Whether the ultimate retreat for soaking away stresses of the day or the busiest room in the house, your bathroom should be functional, easy to clean and safe. Creating a bathroom that meets that criteria is not as easy as you think and can be complicated, time consuming and costly when not properly completed by a bathroom renovation expert.

The bathroom is more often than not the smallest room in the home but it is one of the most trafficked. Therefore it’s just as important to think about creating a bathroom design that’s both stylish and functional.

A good starting point is to think about your current needs, who will use the space and what are your non negotiable or must haves. To get you started we’ve put together key rules to follow when creating a new bathroom. We hope it provides you with some insight into bathroom renovating and provides you with useful tips to consider before your next bathroom renovation.

The team at Balnei & Colina

 

Image credit: Caroline McCredie

Plan your layout first

Make a sketch of your ideal bathroom layout taking into account plumbing and electrical wiring. Try to avoid moving plumbing if you don’t need to however, if your current layout is not up to standard moving your plumbing may be a necessity to ensure the best result for your bathroom renovation. Take note of the space between your toilet, shower and vanity - there needs to be ample room to move within the space. Do all your bathroom doors open the correct way with no clashing? Ideally you toilet should also be out of sight when the entrance door is open.

Keep your wet and dry zones seperate. Try to keep showers and baths (wet zones) the furthest away from the point of entry of your bathroom. This will ensure any water from the shower and bath areas is kept away from main traffic areas. Keep toilets and vanities (dry zones) close to the entry.

Design Tip: Allow where possible a minimum clearance of 70cm from the front of the basin to the nearest wall. Leave at least 60cm in front of the toilet and at least 20cm on either side of the toilet bowl.

Image credit: Cassi Thomson Bathroom Design

 

Image credit: Margaret Wright

Don’t forget Storage

Make a list of all the bathroom items you regularly use in order to create storage solutions for them. Think about where you use these items within your bathroom so you can locate storage within easy access. You can also use shower and bath recesses and custom shelving for storage.

Image credit: Maree Homer Photography

Photo by: Nikole Ramsey

 

Image credit: Peter Drew

Select easy to clean surfaces

The bathroom surface can set the tone for the room. Ensure the materials you select are in keeping with your style and theme for your bathroom. Also think about how you new bathroom look will integrate with your remaining home style, in particular your kitchen and laundry. Having a cohesive home style is more appealing. Tiles are a natural choice for bathroom floors and walls and are available in a wide range of colours and textures. Marble look tiles provide a more high end luxe look. Timber look tiles lend softness and warmth. Mosaics are colourful and can inject colour and personality to your bathroom design. Stone benchtops pair perfectly with a custom designed vanity.

Image credit: Holly Goes Lightly UK

 

Image credit: E&S Trading

Be consistent with bathroom fixtures & fittings

Ensure your bathroom fittings and fixtures are in keeping with your overall theme. For example a more contemporary bathroom may call for handless soft close cabinetry, a modern bath profile, and frameless shower screen. A more traditional style claw bath, bespoke handles and open shower will be a better fit for a more traditional style room. Ensure your handles, towel tail, toilet role, basin, bath and shower tapware styles are consistent so that the overall room looks unified.

Design Tip: Large built in baths may reduce cleaning space, but can and heaviness to your room’s aesthetic. A freestanding bath will almost always make a bathroom feel more spacious as will a floating toilet and wall hung vanity. 

Photo by: Felix Forest

 

Image credit: Balnei & Colina

Let there be light

Bathrooms require a combination of task, accent and ambient lighting. Task lights are necessary for grooming actinides and will often be located in the vanity area. A dimmer will allow greater flexibility in setting the mood for your room from getting ready for work to ambient light for ultimate relaxation while bathing. 

Bathrooms are often the coolest rooms in the home with minimal natural light so maximise windows and skylights where you can to increase the flow of natural light.

Design Tip: Task lights positioned either side of your vanity mirror will circumvent overhead shadows. Accent LED lights installed behind a free-standing bath adds an interesting visual effect whilst creating a calming ambience.

Image credit: British Paints

 

Image credit: Balnei & Colina

Ventilate & Heat

Ventilation is essential for all bathrooms to reduce the effects of steam and prevent the build up of mould. Provided your budget allows underfloor heating is perfect for the winter months.

Image credit: Marie Flanigan Interiors

 

Image credit: The Local Project

Keep it simple

Be mindful about bathroom inclusions. Don’t include a bath, seperate shower, twin basins if you don’t have the room. Remember you want you bathroom to be functional, spacious and a place to escape and relax and it will have the opposite effect if it’s cluttered or feels crowded.

Image credit: Studio McGee

Still unsure about how to renovate your bathroom? Leave it to the experts.

For more information about our bathroom design services or to book a design consultation, call 1300 450 320 or send us an email.

If you’re looking for further inspiration and ideas for your next renovation, signup to our newsletter or connect with us on Instagram and Facebook to stay up to date with the latest design trends.

Image credit: Gia Renovations Melbourne

Image credit: Watts Studio