Bathroom Design Ideas

The bathroom is a functional space that sees high traffic and, as such, is likely to be an area that is frequented by visitors to a home at some point or another.  For this reason it is important that a bathrooms décor accurately reflects the personality of the home and homeowners – with all design choices carefully thought out to give the best possible impression to those who come calling.

Arguable the most important feature of any bathroom that will be open to those visiting a home is the bathroom mirror.

The bathroom mirror cannot avoid being looked at.  People visit the bathroom with the express intention of checking their reflection and retouching their hair or make up, so it is impossible to disguise a poor design choice in this area, as people will be looking at your selection every time they visit the bathroom.

When considering the design of bathroom mirrors for your home there are a number of factors that need to be taken into account – from size and shape to framing and thickness.

For traditional homes a mirror in a wooden or even gilded frame can make a great choice, while unframed mirrors with a bevelled or engraved edge can be a nice idea in rooms with a number of other eye catching features.

Novelty mirrors with moulded frames representing everything from nautical themes to starry skies can be a great addition to a themed bathroom, while for those who need to save on space a mirror fronted bathroom cabinet can be a good idea.

Bathroom mirrors are perhaps the most important bathroom accessories, and luckily they come in all shapes and sizes, so you are able to choose the right one to go with your existing décor. 

Putting a mirror in the right place in the bathroom will help to make the room look larger, brighter and adds a finishing touch to your room.  There are mirrors for all budgets, ranging from the basic plastic or wooden framed free-standing mirror for a window sill or shelf to the more high-tech versions with in-built gadgetry such as lights, clocks and anti-fogging technology.
 
Choosing a bathroom mirror with an in-built light has a number of advantages, particularly if your room does not get a lot of natural light.  When shaving or applying make-up then the face is often shaded if relying on an overhead light, but a lighted mirror will illuminate the face directly. 

Small spaces needn’t omit a mirror, there are those which can fit neatly onto a narrow piece of wall space or a mirror on an extending bracket which can be attached to the wall and pulled out when required may also be an option. 

One problem that most people have with a bathroom mirror is the need to wipe steam from it after every bath or shower.  Choosing a mirror with anti-fogging technology can help to reduce this problem, as it will not easily mist and can be used when the room is full of steam.

The right bathroom mirror can make a small bathroom look roomier, and a selection of mirrors or even mirrored bathroom tiles along a wall can appear to double the size of the room. When choosing a bathroom mirror it is wise to measure the space available on the wall where the mirror is to be placed. This helps to judge what sort of mirror would be suitable.  Limited space may mean having to choose a bathroom cabinet with a mirrored door.

Mirrors are the must-have bathroom accessory, and they come in different styles to match any home decor. If the bathroom accessories are wooden, then a mirror framed in the same type of wood, even if not part of the accessory set will compliment the look. Wooden accessories, furniture, and frames help to make the bathroom feel warmer.

Frameless mirrors give a minimalist look and will match with any choice of bathroom accessories. Chrome framed mirrors have a modern contemporary feel. Some bathroom mirrors also come with a towel rail underneath, making it two accessories in one.

Bathroom mirrors are available with an anti glare coating, which means that even in the brightest bathroom the image being reflected back looks natural. Some bathroom mirrors also have an anti fog coating, meaning that condensation and steam from a hot bath or shower does not fog up the mirror.

For those with an eclectic taste, mixing and matching styles is easy when it comes to bathroom mirrors, as they are easily removable to be replaced with the latest selection.

Before choosing an illuminated mirror for your bathroom you need to be aware of certain safety regulations.  Once you have checked these, you can go ahead and choose the mirror best suited to your needs.

The Ingress Protection rating, or ‘IP’ always has two numbers after it.  These figures tell you how safe it is to use electrical items in any area of your bathroom. For example, if you were looking for a mirror with a built in shaver socket which was to be fitted above your sink, you would need a mirror that was suitable for zone 3. This would have to be well away from any water jets you might have and have a minimum IP of 20. If your illuminated mirror was quite close to a shower, you would need an IP65 rating.

Full instructions and details of the rules and regulations can be found in the latest IEE wiring regulations guide. An electrician will be aware of the regulations but you should certainly know about them if you are shopping for an illuminated mirror.

There is a large range of options when you shop for an illuminated mirror to match your bathroom décor. There are ultra modern contemporary designs in chrome, stainless steel, aluminium and a number of other materials which come with or without heaters and demisters, or you may prefer something traditional in appearance. Buying a bathroom mirror is not as straightforward as it used to be. Choose from low energy fluorescent and halogen powered fittings, or even LED versions. 

Double check with a qualified dealer to find out the current requirements for your size and plan of bathroom and then you will be free to select the design and style you prefer.

Contemporary bathroom wall accessories are rapidly becoming as trendy as ‘must have’ kitchenware.

It is of crucial importance to always have a coherent view of what the bathroom will look like as a whole. Buying one expensive item and finding it clashes with another is to be avoided, whenever possible.

For example, towel racks, once a merely functional part of the bathroom, now come in a multitude of styles far removed from a simple heated metal bar. Indeed, at the top end of the market, towel racks may even incorporate mirrors and shelves. Select one that best blends in with your other fixtures.

Similarly, the old bathroom mirror, tacked up on the wall above the sink, is a thing of the past. Experiment with full-length mirrors or one made up of several smaller ones. Surround it with lights or choose a groovy frame.

Heaters are another case in point. Instead of hiding it away in a corner or burying it next to a vanity unit, why not mount it on the wall? As most now feature built-in timers, imagine how luxurious it will make the bathroom on a cold winter’s morning.

Lighting is another accessory fast becoming stylish. Forget the traditional centrally mounted ceiling lamp. Festoon the bath with hanging lights or install an elegant metal rod with multi-directional lamps.

Finally, if your bathroom is one of the smaller rooms of the house, how about mounting an extra cabinet on the wall? It will greatly increase space for bathrobes and towels and keep the rest of the area free to relax in.

Bathroom mirror heaters are designed to solve the problem regarding foggy and steamy bathroom mirrors. Just like the other kinds of mirror heater, they consist of a sheet heater, which is adapted and sized to cover the back surface of the mirror.

There are various brands of bathroom mirror heaters available on the market, which you can choose from depending on your preference. Floor Heating Online offers bathroom mirror heaters in different sizes. These heaters are easy to install and are offered at reasonable prices. These mirror defoggers remove your worries that your mirror will steam up, and allow you to put on your make up or to shave with no hassles.

These mirror heaters can be easily applied to any bathroom mirror. Lay first the mirror with its face down on a safe surface and ensure that the back part of the mirror is completely clean, grease-free, and dry. Then, peel off the protective paper of the heater and attach the heater not to the wall but to the back portion of the mirror. In addition, make sure that the heater is placed in the mirror’s middle portion, and also ensure that no air bubbles are trapped. Be careful not to tear or cut the heater since it only has one heating circuit. Once it is broken, it cannot be fixed and will be of no use.

These bathroom mirror heaters can be used separately or in multiple to clear the entire mirror. Floor Heating Online believes that their product has surpassed other brands of mirror heaters through their distinct aluminium construction. These mirrors are reliable and also provide evenly distributed heat across the surface.

Some of the factors to think about when purchasing bathroom accessories include the design and the style of your bathroom, as well as who will be using the room most often. If it is intended primarily to be your children, for instance, the bathroom accessories ought to be appropriate. If it is to be part of a guestroom, the bathroom accessories might include shower enclosures, soap dishes, illuminated bathroom mirrors, toiletries and towel drying radiators. In the case of a master bathroom, you might want to consider spending a little more on items such as illuminated bathroom mirrors, luxury baths, contemporary toilet, electric showers and designer radiators.

The other thing to consider is the kind of furniture style and design that you like. Those available range from traditional to modern to contemporary to Victorian to country.  There are plenty of accessories available to suit any style that you choose.

Next on the agenda are your colour and pattern preferences. You need to be very careful with your choices if you are to achieve a co-ordinated feel between the floor, wall and other items in the bathroom. For example, if the bathroom fixtures are mainly made of porcelain, then the accessories should be antique white to off-white in colour. If the porcelain extends to the bath, toilet and sink, then some darker shades would work well. If you are unsure about what colour scheme would work best for you, try seeking professional help rather than have clashing colours, which would spoil the whole look of the room, regardless of how much you have spent on it.

Mirrors are a great addition to any bathroom, not just for checking your reflection, but also for making your bathroom look stylish and reflecting light to make your bathroom appear much brighter. There are many different types of mirrors to choose from.

Mirrors usually look good when placed above a sink or a set of vanity cabinets. If you do not have much space, then you could opt for a cabinet that has a mirror for its door. Some mirrors tend to distort your reflection, so be sure to choose a mirror that has distortion-free glass.

If you have a lot of space in your bathroom, then a full-length mirror may look good. Not only does this allow you to see more of your reflection, it also provides your bathroom with more light. There are a variety of styles to choose from, so have a look around to see what would suit your bathroom.

The amount of steam in the bathroom can cause mist on any mirrors that you have in the room, so it is a good idea to choose mist free mirrors. Wiping the steam away can leave marks and make the mirrors harder to clean, so having a mist free mirror or plenty of ventilation will help you solve this problem.

To give yourself more light when using your mirrors, you can purchase mirrors that have built in lights, which you can control with a pull switch. Spotlights above a mirror look good and can give your bathroom a more luxurious feel. 

The lighting is perhaps one of the most important parts of a new bathroom. There are many different types of lighting that you can choose from and it is a good idea to choose a light that compliments your bathroom. If you are more concerned with making your bathroom look good using natural light, then you may wish to just buy a simple ceiling light for the evening. There are many simple ceiling lights that look attractive, such as the ones provided by the company HIB, who produce lights that contain circular frosted glass.

Using small lights for particular accessories, such as mirrors, will make your bathroom look more luxurious and also provide you with a softer light when using the mirror. HIB do a selection of lights that are ideal for both mirrors and bathroom cabinets and can be operated by a push button or a pull cord. Their Razorlite mirror light, which is priced at £76.00, is particularly ideal as it comes with a shaver socket.

If you wish to achieve a designer look, then you may wish to use mini chandeliers, which look great placed above the bathtub. You can also use dimmers, which enable you to choose the right kind of lighting for your bathroom, such as a relaxing low light when bathing and a brighter light for bathroom activities such as applying makeup. Spotlights can also give your bathroom a luxurious designer feel.

For lights that use more than one bulb, such as chandeliers or spotlights, you may wish to purchase low energy lights. There are a variety of stores that provide low energy spotlights and chandeliers.

Bathroom mirrors often serve a multi-purpose role. They obviously help with personal grooming and ensure that you look your best, but they can also act as an accessory that helps to finish off the design of your bathroom and can help reflect light in the room. This light reflection is particularly important if you have a very small bathroom, since careful placing of the mirror will help make the room appear much larger than it actually is.

The main issue to consider, when choosing a mirror, is whether you want a one that is illuminated. An illuminated mirror will be helpful if it is to be used when applying make-up and for men it is useful when shaving!

Mirrors come in all shapes and sizes, but you should always aim to get the biggest that you can afford, both in terms of budget and space available. If you are really stuck for space then you could buy a bathroom cabinet that has a mirror on each door.  The plus side of these cabinets is that the mirror is closer to you because it projects into the room slightly. The downside is that they aren’t such a design statement as some of the architecturally themed mirrors that are available.

In addition to the ‘main’ mirror, it may also be helpful to have portable and freestanding models. These can be used if you need to look at your face in detail and they can be moved round the bathroom to get the best light. Light levels do vary during the day, so this gives you real flexibility and control.