Bathroom Design Ideas

The simple answer to why travertine is that it is a time has proved product that this is a material that has been used for centuries on buildings notably in Europe, the Colesseum in Rome and the Sacré-Cœur Basilica in Paris are but two examples of the use of travertine throughout the world. Travertine is a natural product that has been formed through the reaction between heated water to mix with calcium carbonate particles resulting from shifts in the earth’s crust; travertine was created in large deposits and is now quarried for use in buildings in the form of blocks and tiles.

Like many natural products used in building and landscaping, travertine has to be shaped and dressed to give it a shape but at all times the natural look of travertine is not altered. The colours of travertine are completely natural too, so there is no possibility of the colourful look of the patio, wall cladding or bathroom going to fade or be washed away. In its purest form travertine is white but with contamination from other natural deposits, the colour can vary from white through yellow and brown.

Before buying travertine tiles you should seek the advice of your travertine supplier who will tell you which of the many travertine products is best for the room or area you are intending to use this in. For example, honed travertine is best for use in high traffic areas and rooms exposed to moisture such as kitchens and bathrooms. Natural travertine is best suited for living rooms as this is soft and delicate to look at and the classic aged look of travertine tumbled stone will warm your home.

Looking at your tired, lifeless bathroom can be a dispiriting experience, second only to looking at your bank balance and realising that a complete refurbishment is simply out of the question.

But try not to despair, because with a little imagination and flair even the dullest bathroom can be transformed into a place brimming with zest.

How about taking inspiration from a far-flung tropical island? Paint the walls in deep blues and greens. Throw in some ferns and cactuses. Take a hint from the Mediterranean and splash around yellow coupled with a white vinyl emulsion.

When choosing your colours, try to match them to your existing bathroom accessories. Do you really want to pay out for more towels and bathmats?
 
A good way to begin accessorising is to look at your shower curtain. Fabric looks great and can be inexpensively lined with vinyl or plastic. Choose a pattern that will still look good after a couple of months. One covered in pictures of film stars may look great at the time, but may begin to pall after the initial thrill and it will be extremely difficult to theme an entire bathroom around.

Towels always cheer up a bathroom. Make sure they match the bathroom suite or shower curtain and bathmat. Solid contrasting colours add as much spice as different coloured tiles and at a fraction of the cost.

Similarly, giving the medicine cabinet a vibrant new look is an inexpensive way to bring some cheer into your lifeless bathroom.

One of the reasons that underfloor heating is increasing in popularity is the fact that the maintenance is very low, especially when compared to a more traditional radiator based system. Normal electric central heating systems need annual maintenance, while gas fired systems not only need annual maintenance, but also have potentially deadly consequences if they go wrong or are not maintained properly.

Even though the water underfloor heating system has water running through it, unlike radiators it does not need to be bled in anyway and is therefore much easier to live with. There really is little that can go wrong with these systems and they are therefore a dream to run. The electrical underfloor systems will not rust or corrode, which means there are really no maintenance issues here either. The fact is, they can run at much lower temperatures than conventional radiator systems, which is a bonus, but it also means that they system is less prone to needing maintenance, as it is just left ticking over at lower temperatures.

The main area that may require maintenance will be the electrical system of the house, which you would still need to carry out with normal radiators and the boiler of a water underfloor heating system. However, these power systems do more in the house than just support the underfloor heating, so it is little wonder that you will need them maintained annually. The fact cannot be ignored; underfloor heating systems need only minimal maintenance.

Travertine is a natural stone material from the limestone family and is formed with calcium carbonate and is usually found in the form of deposits near warm or hot springs. Used as a building material in ancient times notably for the Colesseum in Rome and the Sacré-Cœur Basilica in Paris.

There are many forms of finish to be seen in Travertine stone which is soft and delicate to look at and the classic aged look of Travertine tumbled stone will warm your home. Where you use Travertine stone will to a large extent decide on the finish and colour that you finally settle on. Travertine in its purest form is white, but impurities can cause the colour of travertine to vary and to be yellow and brown. Travertine is normally available in standard or natural and honed where the where the indentations have been filled and honed.

Given that travertine is a natural stone tile, it is essential that you pick the right type of tile for your need. Usually honed travertine tiles are best for use in high traffic areas and rooms exposed to moisture such as kitchens and bathrooms. The natural travertine is more suited to typical domestic use in living rooms and common areas. Travertine is a cheaper option that marble or granite; it’s a solid middle-market buy that combines affordability with style.

After completing the major part of your bathroom refurbishment, the new bath, shower enclosure or sink, it is now time to add those personalised finishing touches.

Fortunately, there are hundreds of vanity accessories on the market, catering to every need and budget. Take your time and choose carefully, vanity accessories can make or break even the most expensively designed bathroom.

Take hand towel racks, as an example. It may be the case that an antique copper fixture exactly matches those on your toilet or sink. Think of what will match. In a high-tech, contemporary bathroom these may prove unsuitable. Instead, choose sparkling chrome or a rectangular towel bar.

Soap dispensers are another way to make a personal statement. Instead of having one cluttering up your sink or vanity unit, why not try mounting it to the wall?

Shelves should be considered in some detail. Do you locate them next to the sink and place your perfumes and lotions on them or will they be solely for decorative use? Perhaps lining them with ferns or other bathroom-friendly flora? If they are to be placed in a vanity unit, think of which finish to choose.

Even toilet roll holders deserve thought. These now come in a vast range of designs and finishes, just give some thought to what will look good in your bathroom. Accessories can be both utilitarian and attractive. Innovative design makes for an interesting as well as practical way to store even the most mundane items. These little details will make a world of difference to any bathroom.

For many people the thought of overhauling the guest bathroom is put off until the day when an, ’important’, visitor is due to arrive. This is of course, a mistake. A basic rule of good manners is to treat others as you would wish to be treated by them. Would you like to arrive at a friend’s house and be forced to take a bath or shower in a grubby, unprepossessing room with last decade’s fixtures and fittings quietly mouldering away?

A good rule of thumb is to consider the ‘second’ bathroom as being of equal importance to your own. Have a look at your guest bedroom. You will want to complement the bathroom with that of the interior design of the bedroom. Colour schemes and contrasts are easy to achieve and surprisingly affordable.

Storage space is another point to consider. Most guests like to bring personal items that they would never dream of displaying in their own bathroom. So why should they in yours? Baskets with embroidered lids make ideal ways to store things such as towels and a change of bedding or if you are after a more contemporary look, functional metal boxes offer the same type of storage space.

Your guests will want to take a long relaxing bath before dinner and the evening’s activities. Place scented candles around the bath or perhaps tie bouquets of lavender and place strategically around the bathroom.

Finally, invest in high quality showerheads and beautifully finished taps. These little touches will make the guest feel truly welcome. Bringing you guest bathroom up to scratch is a cheap investment in the overall scheme of things.

Underfloor heating is an increasingly popular way of heating a home and is being used more and more in new build and renovation properties, thanks to its many benefits. Underfloor heating systems are invisible, which means there is no need to give up any valuable wall space for radiators and no need to spend hours trying to find a heater that you like the look or that is most efficient.

Unlike radiators the system is maintenance free, so never again will you have the hassle of walking around the house to ‘bleed’ each radiator before the winter hits, which is a real bonus. The system runs off hot water and is perfect for use in new builds where a condensing boiler is to be used. What’s more, it is a cheap way to gain effective heating to the home. Remember heat rises, so by having floor heating you are going to create lovely warm floors that slowly heat the room from the ground up.

Conventional wall heaters are normally already a good two or three feet off the ground, which means that the lowest part of the room is never heated at all. This is definitely a bonus for those with young children who spend a lot of time crawling on floors playing, it means that in the winter they are not going to get cold, in fact you may well want to get down and join them as the floor will be lovely and warm, so kick off your slippers and enjoy the heat.

For many people, the idea of relaxing in hot water, surrounded by the scent of flowers and overlooked by luxuriant foliage, is the stuff of dreams. Yet, with a little imagination, you could create a paradise in your very own bathroom garden.

A glass-faced bookcase can often be found, very cheaply, in markets or second-hand shops. Placed against a facing wall, it can be filled with shrubs and cacti and present a miniature vision of a garden.

This is particularly effective it you also use your bath as a shower. The glass door can be slid shut when showering to protect plants from the dangers of excessive steam.

Skylights also greatly benefit plants. Natural light flooding over a carefully potted shrub or plant provides a stunning focal point for any bathroom. Reflecting the arrangement in a bathroom mirror not only creates a marvellous illusion of space, but also gives the impression of being outdoors.

Another idea is to place thick metal rods in the corners of the bathroom. If these are securely bracketed, pots of plants can be hung from hooks and form a very attractive feature. Indeed, if placed horizontally across the width of a bathroom ceiling, the rods can support any number of plants snaking and intertwining between themselves, to give an illusion of bathing in some enchanted grotto.

A visit to any garden centre will provide you with all the advice you need to choose the plants that flourish best in a humid environment. You never know, a dream could quite easily become a reality.

Climate change is the single most discussed topic in political and environmental circles at the moment. From cars to computers, aeroplanes to aerosols, it seems that virtually every product we use is having a harmful impact on the planet.

Renovating your bathroom in as eco-friendly way as possible is a good way to help do your bit to prolong the life of the planet.

Of course, this does not mean to say that you have to resort to boiling your bathwater over an open fire or washing your bath towels once a month. There are plenty of ways to conserve energy without a drop in living standards.

For example, consider your toilet. Chances are it will be of the traditional lever flush or chain variety. Gallons of water are wasted each day by these conventional devices. Try installing a dual flush button on your cistern. This will help reduce the amount of water you use, when flushing, by up to a third. Low flush lavatories are becoming very popular and there is no need to cut back on quality, because both systems are stylish and modern.

Another useful tip is to incorporate water savers. These can be easily fitted into your showerhead and drastically reduce the amount of water used without compromising on cleanliness or enjoyment.

Insulating your bathroom walls is another good idea that you should seriously consider.

Finally, have a look at your lighting. Most appliances now run on low energy light bulbs.

So do your wallet, as well as the planet, a favour.

Once you have chosen and installed your new bath, the rest of the bathroom may look as if it could also do with some new fixtures.

If this is the case, your eye will immediately fall on the existing bathroom sink. Ideally, you will want to choose a replacement in the same material as your new bath. This should not be a problem, as sinks come in as wide a range of materials and designs as baths. Whether stone or ceramic, glass or even wood, a reasonably thorough search should uncover exactly what you are looking for.
However, at this point the question of shape may well present itself.

A good rule is to look around your bathroom. Is it contemporary and angular, or rustic and curvaceous?

Square bathroom sinks offer one advantage over oval models; they are almost always set in a vanity unit, allowing for greater surface space. It is here that you arrange the day-to-day items used in the bathroom such as razors and toothbrushes.

They also give the bathroom a cleaner, sharper look. To build on this, you should theme the bathroom accordingly. Towels should be folded and placed on shelves or in a linen box, rather than basket. Colours should be blocked rather than patterned. Even accessories such as soap dishes should be angular.

Perhaps most importantly, choose your taps with care. A curved tap will look out of place in a square sink. A much better idea is to buy chunky taps in chrome or oiled brass.