Bathroom Design Ideas

The choice of shower tray may not seem a difficult choice, but make no mistake, the type of shower tray you choose is vital if your bathroom is to look both well designed and smart.

Obviously the tray has to fit the shower it is serving, so if you have a corner fitted shower, then you will need a corner tray.  However, once this has been decided, you will really have a wide range of trays from which to choose.  This is where the practical issues come into play.

If you spend a long time in the shower, (or someone else in your household does) then a deep shower tray may be a good idea.  If hobbies or activities mean that someone is very muddy then a deeper shower tray will also be useful, since they will help keep the mud off the panel or shower door.  Some are also promoted as being less prone to leakages.

If you do choose a deep shower tray, make sure that you buy one which looks very slim line, since they can sometimes look quite chunky.  This can look out of place in a very small bathroom, where the size will appear even bigger.

A flatter shower tray is probably more suitable for a small shower area or where you do not have a problem with having to worry about excess mud. 

Whichever type of tray you choose, make sure that the tray complements the shower and that it is well matched, otherwise the tray will simply look out of place and not in keeping with the rest of the bathroom.

The type of bathroom accessories which you choose can really add a whole new dimension to your bathroom.  The choice is almost endless, from sleek towel radiators to many freestanding accessories.  In fact, instead of hiding away your toilet brush and toilet roll holder, you may find that you want to display them as very chic, modern additions to a stylish bathroom.

It is important, however, to choose accessories which match the style of your bathroom.  If it is a very traditional styled room, then you should have traditional accessories, but you can still augment the ambience of the bathroom, through some very carefully positioned lights and mirrors which reflect the light.

Minimalist and modern bathrooms can also benefit from a strategically placed mirror and careful lighting, since the ambience of a minimalist design can be somewhat cold and clinical.  A few spotlights and a chrome finished range of accessories will still help it to look crisp and defined, but also make it less stark and more welcoming. 

The golden rule when buying accessories is not to purchase items which will date very quickly, so go for good quality and somewhat timeless pieces, to give your bathroom an elegance which is durable and will not simply look old fashioned in a  couple of years.  You should also plan your accessories carefully so that you can have a range which is complementary, rather than items which are mismatched and lack a co-ordinated look.  Accessories allow you to express individuality, so make a statement of taste, rather than functionality.

Extractor fans are an important addition to any bathroom. Where there is no natural ventilation, such as in a bathroom that does not have a window, then an extractor fan is a requirement under the Building Regulations. Regardless of the regulations, they are almost a necessity in any bathroom, since they can quickly and efficiently remove any strong odours and also help the air to circulate, getting rid of the steam and humid conditions that are often so prevalent.

One of the major players in the field of extractor fans is Vectaire, which is very much a forerunner in terms of quality of design and technological development. You can therefore be sure that your fan will not only look good, it will also work incredibly efficiently. Some of these products come with built in draught excluders, so you have all the power of the fan, without having the inconvenience of a draught.

The units can also be linked into the lighting system, so that when you go into the bathroom and switch on the light, the fan will start and when you turn the light off, after a couple of minutes it will stop. This makes perfect sense, since you don’t want to turn the fan on, forget about it and leave it working when you are away from home for most of the day. Incidentally, if this were to happen the fans lifespan would be seriously reduced.

Whilst being both functional and practical, Vectaire fans also are quite stylish and are available in many colours other than just white. If you have a chrome-finished bathroom, opt for the very sleek stainless steel model, which is available at a great price.

If you have the space available, it may be worth thinking very seriously about adding a sauna to your bathroom. Saunas have been popular ever since Roman times, as a method of ridding the body of toxins. It is also a fabulous way to relax and unwind after a long hard day at work and is perfect for soothing those tired muscles.

You might choose to go for a traditional Finnish style sauna, which is the most common type and is essentially a steam room, heated by water being splashed onto very hot rocks. 

Alternatively, there are the infrared saunas, which are less common, but are very effective. In an infrared sauna, the air is warmed and the heater also infiltrates the skin, resulting in perspiration. The heat relaxes the whole body, so the benefits are similar to that of the Finnish sauna.

The addition of a sauna can transform your bathroom into a real spa experience and will certainly help make your bathroom stand out from your neighbours. Although space is undoubtedly an issue, saunas can be installed as compact steam rooms, which will often also house a shower. This feature enables even a relatively small bathroom to become home to a sauna. These products aren’t cheap, but recent technological advances have ensured that they are within the reach of most homeowners and will certainly be quite an investment for your home. If you are confident enough, you can even buy sauna kits, so that you can do the installation work yourself.

Taps may seem like a perfectly straightforward item to buy, but the reality is that there are now so many different makes on the market it is difficult to make a choice.

Cross head taps, which are the more traditional style, have recently been surpassed in popularity in modern bathrooms by the lever taps or even taps which are simply round in shape.  You can even have taps which are wrist controlled, thereby meaning that you don’t have to use your fingers to turn on the tap, just knock the lever with your wrist or the back of your hand.

The choice comes in thinking about how you will use the bathroom.  If you choose taps which are just rounded, with no levers or cross heads to turn, then you may find that if your hands are dirty (particularly after a nappy change or similar) these taps are not the easiest to use.  But if you are young, then they are very stylish.

Taps will also complement the room they are fitted in; if you have a very traditional style bathroom, go for a more traditional looking tap.  But if you have installed a minimalist modern paradise, then some sleek, angular taps with levers will set the design off beautifully.

When you do see a type of tap which appeals, try out the various designs imagining the types of scenarios in which you will be using them at home. Are your hands soapy?  Are they dirty?  Can the taps be easily controlled in these circumstances?  Only when you have fully considered the pros and cons of each set, will you be able to choose taps which both complement the style of your bathroom and are suitable for your own particular needs.

If you have taken time to carefully choose your suite, along with fittings and fixtures, be very careful to not to neglect the other details, especially lighting, which is a critical aspect of your bathroom. Some carefully placed lights, can transform even the tiniest bathroom into a very elegant and relaxing room, which is a joy to be in.

Bathroom lighting should not be too harsh, since this will simply make the room look very cold and clinical. The key is to have lighting that is flexible and which will give you the opportunity to vary the level of illumination, up or down, according to your mood. In order to achieve this range you will clearly need to purchase more than one light. A main light is obviously practical, but for all other lighting requirements you could use a combination of spotlights and a vanity unit, which is illuminated. When you just want a peaceful soak in the bath, you can light a candle and have soft spotlighting, as well as the gentle flicker of the candle and just enjoy the tranquillity. At other times, when you need brighter lighting, it is there at the flick of a switch.

In the UK, you must remember that you now have to buy lights that are safe to install within a certain distance of the bath/shower etc. Full guidance may be obtained from a specialist, but most lights come with a note indicating whether they can be safely installed in a bathroom.

The beauty of a countertop wash hand basin is that it can be fitted into a space that is very constrained and so are ideal for the smaller bathroom, but similarly will also look elegant yet modern, in a larger area.  They can also be fitted onto a vanity unit, which gives you adequate storage space underneath, whilst not detracting from the chic feel of the basin.

Countertops also hide any plumbing, so the basin looks more freestanding than if it were fitted in the traditional style.

Most basins are available in white, although some manufacturers also make Old English white basins, which are off white / cream in colour. Continental manufacturers also produce some coloured versions, ranging from a creamy toned ‘stone’ to one in a deep, grey-black graphite colour, so the choice is quite limitless.

The countertop basin is also well suited to having a very stylish lever and central tap fitted, to emphasise its modern appeal, but with the lever tap actually accentuating the style of the basin, thereby creating a finished look which is very chic, but coordinated and smart.

Like many design solutions which are available today, the countertop basin can also be installed in a dual setting, where you have adjacent basins, which can be used at the same time.  These often come complete with customised vanity units, which can be as modern or as traditional as you wish and can create a very unique feel to the basins and the bathroom as a whole.

Early designs of baths were particularly robust and heavy, with most being made from cast iron and this made them very heavy and difficult to fit. Imagine installing a very heavy cast iron bath on the first floor of a house, then filling it with water and adding the weight of a person; the total weight was enormous and floors were not always designed to support this kind of load. The modern solution to this problem was to make baths from acrylic material.

Until a few years ago, acrylic baths had a bit of a bad press, since they were thought to move and be too flimsy. More recent developments have allowed the technology to really move on and we have now reached the point where acrylic baths are of a particularly high quality. Today, the majority of baths on the market are made from acrylic.

Acrylic baths are usually formed from just one sheet of acrylic. The shell is then reinforced so that it becomes stronger, more durable and rigid. The thickness of the acrylic itself varies between 4mm and 10mm. Some baths, at the more luxurious end of the market, are actually formed by a double skin, which makes them very strong, yet relatively lightweight.

One of the main joys of an acrylic bath is that it is not cold to the touch. This means that when you pour your bath, coming into contact with a cold surface does not cool the hot water. It can also retain the heat of the water for longer than a bath made from other materials, such as cast iron.