Modern Bathroom Design Ideas

From sleek wall-hung bathroom furniture and spa baths to colour therapy lighting and sound systems, there’s more choice than ever before when designing a bathroom. For this reason, it’s a good idea to involve the professionals. If you’re planning a bathroom from scratch, or you are going to reconfigure the plumbing and drainage of the existing room, then it’s best to employ a designer as there will be structural and practical considerations, especially if you want a wet room. Specialist bathroom showrooms, such as Original Bathrooms, Ripples and CP Hart, provide designers and can organise installation too.

The DIY stores, such as B&Q and Wickes, can offer in-store planning, but advice is generally limited to the layout of basic elements, rather than providing solutions to problems. When buying for your bathroom, take along a plan of the room, with the existing fittings marked, and make sure you know the location and type of water-heating system you have, so that the shop can help you choose the most appropriate fittings.

Basins

The latest basins are wide, shallow designs, sometimes even irregular in shape. These can be inserted into a slab-type work surface, wall-mounted with shelves and towel storage below, or installed as part of a basin unit. Conversely, deeper, rounder shapes set into slab worktops are also popular. Teamed with dark wood or lacquered white cabinets, shiny chrome taps and matching accessories, they can add a witty touch to an otherwise understated bathroom.

Baths

Baths are usually the focal point of a bathroom, and there is a huge choice. Modern roll-top styles, often mounted in a cradle or on blocks, are designed to sit in the centre of a large room, while non-freestanding designs will need to be set into a surround finished with tiles or timber. New materials for baths include stone, cast-stone composites and even wood. For a larger bath, check that your hot-water system has the extra capacity needed. You should think carefully before opting for a shower instead of a bath, as it may decrease the re-sale value of your property.

Furniture

Modern fitted bathroom furniture is often in dark wood, such as ebony, mahogany or wenge, which contrast well with white sanitaryware and chrome or stainless-steel bathroom fittings.

Walls

Where walls and flooring are concerned, there’s still a strong trend for tiles, with limestone or porcelain lookalike tiles very popular. To avoid a bland look you can add bands of colour to break up plain tiles. Fully tiled walls tend to suffer from condensation unless the room is well heated. To solve the problem make sure your room has adequate ventilation; a heated towel rail and underfloor heating will also help. You can update your bathroom simply by swapping an outdated pedestal basin for a chic modern one with an integral stand.

Brassware

If your bath and basin are understated, then bold, angular brassware will create several focal points. Many ranges have satin and matt finishes, sometimes in nickel, which will provide a softer look. The trend is for taps to be arched and graceful and showerheads as large as possible, especially in a wet room, to give you a good drenching. Remember that hard water causes shiny brassware to mark and dull quite badly, and be prepared to dry and buff the taps regularly. Take advice when choosing brassware, too, as products vary in suitability for high- or low-pressure water heating systems.

Wet Rooms and Steam Cabinets

The most desirable types of showers around at the moment are wet rooms. If you wish to use the whole bathroom, then it has to be lined with a waterproof membrane, which usually costs at least £2,000. Do take professional advice, as there are many points to consider, from the capacity of the drainage system to the rate of water flow and recovery. You could opt for a semi-wet room, or a walk-in shower; this will be spacious but with fewer technical considerations. Semi-wet rooms still involve extensive waterproofing of part of the room, while glass panels are used to screen off the rest of the room and contain the spray. Walk-in shower enclosures consist of a tray and side/front panels, but are without a fully closing door – the walk-in area serves as a drying-off space. The latest have frameless glass panels and recessed trays to create a wet-room look.

If a wet room is not for you, and you have the budget and the space, you could create a spa-like bathroom with a steam cabinet. Fully enclosed with a roof, these contain a steam generator and usually a seat. Chromatherapy (colour therapy) is also included in some models. If the bathroom doesn’t have the space for a separate shower, look at the range of over-bath showers/steam cabinets from Jacuzzi – some models offer whirlpool bath options as well.

Ceiling-mounted shower fittings, along with body jets, are de rigueur in a wet room. If you want to install a new shower into an existing enclosure, or over the bath, consider a shower panel, such as one from Triton, which includes a fixed showerhead plus a hand-held spray and various body jets. Aqualisa offers remote-controlled showers, which can be switched on before entering the enclosure; the Grohe Wireless shower can be switched on or off from any room in the house.


See also: Modern Bathroom Design Ideas

Small Bathroom Design Ideas

The bathroom can be shared by an individual or many people. For a lot of us our bathrooms are a haven where we unwind and refresh ourselves with a relaxing shower. A lot of people are in a dilemma when it comes to small bathroom makeovers. Remodeling small bathrooms can be a challenging task. You have to work on the bathroom space with some creative ideas that will organize the stuff properly and without occupying much space.

When considering the different small bathroom makeover ideas, a lot of factors go into making it the cozy yet luxurious space you want it to be. In order for a small bathroom space to look larger, choosing lighter colored tiles is a better idea. While a lot of people cringe at the thought of white, it is a great option to choose from. Your bathroom does not have to be completely white, and you can combine it with a range of colors to make it a style statement. A lot of tiles are accompanied with borders that break the visual monotony that a single tile has to offer. Furthermore, the flooring tiles and the wall tiles should ideally be the same to create the sense of a larger space, though this is not completely necessary.

For a more modern look, the range of steel finish bathroom appliances is huge. At the other end of the spectrum, there are also rustic fittings that will suit the theme you are aiming for. Also, small bathroom sinks made of ceramic are not the only choices you have nowadays. Go for a clear glass bowl on a pedestal for a sleek finish, or a faux marble one for a richer look. However, marble and their likes are not suitable for those looking for small bathroom makeovers on a budget.

For a small bathroom, the preferred choices is always a shower cubicle, though some may be able to accommodate bathtubs. However, doing so is not such a great idea, again because of the space factor. While a bathtub may fit, it is likely that the bathroom may start looking much smaller than it already is. Instead of installing a ready made shower cubicle, simply demarcate walk in showers with a shower curtain. Avoid the use of glass doors or partitions as they obstruct space in a small bathroom. You can even opt for soaking tubs for small bathrooms that are becoming popular these days.

In the entire makeover process, ensure that you account for both natural and artificial bathroom lighting, that have the ability to alter the spacious appearance of your bathroom. Instead of choosing frosted glass windows, opt for clear glass windows with blinds that can be pulled up when no one is using the bathroom. The bathroom can also be accessorized with the use of light fixtures that provide for the artificial lighting in the bathroom. For instance, an elegant delicate fixture above the wash basin is perfect to give your bathroom that warm, cozy feeling.

With the aforementioned bathroom remodeling ideas for small bathrooms, get ready to have a great looking bathing space. Make sure you maintain uniformity in terms of colors to get the best effect while bathroom remodeling for small bathrooms. With latest bathroom fixtures that area available in classy finishes and designs, you can give a grand touch to the area. Fresh and bright colors will help give a lively look to the bathroom designs for small spaces.


See also: Small Bathroom Design Ideas

 

  

 

Bathroom Shower Curtain

The shower curtain is one of the most integral accessories in your bathroom, and it can easily become one of the most neglected. Easy as it is to simply hang a plastic curtain and forget about it, that tactic deprives you of the opportunity to make any kind of decorative statement. By getting creative with your shower curtain's color and texture, you can transform the look and feel of the entire room.

Bath Towel Curtain

The soft, absorbent, often-colorful bath towel is a ubiquitous icon of plush and cozy bathrooms everywhere. Pump up the comfort in your bathroom by replacing your vinyl shower curtain with this DIY project. Take two cloth bath towels, and lay them out next to each other, their long sides touching. Select towels that are the same size with the same embellishments, not necessarily the same color; complementary colors add variety to the curtain. With the towels lined up perfectly, stitch the two edges together. When they are sewn together, choose one of the shorter ends for the curtain to hang from. Punch evenly-spaced holes along this edge, embellish them with grommets, and hang the towels from your shower curtain rod.

Patchwork Curtain

If your bathroom is outdated, old or just plain boring, spruce it up with a homemade patchwork shower curtain. Packed with color and bold prints, this curtain lends character to even the blandest shower stall. Begin by either purchasing fabric or going through your leftover scraps; this project is an ideal way to use up old and mismatched fabrics. Choose complementary colors and patterns, and lay them all out on a big, flat work surface, like your floor. Determine exactly how much fabric you have in each pattern, and plan out a patchwork design that fills about 71x76 inches. Cut out your fabrics, and carefully stitch them together according to your plan. Outfit your new shower curtain with holes and grommets so you can hang it.

Unconventional Crafting

Experiment with different fabrics, including those that aren't necessarily related to bathrooms, to create a new shower curtain. For example, trim a Dacron sail to shower curtain size; they're waterproof, durable and soft. Even hanging an old shower curtain in a new way is sometimes the change you're looking for. Cut a shower curtain in half, for example, to create a two-piece shower curtain that splits and meets in the middle of the tub. For those who don't like cutting or sewing fabrics, hang a shower curtain rod high up near the ceiling, and suspend the curtain from long, thin metal chains instead of traditional hooks.


See also: Bathroom Shower Curtain