The bathroom is undoubtedly one of the most important rooms
in the house. When it comes to selling, this room and the kitchen are often
under more scrutiny than any of the other rooms. Bathroom renovations can
sometimes be pricey so, for a prospective buyer, having a clean, stunning
bathroom already installed instantly equates to savings on renovations. An
unappealing bathroom can be an instant turnoff for potential buyers, too.
If you’re not looking to sell, then bringing a dated or
shabby bathroom into the 21st century can improve the entire design dynamic of
your property. It can also make your life a lot more comfortable and decadent.
Changing that old bath and shower head unit into a wet room or quality bathroom
suite can create a real ‘wow-factor’ for your guests and make the mornings,
afternoons and weekends far more relaxing.
Even just changing the small things like tap fittings,
radiators or adding some contemporary bathroom accessories can make all the
difference. There’s so much that can be done to improve your bathroom, it can
be hard to decide which options to go with. With that in mind, here we provide
you with some design ideas for your bathroom; whether you need a full fitting
service or just some ideas before you get your own bathroom supplies.
Traditional Bathroom
Décor to Suit The Rest of Your Property
If you live in a period property, Victorian townhouse,
picturesque cottage, or you’ve just opted for an antiquated style of design
throughout your home, you might want to tie everything together with a
traditional bathroom. Keeping design consistent is generally best practice,
creating a sense of balance and unity throughout the house. Without this
cohesion, the design of the property could feel disjointed.
Starting with the flooring, using traditionally Victorian
materials creates an immediately antique feel to the room. Solid wood and
laminates aren’t usually suitable for bathrooms as the humidity can cause the
material to warp and discolour quickly. However, some hardwood is suitable and can
be a great design option. It’s worth consulting a manufacturer or fitter first
to make sure the material is apt.
Another popular option to create a Victorian aesthetic
within the bathroom is to tile the floor using traditional styles. One of the
most obvious options synonymous with the period is the classic black and white
checkerboard floor. Simple black and white tiles running diagonally across the
floor creates a real sense of elegance. Coupling this with a chandelier and
plain white tiles running up the wall creates a stunning shell for the rest of
design to fit beautifully in. Alternatively, deep green tiles have the same
traditional significance and are a bolder, more rich option.
Now, for the important part. Which parts would work well in
this setting? One of the most striking fittings to include in a traditional
bathroom is a freestanding bath. Sat in the very middle of the room, with a
‘claw-foot’ stand, this emulates tradition like almost no other bathroom
appliance. If you also want to fit a shower over a freestanding bath, you can
use a metal shower ring from the ceiling. This is an essential fitting but also
adds to the overall aesthetic of the room. Other options to create a
traditional feel to the bathroom might be a high-level toilet with a pull-chain
flush.
How a New Bathroom
Can Add a Modern Touch To Your Home
If you’re not into traditional styles or your home has a
more open-planned design to it, you might want to bring that contemporary feel
into the bathroom too. A great way of achieving that is by installing a
wetroom.
Wetrooms create a real impact on your property, it’s a space
that exudes style, luxuriousness and modern design. Also, it’s been one of the
leading bathroom trends
this year.
Not only do they look incredibly stylish, but they are
practical too (rare bedfellows, to say the least). A wetroom provides an
accessible shower space for children or those with problems getting around.
With the floor of a wetroom being level as well as slip-resistant, there’s
little to no chance of too many accidents and those who find it difficult to
get in and out of the bath or shower simply have to walk into the room!
Another reason to install a wetroom is that it gives you
much more versatility when it comes to design. By taking the bath and shower
enclosure out of the equation, there’s much more space to play with. This
versatility means that you can work with the shape of the room, create a sharp,
minimalistic feel throughout the space and starting looking at contemporary
bathroom accessories from exciting new brands. Think waterfall shower heads,
the possibility of integrated lights and music or even a tiled seating area.
In terms of aesthetic, dark colours are really
fashionable for larger wetrooms at the moment. Although you might not expect
it, many people are opting for black and grey wall tiles, offset with white floors, sinks and
toilets. It’s unconventional but elegant.
Using natural stone is another in vogue option for your wet
room. A large natural stone sink can act as a beautiful and timeless
centrepiece for the bathroom and the material brings nature effortlessly back
into a contemporary setting. Combining this with some plants is a good way to
create a consistent natural feel.
Finally, creating a seamless design for the wetroom can
create a larger sense of space. Reducing the number of elements to the bare
minimum, using block colours - like marble tiles throughout the walls and floor
- reduces the number of breaks in the space. This makes the room look larger
than it is, lets more light in and creates an almost spa-like aesthetic.
Bathroom Designs To
Fit Big or Small Spaces
Whether your bathroom is big or small, there’s no need to
scrimp on design. For a smaller space, one of the tricks of the trade is to
deceive the eye with perception. If you tile the side of the bath and the wall
behind the bath with the same pattern, it can seem as though the space is
bigger than it is in reality. This trick makes it difficult to distinguish
where the boundaries are. Similarly, using the same tiles for the walls and
floors also makes the room seem larger than it actually is.
In terms of the bathroom accessories, it’s worth looking at
freestanding tiered storage units to save on the space of installing cupboards
and draws. Freestanding units are the perfect remedy to a tiny bathroom and are
still practical. When it comes to mirrors, ditch the mirrored cupboard in place
of a wall hanging which will give you more wall and floor space.
Bigger bathrooms don’t have the same restrictions as smaller
bathrooms, however, they still require thought out planning for the design.
First of all, the functionality of the room needs to be thoroughly thought
through. If you find yourself having to stride across the room to grab your
toothbrush or towel before being able to use it, something is probably amiss.
Before designing the room, look to create areas for each function; a space for
towels near the shower, a space for face-wash and toothpaste above the sink,
maybe a bookshelf near the toilet. It might seem obvious, but you don’t want to
get to the end of the design only to realise you’ve got everything the wrong
way around!
Most importantly in terms of design, with such a large space
to consider, you need a strong focal point to draw the eye. This could be a
large freestanding bath, a large floor to ceiling mirror or a statement sink.
Whatever you decide on, having a focal point for the eye is key in creating a
‘wow’ factor in such a large space.
Who We Are
For much of the past century Bells Kitchens & Bathrooms
has been a leading business in the South London community. Located in the same
premises since 1919, we are a family-run business specialising in bathroom and
kitchen design and installation. We work with some of the very best
manufacturers in the UK and can help with anything you need, regardless of
whether you’re starting a build or doing simple renovation work.
In everything we do, we always put you, the customer, at the
forefront. Our expert staff will work with you to design the perfect kitchen or
bathroom for your home. We even provide a free planning and design service!
Whether you need bathroom supplies or bathroom accessories, we’ve got exactly
what you need.
To see some of our handy work, you can visit our gallery
for some inspiration. If
you like what you see, contact
us today
for a consultation and we’ll be happy to work
with you. You can find us at 169 - 171 Lordship Lane, East Dulwich, London,
SE22 8HY, or call us on 020 8693 2223.
