Bathroom Design Ideas

Wash hand basins are no longer about somewhere just to wash your hands; they now make a statement about you, about your taste and about how you like to live.

Recent design innovations have seen enormous changes being made to the traditional, slightly curved, wash hand basin. Now you have the option of curved, angular, square, dual or even asymmetric basins. So which do you choose?

Obviously personal taste comes into it, but there are some design considerations as well. If you have very small children, then don’t plump for the latest Italian geometric styles, with corners so sharp that they look as if they could be used for cutting.  Instead, you should opt for something that is curved and which will obviously still inflict a knock if a little head bangs against it, but which will do less damage than a seriously sharp corner. However, if you don’t have children, or the little ones are past the age where they seem to constantly bang into any sharp edges, then these styles will be worth considering, especially if you like modern, urban design. 

You should also think about the other rooms in your home. If it is a real shrine to the past and you simply adore old-fashioned styles of décor and furniture, then you won’t want your bathroom to be too much at odds with this. So remember not to think about your bathroom in isolation, for whilst it is perfectly acceptable to have contrast, creating too much of a clash will result in ‘dissonance’, which is basically disharmony!

In very many houses the bathroom is indeed quite small with larger space having been allocated to living and eating than has been awarded to functional activities; so for many householders, space is certainly at a premium in the bathroom.

However, this does not mean that you cannot still enjoy a full range of facilities.  There are some spaces saving tips which will help you to make the most out of the space you do have available.

First of all if space is very tight, then you should look at installing a close coupled toilet since this will save you space in terms of how far the toilet projects into the room.

Next, it is also possible to buy baths which are slightly shorter than normal, but still an adequate length (unless you are exceptionally tall).  These are often narrower as well, so allowing you to get that extra bit of space next to, or at the end of, the bath.

Consider installing a shower over your bath and then fitting a bath / shower screen to make sure that the water is contained.

Fit a countertop wash hand basin and, if space is really tight, then consider installing the wash hand basin in the corner.  Storage space can then be created underneath the basin, enabling you to completely maximise your space.

Finally, consider fitting a towel rail over your radiator or have a heated towel rail adjacent to the toilet.  Therefore, you can have all the luxury of a modern bathroom even in the tiniest of spaces.

Bathrooms have evolved a great deal and now are subject to the same type of ‘makeovers’ that every other aspect of the home is.  There are also trends and fashions in bathroom design and sometimes it is hard to know if they are just passing fads, or will actually be a sound way of improving your bathroom and bringing it more up to date.

A recent fashion trend for bathrooms has been the introduction of dual wash hand basins, so two people can use a wash hand basin at the same time, great if you both want to clean your teeth at the same time.  However, it is hard to know if this trend will continue or if it is something which will simply date a bathroom in years to come.  If you are considering putting in two basins, make sure that you actually have the room for it; the basins need to give each person adequate space, so that they do not feel they are in a public toilet, crammed up against the next person.

Some continental bathrooms also come with an optional bidet.  Bidets were certainly popular during the 1980s, but now tend to be more prevalent in households where the householders are over 50. This may not be wholly in keeping with a bathroom design attempting to portray urban chic to anyone who comes in!

One trend which does seem to be here to stay is encasing radiator and water pipes, to give a very clean and uncluttered feel to a bathroom.  It is unlikely that this trend will die out given the heat efficiency factor of these casings; so, of all the trends, this is probably the most recommended one, in terms of being contemporary but lasting.

When trying to decide between fitting a soap dispenser or soap holder in your shower area, why not err on the side of caution and install both? There are times when you may wish to use a traditional bar of soap, but other times when you may want the handy convenience of a soap dispenser. To give you more flexibility, if you find that you aren’t using the soap dispenser, remember you can also dispense shampoo from it; you don’t have to use it only for soap.

Obviously the choice of soap holder and dispenser should complement the type of shower you have and they should blend in with the overall style of your bathroom.

You should have no problem in achieving a co-ordinated look, as the choices available for both the holders and dispensers are actually quite extensive. You can find clear, coloured, square or round dispensers and clear, frosted glass or coloured holders.

Clear dispensers may not look as chic as some of the frosted glass options, but they will allow you to see when the soap is low or needs to be replaced. 

Soap holders are also available in complementing styles and many are fitted with holes on the bottom, which makes cleaning them that little bit easier and helps prevent damp soap simply melting away in the heat.

Both the holder and dispenser should be fitted at a height that is readily accessible, but they should not be placed where you risk knocking your head when standing up after bending down in the shower.

The beauty of a countertop wash hand basin is that it can be fitted into a space that is very constrained and so are ideal for the smaller bathroom, but similarly will also look elegant yet modern, in a larger area.  They can also be fitted onto a vanity unit, which gives you adequate storage space underneath, whilst not detracting from the chic feel of the basin.

Countertops also hide any plumbing, so the basin looks more freestanding than if it were fitted in the traditional style.

Most basins are available in white, although some manufacturers also make Old English white basins, which are off white / cream in colour. Continental manufacturers also produce some coloured versions, ranging from a creamy toned ‘stone’ to one in a deep, grey-black graphite colour, so the choice is quite limitless.

The countertop basin is also well suited to having a very stylish lever and central tap fitted, to emphasise its modern appeal, but with the lever tap actually accentuating the style of the basin, thereby creating a finished look which is very chic, but coordinated and smart.

Like many design solutions which are available today, the countertop basin can also be installed in a dual setting, where you have adjacent basins, which can be used at the same time.  These often come complete with customised vanity units, which can be as modern or as traditional as you wish and can create a very unique feel to the basins and the bathroom as a whole.