Bathroom Design Guidelines

Updating your bathroom designs involves more than just deciding what color bath to pick. A re-design means that you can swap the layout and make room for a separate shower and more storage units. The first step is to plan the design as with kitchens, your local supplier will run off a computer-generated plan based on the bathroom's dimensions and your particular requirements. If you're sticking with the same layout, make sure you measure your bathroom suite carefully before you go shopping for a replacement so that you know the new items will fit. Re-plumbing and re-wiring will push the cost up so stick with the existing service points if at all possible although this may not be overlooked if you want to change the positioning of the bathroom suite. First decide on the correct place for the bath and/or shower. If your toilet is in your bathroom, decide where this will go and then position the washbasin. Once the fittings are planned you can work out how to use the remaining space which, in modern bathrooms, may be quite limited. Some kind of storage, either cupboards or shelves – preferably both is required for toiletries, cleaning products, toilet rolls and children's bath toys. If your bathroom is spacious you may also keep clean towels and your linen basket in there. Choosing the bath and basin can be a time-consuming task. Even if you're not opting for something like a Jacuzzi spa or indoor hot tub, baths come in all shapes and sizes standard oblong, roll top bath, corner, curved, wider at one end than the other and colors. Unless you desperately yearn for a particular color it's best to stick with white. It's clean-looking, inoffensive and will go with any color you decide to use for paint and furnishings. Taps, too, come in a bewildering array of styles – choose a design that will complement your bathroom. Before making your final decision on the bathroom suite it is helpful to check your plans with your plumber to see if there are any potential snags with the designs you have picked. Even if your window has frosted glass make sure you have a curtain or blind with ‘blackout' lining unless you want neighbors or passers-by watching the silhouette of you bathing, washing or worse. When it comes to decoration, remember to use or specify, if someone else is doing the work grout that is resistant to steam and water. Similarly, choose paint and wallpaper that will stand up to heat and steam look in the ever-expanding ‘kitchen and bathroom' ranges. Pale colors brighten a small bathroom, especially one with no natural daylight but it's fun to experiment with color. And a large mirror across one wall, especially the wall opposite the window, will help make a small bathroom look and feel much bigger and lighter. Floor coverings, too, come in all types of material and color but avoid carpet which is impractical and unhygienic in the bathroom. If you're installing a shower either as a separate feature or above the bath – investigate the different types before deciding which to choose. If you have high water pressure you could opt for a thermo shower which is connected direct to your heating system and keeps the water temperature even. An electric shower system heats the water itself and is mostly used above the bath. Power showers will give you the ultimate shower experience, even if you have low water pressure. Look for a non-slip surface in both bath and shower. Speak with your plumber and find out that the drainage can take the amount of water your shower is producing an overflowing shower tray can cause serious problems. Above all, the main thing to remember when redesigning your bathroom is choose a design that works for your lifestyle.

Bathrooms Renovating Tips

New fixtures, new tub, and sleek counter tops - your new bathroom will need them all. Simply follow the following tips to modernize your dream bathroom. Planning for Bathroom Renovation: Renovating your bathroom can be a daunting and expensive task as it requires specialized trade services such as plumbing, tiling, and electrical work. Time, money and complexity are the biggest factors you can never ignore. To avoid cramping your bathroom, you have to design a rough layout of your new bathroom by measuring the dimensions of the room. A well-planned bathroom allows easy movement for the family members and ensures sufficient room for opening cabinets and storage. To get ideas, you could browse through a number of photographs and planning guides available online. D.I.Y. versus Professional Renovators: The final analysis should be within budget, functional and stylish. Professional renovators can manage the entire renovation process for you, including organization of all facets of the project for you from tile selection to the necessary trades. You could simply use their consultation services and track down the right trades person (such as plumbers, tile installers, painters and electricians) to do the job for you. If you are working within a limited budget and would like to make the changes yourself, read on to learn a few things about renovating your bathroom yourself. Important Considerations for your Bathrooms Think About Budget: Plumbing: Unless the layout of your bathroom is not wholly functional, try to keep the new fixtures in the same general location to minimize costs. Focus: Try to single out a feature where your money is put to its best use. For example, you could replace an old vanity unit with a contemporary glass and wood vanity with wall-mounted faucets. To balance the cost of this expensive piece from the budget, you could select less expensive tub fixtures, floor and wall tiles. Functionality: Whether the bathroom is shared by a couple or the whole family, a few functional tactics can help keep the bathroom from becoming a war room. It can be quite helpful to employ the services of a professional designer to maximize use of space and fine-tune the layout. If you do not wish to go to this expense, remember the basic points of bathroom design - try to avoid the placement of the WC opposite the entry door, allow plenty of room for the shower-screen and entry doors to open freely, and allow plenty of space for storage. Waterproofing - A Primer: Waterproofing prior to renovation of a bathroom is of vital importance. However, problems can arise in older homes, where some areas were not successfully waterproofed. You could either choose to remove tiles and waterproof and re-tile, or to waterproof with tiles in situ. Many different methods of overcoming other leakages are available, all with different applications and all with guarantees. Cost efficiency and the extent of the problem should be the major factors in your final decision. Storage: Vanity drawers allow more accessible storage than doors where items are hard to reach on deep shelves. You could also consider hanging a large, shallow pantry-style cabinet on an unused wall, and relocate your towel bar as a door handle if your wall space is limited. Lighting: Lighting contrasts often make the space look bigger. Indirect glowing lights, also called coves, emit light through a hidden source to provide a soft, warm glow to the bathroom. Mirror and Window: Warm fluorescent vertical wall sconces provide you with even lighting on your face - essential for applying cosmetics or shaving. In the daytime, keep dressings and blinds open to provide plenty of natural light. Style and Decorating Trends: Three of the most popular styles – country, contemporary, and traditional - can be expressed through a bathroom's colors, fixtures, and fine details. However, you must be sure that you are comfortable with the chosen decoration style and that it corresponds with your overall perception of the house. The challenge of modern bathrooms is to create a simple and pared down space without making it look cold and sterile. You could incorporate some of these elements to add warmth to your new bathroom. Wood and Natural Materials: Wood, with its unique qualities of warmth and color, adds richness and quality to any bathroom. Contrast and Texture: Bathrooms are typically filled with hard, shiny fixtures and surfaces. By introducing texture and contrasting materials, you can add visual interest and warmth to your new bathroom. Common Pitfalls: You can avoid the following common bathroom renovation problems and pitfalls by simply planning ahead and consulting professional bathroom designers/trades people where appropriate. 1) Organizing trades people in incorrect order. This results in skipped stages, revisits, extra work and costs. 2) Planning redesigns without taking into consideration crucial basics, such as cavity space, concrete walls/floors/ceilings, existing plumbing and circuitry, etc. 3) Buying fittings or fixtures without consulting the relevant trade professionals, thereby resulting in unsuitable choices.