Used every day, and by everybody, the bathroom is one of the most important rooms in your home. When you undertake a bathroom renovation, whether you’re modifying the existing or starting from scratch, take the time to get it right.
We find the best way to start is by looking at your current space and decide what works and what doesn’t. These rooms will likely be among the smallest in your house, so will need clever design to make the most of the space.
To design the best functional bathroom for your home, you can’t go passed a good wishlist. Think about who will be using the bathroom and what their needs are now, and into the future. A family bathroom will be designed differently to a guest bathroom or en suite. Consider what storage you’ll need, how the room will best flow, and what you also like the look of.
To help with your bathroom renovation, we’ve put together a list of some of the things we think should be considered when designing your new bathroom.
Layout
A well-designed bathroom will not only look good, but be functional too. When looking at your bathroom layout, start by considering your bathroom routine and how the space can best suit that.
What needs to be near what to function well? Don’t put the towel rail on the otherside of the room, have it near the shower. Do you really want the toilet to be the first thing you see when you walk in the room? Can it be put behind the door? Or maybe a nib wall?
If you’re working to a tight budget we also suggest your look at your current plumbing and electrical layout, changing these will significantly add to the cost.
Lighting
Getting the right balance for your lighting is essential. The right lighting can make a room feel bright and open, the wrong lighting can create an enclosed feeling.
You may want to set differed “zones” in the bathroom, and the lighting will play a big role in this. Consider setting a relaxing tone over the bath with a warmer light or hanging a pendant light, but you will need a harsher brightness over your bathroom vanity for things like make-up application.
Dimmers are a great way to switch between functional and mood lighting.
Storage
Storage is often the last thing on your list or missed entirely when you’re renovating a bathroom. But you’ll really notice it once it comes time to use the room every day. Think carefully about where you’re going to keep toilet paper, make-up, cleaning products and maybe even towels.
You should even go as far as checking that regularly used bottles and containers will easily fit in your chosen cupboards. A vanity with drawers might look like a great amount of storage, but can all your bottles stand up?
A shower nook is also a great option to store your bottles inside the shower. And have you considered a recessed cupboard behind a mirror over the vanity?
What to feature
Bathrooms can be showstoppers with the right design, but we recommend choosing one key pieces as a feature. Whether that’s a freestanding bath, a large vanity, perhaps using a different colour or material, or a feature tile in the shower.
Make one element your feature and build the rest of the bathroom around it.
We hope our tips will help you when it comes to designing your own bathroom, if you need anymore help or ideas get in touch!