Planning a new bathroom
Whether you are planning a luxurious master en-suite or a practical family bathroom, a good design needs to balance function, style, space and quality. Achieving the perfect balance is key in order to get the bathroom you really want.
Style is the first thing you notice when you step into a bathroom. It sets the tone for the room and allows you to choose items centred around a common theme. There are clear differences between contemporary, classic and traditional styles. Contemporary bathrooms have smooth clean lines, have design-led suites and make a bold statement with great functionality. Classic bathrooms offer a perfect combination of style and practicality and look great in any home regardless of age. Traditional bathrooms have enduring charm and incorporate beautiful details and look stylish in either a modern or traditional setting.
Quality should never be underestimated! When replacing or refurbishing a bathroom it is easy to think that you are saving money by installing cheaper sanitaryware. However, this is often a short-term benefit only. The cost of fixing leaking taps or faulty shower valves can add up over time until eventually you realise you’ve spent more than if you’d chosen the slightly higher specification sanitaryware in the first place. Invest in the best quality you can afford as it will save money in the long run.
Colour in bathrooms today tends to come more from tiling, accessories and blinds than from basins, toilets and baths. The days of avocado and peach bathroom suites are long gone and have been replaced, on-the-whole, by white sanitaryware items. Both wall and floor tiles provide an opportunity to inject colour into a bathroom – the key decisions to make are how much of the wall do you want to cover with tiles and whether or not you want the colour scheme to complement or contrast with your sanitaryware?
Storage is important in any bathroom as everyone needs somewhere to put all the toiletries, cleaning materials and towels. There are various options to consider. Cabinets are a useful method and can be a great way of saving space if at a premium. For example, combining a cabinet with the basin is a good way of maximising space that would have otherwise been wasted. A cabinet with a mirrored door located above the basin is another good use of space for everyday toiletries – the key is to find the balance between space and functionality.
Layout will likely to be dictated to, of course, by the size of your bathroom as you can only use the space that is physically available. However, there are numerous options as to how you can use that space. Do you combine bath and shower with showerhead over the bath? Do you have space for both an individual shower cubicle and separate bath? Do you choose to install a shower only as no one in the family enjoys a bath? …. Or perhaps you have a large bathroom, have chosen a traditional style and therefore prefer a roll top bath in the centre of the room adding to your bathroom’s wow-factor?
Plenty of food for thought when planning a new bathroom.
4th Nov 2019The Compare Network
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