Planning and Designing a Bathroom
For most homeowners, the design and planning of a new bathroom can be a very daunting process. However, it need not be. If you are renovating an existing space or building from scratch, it is useful to consider the following questions: who, what, where and how?
Who is going to use the bathroom may seem rather simple when it comes to bathrooms, but the answer can have a significant impact on project plans. A bathroom that is used from time to time, by guests, will probably be very different from that which is used mainly by children on a daily basis.
Once you have worked out who is mainly going to be using the bathroom, where is usually the next point to consider. This is often an easy question to answer. In a new construction, the master bathroom often adjoins the bedroom, with guest’s and children’s bathrooms often adjoining their respective bedrooms. In existing homes, the bathroom will often have to remain where it is.
One of the most important aspects of bathroom design is what, which certainly depends on the who and where. A master bathroom suite may contain a spa, toilet, his-and-her vanity units, and a floor made from more exotic materials such as marble or bamboo. A family room that receives a lot of traffic should be equipped with basic equipment and durable flooring.
Keep the proportion of the room in mind so as not to fill the space with a large bath only to find yourself trying to cram a vanity and toilet into the remaining space. Think about what equipment is needed (toilet, shower, wash basin) and what are the extra options you want to include (towel warmers, bidets, steam bath). Also a vital aspect to consider is do not forget to budget adequately!
Now we come to the question of how. This includes both the style of the bathroom and the technical aspect of the work required. Think about the style you prefer. Do you want a sleek contemporary room, or a cozy cottage style? Home design magazines and show homes are a good way to get ideas and inspiration. It is useful to take notes on what features and designs you like and features you do not like.
Bathroom remodeling should not be boring or stressful. Once you come up with a plan, it’s just a matter of following through with it and having fun.
Frameless Shower Doors for Ease of Use
Frameless shower doors are a modern concept and offer not only good looks, but ease of use. They also offer the home owner an opportunity to design the bathroom that reflects their own style rather than the metal frames that come with ordinary shower doors..
With reinventing the bathroom of an already existing home or making plans for a new bathroom in a new construction, and appealing shower is a must for the design to be as pleasing as possible. Whether custom-built or off the rack, a frameless shower door is designed to fit a variety of purposes.
It could be exciting when your deciding on the design of your bathroom, especially when you are recreating a space in a home that was formerly considered for its functionality alone. Bathrooms today are not only just a place to go and take a bath and wash up, they are also a place to go and relax in a spa like atmosphere and add to the over all decor of the home.
This is where a frameless shower door comes into play. With no distracting hardware to take the eye away from other design elements, the shower can now be melded to the overall scheme and design and flow of the room, thus making for a more pleasant experience in this most private of rooms.
Along with the design elements of bathrooms today, another important feature of a frameless shower door is the ease of cleaning that is present without the entire framework that often creates a place for grime and mold to gather. This is an extra and added feature that many are more than happy to benefit from.
Often times, a homeowner can install a stock or even a custom-built shower surround themselves, but it is also possible and often desirable to hire a contractor to do the installation. Reputable dealers can provide a list of contractors to choose from, and recommend those they trust.
For more great information on how to add some spice to your bathroom, check out the home improvement blog.
Some Key Tips to Designing a Bathroom
The bathroom may be the most important room to design in all of your home, both for you and your guests. It is a room that your health depends on and good bathroom design in crucial.
How much you are able to design the bathroom depends greatly on your budget. If you are part of the process of designing your own home, then you can make it however you want, strategically placing the windows and tub to suit your desires. If you are starting from scratch, make sure that your tub is big enough for you to stretch out in. You will want a vanity that has enough cabinet space for everything you will be using on a daily basis. Remember functionality along with beauty. This will be a place that you spend a lot of time in and you do not want to later regret your decisions.
If you are going back in to remodel a bathroom that has already been constructed, you will be more limited in what you can do. Most likely, you can not move the toilet, but the changes you make will be cosmetic changes. They will make a big difference to your overall bathroom design.
Changing the wall color of your bathroom will give it an instant lift. A new color scheme will make it look like a new room. You may also want to focus on cabinetry. Cabinetry that is dated or just inconvenient is often what inspires people to redesign their bathroom in the first place. If this is true for you, replacing just the doors will change the whole look. If you have the money, you can have the whole vanity replaced, even getting a more modern looking sink.
When looking at a bathroom remodeling project, there are two keys to remember. First, you should be true to your own style. You will be spending the most time in there, so make sure it is something you like, not something you are convinced to like. Second, beware of fads that will soon look dated. Interior design goes through phases. Do not make it obvious what phase your bathroom was designed in. Make it instead a timeless room.
Bathroom Curtains Add Color to Your Bathroom
In most cases, the main reason for having bathroom curtains at all is to add color and style to your bathroom. That is because it is usual for the window itself to be made of frosted or opaque glass to allow in plenty of light while still maintaining your privacy in the bathroom and so curtains are not needed to protect your modesty. However, it is very important to use the opportunity that curtains give you to add some interest to your room, especially, if, like most bathrooms, your room is white and neutral as far as color scheme goes.
When choosing window curtains for your bathroom, think about the whole room and how you want it to look. If you choose a solid color then you are setting the main accent color for your room, so whatever you do, don’t choose white if your whole bathroom is white already and this really will be bland. If you choose something like hot pink however you better be happy with it as you will need to use that color in other items in your bathroom such as towels, shower curtains and bath rugs.
A better solution may be to choose patterned curtains as this choice will give you more colors to play with. You can pick out two colors for a display of towels, for example and use another color in a shower curtain, picture frame or vase.
If you would like shower curtains to match your window curtains you can sometimes find these sold together in a set (often with other matching items too) or you could have them custom made so that they match and fit your windows and shower perfectly. Although a shower curtain should be waterproof, as long as the fabric is washable, it should be OK as you can use a plastic inner lining to protect the non-waterproof outer curtain.