Bathroom Design Ideas

A power shower is not only a great way to wake oneself up in the morning it is also a fantastic way to unwind after a hard day’s work. The variety of power showers on the market also means that deciding which to choose is not an easy one.

You can have a power shower fitted if you have a water supply from both a cold-water cistern and a hot water cylinder. The power shower is actually fitted with an electric pump, which drives the water at you, but you can regulate both the temperature of the water and the pressure. You therefore have the choice of a cold but gentle shower, a very hot, extremely powerful shower, or any combination in between.

This flexibility makes the installation of a power shower a very convenient and useful addition to your bathroom. If you prefer, it can just be a normal shower, then you simply turn on the power as and when you please.

There are two main drawbacks to a power shower being fitted in the domestic bathroom. Firstly, if you currently have water heated by the shower unit alone, then it may not be possible to install a power shower easily. Secondly, you need to have a 50mm waste water pipe, which it is not always possible to retro-fit in an existing bathroom; otherwise the water simply won’t drain away quickly enough. 

If you have got the facilities to install a power shower, they really are well worth the investment.

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.

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.

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. 

The concept of luxury bathrooms is quite a recent trend in the world of design.  Throughout most of the 20th century the bathroom was seen as being simply functional, rather than somewhere that you would regard as an oasis of opulence and relaxation.

Yet, since the times of the Ancient Egyptians and Cleopatra, bathing has been seen as an important function and there has always been a desire for luxury, even if bathroom design did not reflect this. These days the two concepts have converged and luxurious bathrooms are readily available and in high demand.

The sky is the limit in terms of what is available at the top end of the luxury bathroom range. You can have sunken baths, ones that are almost hand crafted, or bespoke to suit your own individual needs. How about some real marble flooring, imported from Italy? Or perhaps you would like a Jacuzzi that can easily take two or more and has the most amazingly powerful jets?

For those on a more limited budget, there are still some luxury items that are affordable, such as smaller whirlpool bath systems, or even hydro-massage units that can be fitted to the shower. Attractive flooring and some seductive lighting, along with very chic tiles and funky taps, can actually transform the oldest, smallest and most mundane of bathrooms into somewhere with a sense of luxury and style. Whatever your pocket, it is well-worth thinking about how to re-vamp your bathroom to give it that special air of opulence.

A ‘mixer’ is a term applied to very basic showers. Generally, there are four different types available.

The first is a very basic unit, which utilises the existing hot and cold water taps. The mixer is attached to the bath taps and then a spray cascades, or more usually, simply trickles out.

The bath and shower mixer is slightly more sophisticated, as the spray and showerhead are combined with a mixer tap on the bath. They can be quite useful if you have a freestanding bath, since it can be quite difficult to wash your hair effectively. Usually these products are available in different finishes and styles, to complement any bathroom.

The manual mixer relies on a hot and cold water supply. This is a plumbed-in system and the pipes need to be installed by a professional plumber. A wall unit is fitted, which is connected to the hot and cold-water supplies and the unit allows you to control the temperature of the water and to some extent, the pressure. This option is more expensive than the other two mixers previously mentioned, due to the plumbing costs and the price of the basic system.
 
The thermostatic mixer is also supplied as a unit. It is so called, because it has a built-in stabiliser, which means that the temperature of the water can easily be controlled. Other mixers tend to perform badly when water is being used in another room, but the thermostatic model does not experience this dip in performance. This feature makes it the safest and most reliable choice, but also the most expensive.

Whirlpool baths have recently enjoyed something of a renaissance.  Whilst they were popular in the 1980s, demand decreased when they became viewed as something bulky and dated.  However, in the past few years, their design has evolved and they are once again, seen as being a very useful addition to any bathroom. 

Whirlpool baths are now available in a range of sizes, shapes and with a variety of facilities, the vast majority of which are very modern and classic in design, enabling them to be fitted in almost every bathroom.  Even where space is tight, you will still find that there is a whirlpool bath which can fit in the corner, which will simply transform your bathroom into your own, very powerful, Jacuzzi! 

Whirlpool baths are also now very quiet, so the noisy pump of the older style models is now just a distant memory.  The pumps are also much more energy efficient, so the running costs are low.  Since they double as an ordinary bath, they can be as environmentally friendly as you choose, i.e. they do not have to be used as a whirlpool whenever a bath is taken.  Most come with fully adjustable water jets, allowing you to alter the direction of the water and the air, so that you can target any areas where you feel particularly tense or sore.

The fittings are also quite unobtrusive, meaning that the bathroom is not wholly taken up with the pump and pipes.  They are also so stylish now, that they will simply add elegance to your bathroom, as well as many hours of enjoyment for all who take pleasure in its luxury!

Installing a new bathroom or indeed the repair of an old bathroom can be a daunting task. From deciding which shower or bath to buy or which bathroom furniture to store your towels in, it can all be stressful.

Help is at hand with this new Plumbing guide. We take you through the best bathroom products and give you advice on some of the very best bathroom manufacturers.