The bathroom is one of the most necessary and functional rooms in your home, and having a bathroom that works well for you is essential – it needs to be a place where you can quickly get ready for work in the morning, but also double up as a peaceful sanctuary where you can relax and unwind after a stressful day. If you’ve got children, a family bathroom is essential for getting your little ones ready in the morning. If your current bathroom just doesn’t cut it when it comes to your individual needs and requirements, it’s no surprise that you’re looking for advice regarding designing the bathroom of your dreams. Read on for some top tips.
Plan Your Layout
Even the most luxurious of dream bathrooms have to deal with water lines, plumbing drains, and vent stacks. Generally, bathroom floor plans fall into a layout with one, two or three wet walls. One wet wall layouts tend to line up the sink, toilet and shower against the one wall in the bathroom, whereas with additional wet walls you can space these items out a little. A one-wet wall bathroom layout is the most cost effective for those looking to redesign their bathroom on a budget, but this has its drawbacks as it can also be the most limiting option. If you’re not sure about the best layout and floor plan that you should choose for your bathroom, it may be a good idea to get in touch with a professional plumber who’ll be able to help you choose the right option.
Adding a Sink
When it comes to choosing a sink for your dream bathroom, there are a number of things that you’ll need to consider. If you’re planning a bathroom that’s easy to maintain and has ample storage space, integral bathroom sinks with a built in vanity counter and underneath storage are an excellent option, although they are often the most expensive to install. Their design makes it easy to clear any mess from the counter top into the sink, and they provide extra storage space to help your bathroom appear less cluttered. If you’re thinking of a more economical sink option or are on a budget, a self-rimming bathroom sink may be the best option, although they can often require more maintenance when it comes to cleaning due to the grime collected on the perimeter lip.
Lighting
Great lighting can make heaps of difference to any room in your house, and when it comes to your bathroom lighting should definitely not be overlooked. Ideally, you should have lights around your bathroom mirror – one on each side at around eye level and one above the mirror as well to best eliminate shadows and illuminate your face from both sides. If you’d like a bathroom that can become a calm, relaxing sanctuary, consider installing lights that can be dimmed for those evenings when you just want to soak and relax in the tub.
Statement Bathroom Tubs
Your bathroom’s natural focal point is the bath tub, and the style and shape of tub that you choose can have a significant effect on the overall design and appearance of your bathroom. Free standing tubs can have a dramatic effect on a bathroom, and they can either rest on a pedestal base or on claw-and-ball feet, whereas others are more streamlined and sculptured. Installing a free standing bath tub in your bathroom can add an element of luxury to the design. When considering which bath tub to choose, size does matter- the bigger the tub, the better!
Showers
No bathroom is complete without a shower, and if you’re planning to add a luxurious shower to your dream bathroom there are a lot of different options to choose from. Some bathrooms have showers that are over the bath, but if your bathroom has the space and your budget allows, it’s far better to have a free standing, enclosed shower separate to your bath tub. Luxury showers can make your bathroom feel more like a spa resort, so plan on a variety of different spray heads for your shower such as ceiling mounted spray heads to soak you from above, or body sprays which create a crisscross pattern for a great in-shower body massage. A hand held shower head is also a practical idea and comes in handy for rinsing hair or even for when you’re cleaning the shower stall.
Did you design your dream bathroom? We’d love to hear all about it in the comments.
