots of warm neutral tones that will create a cocoon effect when you are relaxing in the bath.
Creating a refreshing vibe or a tranquil space
Lighting definitely helps create atmosphere in a bathroom – concealed lighting behind shelves or in niches can provide a beautiful glow in the evening. Shadow gap lighting around the ceiling or floor can also provide a warm background light. Don’t forget candles if you want that spa feel.
Task lighting is also key – putting on makeup, shaving, putting in contact lenses all need good light, so make sure you have good task lighting around your mirrors – either wall lighting or lit mirrors will achieve this. Be careful with the position of downlights overhead, as you can end up throwing shadow on to your face rather than lighting it !
Wall lights or illuminated mirrors are easy to install and effective for task areas
Accent lighting in niches or concealed around the ceiling are effective, but more expensive options
If designing an en-suite, consider low level lights for those little trips in the middle of the night! If you don’t want to light up the bedroom or trigger the extractor fan, small lights at floor level which are triggered by movement, will give you enough light to be safe, but won’t wake up others!
Tiling is probably the biggest decision for a bathroom, as it will cover much of the wall space. Consider the colour and style that will suit the design and feel you are trying to create. Large tiles can make small spaces feel bigger, small tiles can look busy. Grout can be used as a feature to pick out the tiles if you only have a limited budget and need to buy plain white for instance.
Consider how much of the room needs to be tiled? By tiling just the ‘wet’ areas you can cut down the sqm you require, which gives you a bigger budget for the areas that need it ! Also, mixing less expensive tiles with a more expensive accent tile – maybe in the back of a niche, or one wall of the shower can give the opulent feel you may be after without breaking the bank!
Large tiles can create a spacious feel, Smaller tiles can be busy, Accent walls – can be great for smaller budgets
You may wish to add some sound to the room, so you can listen to the radio in the morning, or play your favourite chill out track while having a long soak. Introducing speakers in the ceiling is an easy way to extend a sound system like Sonos which you may have in your home already.
3. Durability
We all like a spotless bathroom, right? … and we all love cleaning it every day to keep it that way…..?
Whilst we cannot design a self cleaning bathroom, we can certainly make some informed decisions in the finishes we choose, that will make the task much easier!
Hard water is the first enemy of the bathroom. Llimescale build up takes the shine off our sparkling taps and tiles, so what can be done? Well, installing a water softner to your property is the best solution, if budget will allow. Additionally choosing matt tiles rather than gloss will hide watermarks. Choosing larger tiles means less grout to clean, or opt for coloured grout not only as a design feature but also to disguise watermarks.
Brushed chrome or nickel taps will also be more forgiving than shiny chrome. Make sure you buy shower screens that have the Easy Clean coating on them, so water doesn’t cling to the surface and leave marks so easily.
Shiny chrome taps will show limescale while brushed metal is more forgiving
When it comes to selecting sanitary ware and furniture, consider designs that are floating rather than floor standing, thus allowing you to easily clean the floor of your bathroom, rather than having to work around lots of awkward shapes and corners.
Floating sanitary ware and furniture make floors easy to clean
Finally, ventialtion is critical in the fight against condensation and ultimately mould. If you don’t have a window, then make sure you invest in a good extraction system. Make sure it is moisture sensitive, so it continues to work until the moisture level drops. Investing in a good qualtiy extractor also means it will be much less noisy! Lastly, position it where it will be most effective – near the shower area or over the bath.
5. Storage
Last, but by no means least we come to storage. They key to tranquility in any room, is the elimination of clutter. Make sure you have space to hide away items that are not for display – cleaning products and cloths for instance. Make sure you can easily get to the items you use a lot – shelving in the shower for products, a caddy or stand for products by your bath.
Ensure you allow enough space for his and her stuff – try laying out all the products you think you need in the shower on a worktop, and measure the space – so you make sure your shower storage is adequate! What about reserves? Where do you store the spare shower gel or pack of razors – make sure you have allowed enough room!
Storage can be a display feature, Drawers and cupboards hide things away! Shelving allows easy access
Think about storage for display purposes also – a shelf with beautifully rolled towels or your expensive perfumes can add interest to the room – so don’t plan to have everything hidden away!
One last thought….. Make sure you call in the experts before committing to your new plan. Get a professional to measure your water pressure to make sure that shower you love, is suitable for the water pressure you have ! Check out the position of the water and waste pipes – do they going to be moved? Is that possible? Do you need extra electrical points for lighting, extraction or a shower – again is this possible? Will your Consumer Unit allow for the extra load?
Of course, as always our suggestion is to call in JT Interiors – the experts!!