Design skilful storage Storage is just as important in the bathroom as it is in any other room of the house. When designing your bathroom vanity, consider everything that you need to store in there from shower gels and shampoos, to toilet rolls and cleaning products. Carefully planning practical storage will help to ensure everything has a home and things won’t need to be kept on top of the vanity. PUT MY TOILET ROLLS IN THE CUPBOARD UNDERNEATH
SaveEmail Accentuating design This contemporary cabinet by interior designer Greg Natale features geometric shapes, repeated in the mirror, chair and diamond drawer patterning. The circular handles complete the story set against the diamond pattern. Centred on the drawer face, the handles are a focal point. Additionally, the handles bring dimension to this lovely piece of furniture by projecting forward onto another plane. This projection and the repetition of the circular shape carries our eye from the round mirror in the background, across the top of the cabinet and down to complete the picture at the centre of the drawer face. Again, imagine without these features - not nearly so interesting.
STEP 2: Decide on function then style The functionality of a bathroom is your first priority. You have to be aware of how much space you have to play with and select fittings that work within the limitations of the space. There are standard set-outs that need to be followed when laying out your floor plan, toilets have to be set out a certain distance from a wall, vanity basins and showerheads need to be at a comfortable height, towel rails need to be easily accessible. Write a list of all the fittings you will be installing, choose wisely and research what their ideal positions should be. Once you have the functionality right in your layout style, consideration will give a bathroom its sanctuary title. Make the space relaxing and inviting … a niche in a wall for a candle, a built-in seat in the shower, a stool beside the bath for your towel or book.
Use a smoky glass One of the rarer features I love is a smoky glass shower enclosure. It balances an air of privacy and sophistication with visual openness, and doesn’t add much to the cost versus clear glass. (Also, notice how placing lights in front of the mirror rather than above it virtually doubles the amount of lighting, making the overall effect glowing and warm.)
Sometimes it’s the material mix that makes a fantasy shower. Take this three-sided shower. “The grey-blue matt glass tile mosaic and soft brown linear-striped porcelain tile are illuminated by a skylight. The curbless shower includes a linear floor drain. The simple, clean geometric forms of the shower fittings include body spray jets and a handheld shower wand,” say the designers.
This wet room (a bath area with drainage and waterproof surfaces that means no glass enclosure is needed) has a double connection to the outside: the large window behind the tub and the skylight overhead.
At 2m by 1.4m, this shower has ample room for two people to enjoy the water view. With architectural details such as the arch, this shower is far from a box relegated to the corner of the bathroom – it’s the star of the design stage.
13. Engaging lighting Castagna and Genner predict that the use of smart, intuitive and engaging lights in the bathroom will become a key trend for 2015. “Bathrooms and kitchens are fixed and fitted – once you screw something to a wall or tile a floor, they’ll be there for a very long time, so it’s important to be not too trendy,” the designers explain. “Be smart about your decisions and layer things well – for example, with good lighting.” What smart lighting solutions do Castagna and Genner recommend for the bathroom? “People want bathrooms that engage them, so they may want an accent light, a feature light, or a sensor light that lights up their vanity or shaving cabinet once someone walks in,” they say.
Patterned floor runner
9. Bigger showers Is bigger better? According to Castagna and Genner, that’s certainly the current school of thought when it comes to the shower and a trend they believe will become even more prominent in 2015. “We’re seeing more walk-in showers with big, oversized blades of glass or solid walls that are completely closing the space in, rather than bathrooms with tiny, little cubicles,” the design duo says. Why do they think there’s a move away from more compact showering areas to ones that are more generous in size? “Larger showers help create spaces for rejuvenation and wellness – areas where we feel better about ourselves,” they say.
We’re also using a lot of drawers and smart technology, such as doors that lift up and move out of way, which make good use of storage.”
5. Clever water control Say goodbye to basic shower and basin tapware and mixers, and hello to smart, user-friendly fixtures (such as thermostatic mixers; mixers that control multiple water sources, like the one used in this shower; and touchscreen-operated showers) that give users more control over the flow, mix and temperature of water, says Adelaide interior designer Jordan Smith of Brilliant SA. “Double showers would be a good place to use this as multiple people can use the shower at the same time, with individual settings for their own shower,” Smith suggests when explaining how she’d incorporate this trend into one of her designs. “One mixer can control both multiple showers or a combination shower/bath.”
Horizon Habitats SaveEmail Glamour glazed Shiny glazed tiles are undoubtedly glamorous – but can be slippery. So if you want that dash of drama in your bathroom, stick to decorative walls and feature tiles rather than floors and countertops.
Alternatively, add a beautiful vintage piece of furniture If your bathroom has the space, look at adding a statement piece of furniture. This classic bathroom is taken to the next level with an antique dresser that offers lots of storage. My mother's antique gold framed mirror would do the trick.
Upgrade dated hardware Swap dated hardware with glass knobs cut to look like faceted crystals, beautiful hand-painted porcelain knobs or sleek modern designs in chrome or rubbed bronze to give your cabinetry an easy update.
Hang a stunning piece of art or a bright print So often we don’t even think of the bathroom when it comes to considering artwork for the home, yet there’s no reason we shouldn’t take our bathrooms into account. In this simple bathroom, a colourful eye-catching print modernises the room and adds a fun, funky edge.
Could paint the Splash Back for the Vanity using Tile Paint
Swap a handheld shower nozzle for a luxurious rainshower head Get a touch of resort-style luxury in your bathroom with a large rainshower head. Although they always look high-end, they’re not necessarily expensive, and there are many affordable options available these days. Check your shower tiling first to ensure your shower can accommodate a rainshower head without having to patch up any existing holes in the tile.
If your shower is long as opposed to a square shape, you may not have to go the door route at all, which may also be more affordable. Look at affixing a simple panel or two of glass, long enough to prevent water splashing into the rest of the bathroom.
Vanity Top
Have the vanity in 2 colours - gold and black
Have a Gold Mirror in my Bathroom - use the one I've already got!
Gold incorporated
Gold strip up the wall - could use this for my arch
The Other room behind has the same effect as my bathroom alcove because it is a different colour to the bigger front part of the room space
Opt for a smart sink If you are thinking about a stone vanity top, consider an undermount basin. Because these basins sit below the surface, any water that gathers on top can easily be wiped straight into the basin. And, if you wall-mount your taps, cleaning in and around the basin becomes a breeze.
Hair-dryers and straighteners can be tricky to store, and tangled cords are no fun to deal with when you are rushing to get out of the door for work in the morning. This clever pull-out has a holder to keep hair-dryers and straighteners neatly in their place with no tangled wires.
Incorporating open shelving into your vanity allows you to store towels within easy reach – and they look great, too – creating a spa-like feel in the bathroom.
Top Drawer cut around the sink drainage pipe - and also have wide soft closing drawers on runners right across rather than two shorter drawers side by side on each level
The back of cupboard doors for storage space e.g. for hair drier
A pull out section e.g. for hair drier as part of the vanity
Get Blum draw divisions kit for bathroom drawers as well!
An idea for the vanity - this shelf in the middle just for towels and drawers above and below
Storage under bath - maybe on one short side (away from viewing the room)
If you are trying to make a room feel brighter and fresher, stay away from yellow light (3000K) and go for something in the middle of the colour temperature spectrum, so a light that sits at about 5000K. This Kelvin works well in bathrooms, the study, the kitchen and the garage.
3. Electroluminescent Produces electromagnetic radiation (usually visible light) in response to an electric current. This type of light is the most efficient, both cost wise and for the environment. LEDs are also very flexible, allowing you to choose anything between a cool and warm light (the temperature/colour of light is measured in Kelvins, which we will go into further detail below). You can even purchase LEDs that have the option to change colour and warmth via a remote!
Choice Bathrooms SaveEmail 10. Accessorise Adding a removable shelf or caddy to your bathtub could be all you need to make your bathroom more user-friendly. This one will keep your wine stable and hold your book in place – what a way to relax…
HIDE THE PLUMBING UNDER THE BASIN TO CREATE EXTRA CUPBOARD SPACE UNDERNEATH. Use under-sink space wisely The plumbing fixtures necessary under a bathroom basin can use up valuable storage space. Instead of competing with pipes and taps in awkward cupboard spaces, hide the plumbing and open up the rest for your own use. This vanity is both stylish and practical.
7. Install a pullout pantry Why should kitchens have all the best ideas for storage? A pullout pantry can work just as well in the bathroom, and can vastly increase storage capacity. This one has been installed over a laundry chute.
4. Go wide A wall-to-wall adds not only a modern edge to any bathroom, it vastly increases the storage capacity. There’s no need to go for a double basin in a wide vanity – we could all use a little more bench space for our bits and bobs when we’re getting ready to go out or have to share the space with others.
3. Use dead space That blank wall over the toilet is prime real estate for extra storage. Floating shelves are an easy-to-install answer for extra towels, good-looking toiletries or artfully arranged toilet paper rolls.
2. Add drawers Cupboards have long been used for bathroom storage but drawers are a good choice for those wanting to better organise their bathroom. They can store much more and make contents easier to access. Bathrooms in Australia follow kitchen trends, where drawers are now firmly favoured over cupboards.
Grime-free. A semi-gloss is highly recommended for a kitchen where there is high traffic, spillage or grease. It is also ideal for kitchen and bathroom walls where there is likely to be water or steam, as it will help resist mould. DID YOU KNOW? The shinier the paint finish, the better it will stand up to washing and cleaning.
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