When you get home and want to relax, where do you like spending your time? For the majority of people, the living room and bedroom are places for rest and relaxation. However, in the back of our minds, the bathroom is that special space that we all consider the real (re)treat. In the bathroom, you, quite literally, wash away the remains of a long and exhausting day and prepare yourself for the next one. No wonder bathroom design is such a big deal for so many people! If you need the inspiration to design your own bathroom, you’ve come to the right place.
Set the mood with the right color
You probably already know how powerful colors can be – they can wake you up and energize you. Still, they can just as easily calm and soothe you when you’re agitated. This is why you should know what kind of mood you want your bathroom to evoke when you enter it. This is important to do straight away as it will affect your selection of materials and color palette. It’s important to keep in mind the fact that there is more to this than wall paint and the choice of fabric. The light in the bathroom, the hues of tiles you choose, and even the details on your sink and tub play a considerable role in your bathroom color scheme.
You don’t necessarily need real marble
A few seasons ago, there was an emerging trend of bringing the outside in. Even though it’s highly unlikely that you’ll be able to bring actual grass and birds into your bathroom, earthy shades and natural materials in neutral tones can certainly make you feel like you’re outside. Granite, stone, and marble are all-natural materials, and they are highly-priced for a reason – their beauty and durability are legendary. On the other hand, they are a nightmare to maintain and upkeep, which is one of the reasons why people have been looking for alternatives. Marble, as beautiful as it is, isn’t completely water-resistant and stains easily, turning out to be a really bad bathroom material. Instead, you can easily find faux marble that looks the part but doesn’t have any of the downsides.
Don’t forget about safety
Even though people enjoy adding wood and stone to their bathrooms, tiles are still the number one flooring material on the market. When choosing tiles for your new bathroom, it’s imperative that you look past the lovely glossy finish and aim for something more convenient. Glossy finishes are often too slippery, which can result in you or your family members slipping and falling. Still, those with much coarser surfaces will be difficult to clean, so keep that in mind as well.
Technology is your friend
High-tech bathrooms aren’t just seen in movies (or in Japan). Today, you can find self-cleaning toilets with antimicrobial seats, motion sensors that lift or lower the lid, and even toilet seat warmers with LED lights so that sitting down on a cold morning doesn’t have to be a bad experience anymore. Digital faucets are a thing, and you can even install a hand dryer on the wall – it will give you a feeling that you’re in a luxurious hotel or a restaurant bathroom. If you keep medicine in the bathroom, higher temperatures can be bad for them, so why don’t you try getting refrigerated bathroom cabinets? These will keep not only your medicines cool, but you can make sure your cosmetics last longer or even keep drinks in them.
Have a good bathroom lighting plan
A nice and practical bathroom should have good lighting, so when designing your new bathroom, try to think hard about what kind of lighting would be best. Mirror and task lighting can be particularly tricky because if you don’t install them at the perfect angle, they end up casting shadows and making your beauty routine frustrating. Ideally, you should place wall-mounted lights at each side of your mirror, with a third one just above it. This will create the kind of light that professional beauticians and makeup artists use. If, on the other hand, you’re hoping to create a more relaxing atmosphere, you should think about installing mood lighting.
How does a wet room sound?
If you would like to have a bath but don’t have enough room, why don’t you transform your plain bathroom into a wet room? Turning an ordinary shower into a wet room has never been easier, thanks to modern technology, shower trains, and panels. Regardless of how small your bathroom is, several bespoke shower trays and panels will do the trick without you having to knock down walls or rip our plumbing. This means that even if your bathroom is in the attic, it’s oddly shaped, or really small, you can still find the suitable materials to do it. If you’d like to really spice it up and feel like royalty while taking a shower, you can add a solid corner seat or even a steam room-style bench. Once you have a place to sit in your wet room, you will forget all about ever even wanting a bath.
Try out creative storage
It’s virtually impossible not to have a million things in your bathroom: cleaning solutions, shampoos and shower gels, cosmetics, towels, hairdryers, and toilet paper. Keeping all of these things neat and organized is a true nightmare if you don’t have enough storage space, but it can also be a nightmare if you have storage space that’s beautiful but just not functional (we’re looking at you, pedestal sinks!). Behind-the-door hooks are incredibly convenient because they can keep towels and bathrobes within reach but out of sight. Shampoo niches in the shower are becoming a thing too, and adding a shelf just above the door will save you plenty of space without ruining the aesthetics.
Luckily, we had moved away from the old times when bathrooms were plain and utterly boring, and we have entered the era of beauty, style, and class in bathrooms. It doesn’t matter if you’re thinking of remodeling your old master bathroom, a miniature powder room, or a small half-bath; it’s important to think outside the box. Forget about that old “toilet-shower-sink-and did” dynamics behind and find inspiration that will help you to rally transform your old bathroom into a work of art you will never want to leave.