Bathroom Design Ideas

Installing shower enclosures within a bathroom can have many advantages. Aside from the benefit of preventing water from splashing out onto the bathroom floor, they also offer a fantastic home improvement opportunity. One of the many variables when it comes to choosing bathroom suites is maximising space. Even if the bathroom in your home isn’t the biggest, the installation of a shower enclosure can add a touch of class to your bathroom and create the image of a larger space with a shower separate to the bath.

If you are considering a complete bathroom renovation, the installation of a shower cubicle will certainly provide many new attributes to your bathroom. One of the major benefits surrounding showers are their functionality and ease of use. Not only are they simple to operate, they are economical when it comes to saving time and water!

Shower enclosures can be easily installed into all bathrooms and most showers and shower cubicles can be bought and installed by homeowners, so for the more daring DIY and home improvement specialists among you, this is your time to shine.

Accessibility is also another key feature when it comes to showers. For the more senior person, there are endless arrays of walk in showers that prevent the need to climb in and out of the bath thus preventing accidents. There are also a number of shower enclosures that are able to accommodate shower seats to make the shower experience even more accessible and comforting.

In terms of a home improvement venture, the option of installing a walk in shower can also significantly increase the resale value of your home as well as improving the look of a family bathroom.

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.

Those looking for a complete bathroom redecorating solution can buy bathroom suite packages. These suites are both economical and stylish, and they take the guess and design work out of bathroom remodelling.

UK Bathrooms sells three bathroom suites. The components of each are available separately, but grouping them together allows UK Bathrooms to sell the fixtures as an ensemble for a fraction of what the individual pieces would cost if purchased separately.

The Vitra Layton bathroom suite includes a toilet, a basin, a shower enclosure, a radiator and brassware. The standard toilet and pillared sink basin are white porcelain, and the tall ladder-shaped radiator is polished chrome. The Vitra Layton shower enclosure is a corner unit with acrylic doors that swing outward.

The Ideal Standard bathroom suite includes the same fixtures; but instead of a shower enclosure, this bathroom suite includes a shower bath package and shower. The toilet, tub, and basin are all white ceramic porcelain, the shower and sink fixtures gleaming chrome.

The Laufen Pro bathroom suite includes a toilet, basin, bath, and taps. UK Bathrooms also offers an optional upgrade with screen and shower for this package. It features the best-selling white ceramic fixtures from Laufen as well as progressively designed chrome bath and sink fixtures.

For those (re)designing on a budget, UK Bathrooms also has a Contemporary White bathroom suite. Composed of bargain-priced branded items, this suite features a simple white porcelain bath, panel, cc toilet, basin with pedestal and taps for only £450.

When designing a cloakroom bathroom suite, space is the obvious imperative. With sometimes significantly less room than a full-size bathroom, one may find him/herself compromising on any number of design details including colour, fixtures, and wall design. There are brands, though, that anticipate the specific needs of the cloakroom bathroom and design bathroom cabinets, basins, and toilets with space limitations in mind. Consumers, then, don’t have to sacrifice functionality or design in their cloakroom bathrooms.

Bauhaus makes several space-saving cloakroom bathroom basins including the rectangular Hey II, Cascade, Alicante, Bergamo, Turin, Gomera, Genoa, and Space models and the rounded Dalla, Manesis, Jerez, and Dublin models. All reflect Bauhaus’ commitment to innovative design and exacting quality standards. For those looking for a complete cloakroom bathroom solution, Bauhaus also offers consumers a Furniture Solution which includes a mirror and a cabinet with built-in basin.

For those looking for a bit more traditional elegance – as opposed to Bauhaus’ identifiably clean lines – brands like Imperial Bathrooms have several bathroom basins designed specifically for cloakroom bathrooms. These include their Westminster, a wall-mounted porcelain sink with antique gold brassware, and the Astoria, which is set upon an elegant pedestal and accented with chrome taps.

Finally, the Roca line of cloakroom sinks are among the most distinctive on the market today. Their Dama, Giralda, Sydney, Meridian, and Georgia models all have elegant porcelain pipe coverings, smooth basin lines, and cool chrome taps. Their Cloakroom and Sanitaryware Cloakroom have exposed pipes and thinner basins for those wanting maximum chrome exposure and low-profile lines.

Bristan is one of the largest suppliers of bathroom suites, pumps, accessories and heating for bathrooms, in the UK. The company is at the leading edge of the market and this assures both quality and excellent after sales support. You will also find that the sheer buying power of a company of this size results in a very competitive pricing structure.

The range of products on offer also means that this is somewhere you can buy all the items for your new bathroom and can avoid having to purchase your suite from one company and all your accessories from another. This helps create a look that is stylish and very harmonious.

It is also possible to buy very traditional bathroom suites here, so you have the choice of being as conventional or as modern as you wish. You also have peace of mind, because even though the products are very durable, if anything does happen to go wrong, you can be sure that a company of the stature of Bristan is more likely to still be around than some of the lesser-known brands in the industry.

For those on a very tight budget, there are often ‘end of line’ products available. You should bear in mind that this means the items are no longer in production, so in the future replacement parts will be more difficult to source. You should therefore be sure to give some consideration to the possible future cost implications, before you plump for what seems like an exceptional offer.

Catalano bathrooms are an Italian designer brand which has become very popular in the UK over the last few years.  Primarily, this is due to their style which is very angular, yet rounded, always bold and making a statement.

Suites are also available in a variety of colours, from white to black, with some earthy, natural colours in between.  This use of natural colours reflects the colour of natural stone and looks at home in any modern and well lit bathroom, where the whole ambience is created by natural hues and light.  It is, however, worth bearing in mind, if you go for a colour other than white that you need to consider carefully how the suite will look in a few years time.  Will it retain its chic identity or simply look out-dated?  What happens if the surface/finish is scratched?  If so, can it be repaired and can you live with it, if not?

But if classic style with a contemporary feel is to your taste, then a Catalano style bathroom will undoubtedly suit you perfectly.  The costs of these bathroom suites are more than standard suites, but then this is style which you simply will not find in every store up and down the country.  Given that the range on offer is amazingly versatile, it will be excellent value for money and you will find that the flexibility on offer with where you fit the taps or whether the wash hand basin sits on a pedestal or is free standing, means that it is akin to having your own personally designed suite, for a fraction of the cost!

If you have more than one bathroom in your home that needs decorating then this gives you the chance to experiment with different styles for each bathroom. If you have a large family, then decorate one bathroom to their liking and one to your liking. If you have children, then give one bathroom a theme that they will like, such as bright colours or an aquatic theme.

Having more than one bathroom to decorate will cost more money, but there are a variety of affordable items to choose from. If one bathroom tends to get used more than the other, then focus on making that bathroom the most stylish and simply swap a few old accessories for new ones for the bathroom that is not used as much.

Having matching themes for both bathrooms will be quicker and easier, but you may wish to vary the themes so that your bathrooms do not look too boring. If one bathroom is much larger than the other, then you can make the larger bathroom more luxurious as you will have more space to play with. Make the smaller bathroom as interesting as possible and fill it with accessories so that it becomes much more than just a place for basic needs.

Having two bathrooms gives you more storage, so you can organise your items better. If you have children, then place medicine cabinets in the bathroom that they do not use as much. If one of your toilets is downstairs and you have an elderly or disabled person in your family, then focus on installing the right equipment for them in this bathroom so that they feel at ease and do not have to make their way upstairs. 

There are many different styles of cloakroom suites to choose from. Plumbworld offers a wide range of cloakroom suites at affordable prices. Their Halcyon bathroom suite comes as a four piece and includes a white toilet seat, a basin, period basin taps and a full height pedestal. This suite is suitable for a traditional theme and is priced at £192.97.

Plumbworld also offer a Ceremica Lyndhurst bathroom suite, which comes with a full height pedestal, a lever-operated cistern and a wide basin, and is available in white. This suite is priced at £149.97 and does not include a toilet seat or taps.

Plumbworld’s designer suites are a little more expensive, but are perfect for making a bathroom look good. Their Tavistock Venus four piece bathroom suite comes with a dual flush cistern, a full height pedestal, a wide basin and a toilet seat, and is available in white. This suite is priced at £357.98.

For those looking for a more affordable option, Plumbworld offers a Ceremica Milan contemporary cloakroom suite for just £79.97. This comes with a dual flush cistern, a toilet seat, a full height pedestal and a wide basin, and is available in white.

There are many stores that offer discounts on cloakroom suites, so have a look around to see what suits you. The internet is the best place to look, as this usually has lots of online stores that offer discounts and customer reviews to help you make the right choice.  Sites such as Amazon and eBay also have some great offers.

En-suite bathrooms are the ideal option for anyone who has a large house and would like to have an extra bathroom fitted. If you have children or share a house with friends, then an en-suite bathroom will allow you to have more privacy. It is perfect for those who dislike sharing bathrooms and are looking for their own place to retreat and relax after a hard day at work.

En-suites are usually attached to master bedrooms in larger houses and If you have a small home, then adding one may not be a good idea. Seeking advice from experienced bathroom design companies is the best option, as they will be able to help you with planning and assist with the building and installation work.

The size of your en-suite bathroom will depend on how much space you have to play with. If you are looking for a simple place to relax and have some privacy then a small en-suite would be ideal. If, on the other hand, you are looking for something more luxurious, then you will need to have lots of space. If you cannot afford one, then opt for something smaller and use furniture that will give the room the impression of having lots of space. For example, wall-hung sinks, small lights and combined sinks and cabinets.

Have a look at existing rooms, to get an idea of what you can expect for your money. There are many stores that have showrooms where you can have a look around and decide what would look best. These stores usually offer advice for free, so discuss with them what look you wish to achieve and see if they can help you create your ideal en suite bathroom.

The type of bathroom suite that you choose will really define your bathroom and say a lot about your taste and your lifestyle, so choose carefully!  Price is obviously something to be taken into account, but there are also other considerations.

Space is obviously an important issue, since there is no point in buying a walk in shower and massive whirlpool bath if they will not fit into the space you have available.

Style is also the other big factor.  You should think about the look that you want to create in your bathroom and how you can achieve this.  Do you want it to be an oasis of calm, or the epitome of urban chic?  If you are a bachelor with a busy lifestyle then think practical and no fuss.  If you are a busy mum with a young family, then you need to think about children’s bathing requirements, as well as time for you and your partner.  You may also need to have some ‘me time’ and the bathroom can be a great place to achieve this.

Bath suites can date quite easily (i.e. the ‘avocado’ suite, that style ‘nightmare’ of the 1980s) ad so with this in mind, a classic, well designed and practical style of bathroom suites can act as an investment, adding to the value of your home.  Thus making it easier to sell on and still looking good in a few years, rather than just looking out-dated.  So spend as much as you can afford and go for elegance, rather than just modern trends.