Bathroom Design Ideas

The bathroom may have remained relatively overlooked in considering environmental issues for some time, but those days are over and the bathroom is now subject to the same scrutiny as other rooms of the home.

In the future, all homes which are sold are likely to be affected by energy efficiency rules, which means that the house will be ‘energy rated’ as to its impact on the environment and whether or not it uses energy and possibly water efficiently.  Toilets already use less water to flush than they did thirty years ago.

However, this does not mean that your bathroom has to be transformed into some kind of sawdust toilet with a jug for bathing.  It is still possible to have luxury and save the planet.

All it takes is a little careful planning and consideration.  Can you maximise natural light coming into your bathroom?  This is great for energy efficiency and natural light really helps when applying make up! Is your hot water system controlled by a condensing boiler? Have you set a timer for water and central heating?

You can also make sure that the bathroom is double glazed, thereby cutting down on heat loss.  Or you can fit water saving devices to take water from the shower or bath and store it for use in the garden, if you want to be really water-efficient. For many people, a few basic energy saving principles are all that is necessary and still have the bathroom of your dreams!

The choice of a WC may seem like a straightforward one; you like the look of it and you like the price of it, what more is there to think about? Well there are some basic considerations to bear in mind when you are thinking about a new WC. Obviously the look of it and the price are two of the main considerations, but you also need to think about other things, such as the type of cistern. The cistern can be high, (which is a very old fashioned style, but if your bathroom is in a period or Victorian house, then this could be very appropriate), low-level, or close-coupled.

Today, a low-level cistern, which sits to the back and just slightly above the WC, is the most common form of toilet. A close-coupled cistern is actually joined onto the back of the toilet, making effectively a single unit. Close-coupled cisterns are usually used where space is an issue. There are also space-saving cisterns available, which can be a real plus in a very small bathroom.

You should bear in mind that the cistern can be concealed. This can look particularly effective where you have a bathroom in which the other facilities are ‘boxed in’ or hidden. If you are considering having a concealed cistern you should remember that there are sure to be times when you need gain access to it, particularly for repairs, so do not make it completely inaccessible.