Industrial Chic

Today’s washrooms are boring! If you’re like me, you’re tired of your clinical white bathroom? Metals no matter which kind, add dynamism to any bath scheme. When we think of alloys, the color silver usually comes to mind but there is a lot more to this shimmering surfacing material than the typical culprits. These basic elements come in a rich variety of finishes from elegant bronze, to glittering gold. And while precious metals may be a tad extravagant for your typical remodeling budget, stainless steel and luminous aluminum are brilliant finishes you can easily afford to include in your decorating plan. Consequentially if you have a very modest expense account you don’t have to eat up your whole budget by buying the real thing. There are many different alternatives from metal leaf products to spray paints you can apply to all kinds of eagerly waiting surfaces to add glimmer to the space.

Choosing Finishes

A word to the wise though, with all those shiny finishes, fervent little fingerprints have a tendency of marring all that glam, so if your pint-sized rascals enjoy touching everything in their path you may want to buy finishes that hide their wayward palm-prints. One solution is to purchase age worn bronze or copper finishes but if all that yellow tinge is a bit too much to handle, then brushed chrome or stainless steel will still allow you to flash some style without having to aimlessly follow your kids around with a bottle of Windex and a cleaning rag in order to keep your sanity.

Maintenance

Not only is this tempered material hygienic and is well suited for washrooms, cleaning metal surfaces is a breeze, while special creams can be purchase to keep stainless steel and other alloys looking sparkling new, for the most part, all you need is hot water and a little detergent to effectively maintain your surfaces.

The Key to Success

More and more home decorators have come to recognize the versatility of metal in its most practical forms. The key to successfully using this surfacing material is to use it in a way that will complement and enhance your bathing space. These metallic compounds provide much of the light enhancing properties of glass, but in a more subdue way and can be effectively used to brighten up your lavatory and visually expand the space. If you want a material that is durable and water resistant then look no further than these basic alloys to beautify your bathroom.

Common Finishes

The most common finishes are polishing or burnishing for a less glossy sheen. For a more customizable look, the surfaces can be etched or sandblasted for texture. Another way to add texture is to hammer the material for a decorative look. You can even purchase patterned sheets to add a subtle decorative touch to your rooms design. A more creative way to employ metal in your washroom is to cut out metal flashing (normally used as a roofing compound) into flat or sculptured shapes that can be used on your walls to enhance the space.

Types of Alloys

Gold, silver, copper, brass, aluminum, galvanized and stainless steel have all found their way into the contemporary decorator’s palette. These surfacing materials can all be finished or applied in a variety of ways to suit just about any sort of space. From brushed stainless steel tiles to expansive metal paneling for cabinet doors and floors, these metallic compounds can make a lasting impact by provide a professional looking backdrop that goes well with other chrome fixtures in your bathing area.

Attractive Flooring

Aluminum floors don’t rust and are a good choice for damp areas. For a practical non slip surface, metal treadplate tiles have raised textured patterns for a smart effective flooring design. And as an added bonus, metals generally conduct heat well so having under floor heating will almost guarantee an even distribution of warmth on those cold tippy-toe mornings. The one downside to floors made of this material is that if you’re wearing shoes, it [...]

A Sacred Space

Creating a private haven is something that anyone can do. Even in a busy household you should try to find the time to indulge in a tranquil soak or enjoy an hour of spa inspired bath salt treatments. The home spa is the perfect place to relax, meditate and let go of disturbing thoughts while enjoying a blissful bathtime that revitalizes your mind and body. So how do you create the ultimate home retreat?

Aromatherapy, combined with simple meditative exercises can transform a simple bath into a health inspiring experience that rejuvenates your senses and increase your degree of pleasure. Ideally your bathroom should be both a place of refuge from the turmoil and tensions of the outside world and a place of warmth and peace.

If at all possible, try to create a supportive environment in which you can accomplish your meditative baths in privacy and peace by locking the door and even putting up a sign so you will not be disturbed for the duration of your soak. Timing is important too, late evening or after the hustle and bustle of the morning rush after the kids have gone to school is the perfect time to immerse yourself in a lavender bath.

A Simply Perfect Room

The first step in the process is to clear out the clutter. Keep the room clean and fresh smelling. Throw musky towels that are lying around into the dryer or out of sight into a hamper. This is one room where the acronym K.I.S.S. (keep it simple stupid) applies in spades. Ensure counters are uncluttered and décor is simple but interesting through the use of muted color arrangements.

Try to use a warm color palette if the window faces north or a cooler color symphony if the room is constantly enveloped in a south facing light to tone things down a little. Choose three hues for your color scheme and stick to variations of them to pull your décor together. To add variety and interest layer elements of different sizes and shapes but keep colors muted with the occasional accent to add a slight spark to the room.

In creating your sacred space select and display objects of art, tidbits from nature such as pussy willows or even scented candles ___ basically anything that will make the room calm and inviting. Inspiring pictures will personalize the space, no matter how small your bath area or limited your budget; just keep your ideas accessible and easy to accomplish.

Practical, Sensual and Functional

However, as a room where we daily bathe and freshen up, the space must be practical as well as functional. But like any area of your home it’s the personal details that make it truly your own. Furnished with style, a bathing space can be made sumptuous and unique catering to your individual needs and lifestyle requirements.

With so many unique creative opportunities, decorating your bathroom with finesse can be easy and fun, once you get past the demystifying aspects of interior decorating. The point here is to create a relaxing mood no matter what items you include in the space. Your home should be an expression of yourself and your family’s lifestyle so include items that hold personal significance and bring back happy memories.

Anyone can create a luxurious, comfortable bathing space with an appealing style they can call all their own, no matter the size of the room. One of the most important aspects of creating a blissful bath is how you add the defining details. Accessories add the finishing touches that make your bath a pleasurable place to hang out and let go. And if you have a small bathroom then what you put in the space is even more vital to create the appropriate mood.

Putting Accessories to Work

Fittings that are beautiful as well as functional help to organize your bathroom while at the same time add a stylish finishing touch. Clear glass containers can display soap, flowers, bath salts, potpourri or cotton balls in addition to adding ample storage for your knick knacks. An old fashioned coat rack can increase the extra hooks needed to hang your t[...]

Is There an Industry Cover Up?

What I am about to tell you may shock you and even make you mad but this is something you need to be aware of because it could possibly have health implications for you and your family. I first read about this issue in a book by Mike Holmes (Canada’s most trusted contractor) entitled “Make it Right”. Mike refers to drywall as the cover up because it serves to cover mistakes in the heating, plumbing and electrical systems of your home but having read his book I’m beginning to believe there’s a lot more cover up going on than meets the eye.

Standard Interior Wall Material

According to Mike there’s something that has been going on in the home construction industry that every home owner should be aware of but is rarely talked about by contractors. The simple truth of the matter is that the drywall in your home is a mold magnet and once it’s wet it’s the perfect breeding ground for spores which can make you sick and even on a deeper level through rot can even compromise the structural integrity of your home. But before you take out your sledge hammer and start knocking down walls it’s good to know that this only applies to you if you get your walls wet The other bright side to this problem is if you are planning on renovating your bathroom there are two great solutions to replace your regular drywall with to make sure this doesn’t happen to you in the future.

Nowhere Near Waterproof

To understand why ordinary drywall can be a problem in your bathroom let’s examine what it’s made of. Regular drywall is made up of gypsum otherwise known as calcium sulphate that is sandwiched between two layers of heavy paper which produces a ridged board that can be cut and trimmed to different sizes to put on your walls and a thicker version for your ceilings. The problem with regular drywall is not only does it act like a sponge for water but because of its composition it is the perfect food for mold. In the past green drywall was commonly used in bathrooms and kitchens or anywhere where there was the possibility of moisture but as most home owners of older homes will tell you it is nowhere near waterproof. In fact if it gets saturated with water mold will grow on it quite quickly just like regular drywall.

Georgia-Pacific GP DensArmor Plus

A better alternative for bathrooms especially under the tile around the bathtub and shower areas is cement board which has a fibreglass coating to protect the surface. For the rest of your grooming space Mike suggests using a Georgia-Pacific GP DensArmor Plus drywall. The good thing about this product is that there is nothing in it for mold to eat and grow. You can even put it in water without it getting wrecked. This is truly a moisture proof building material perfect for the bathroom environment that the bath renovator should take note of it. The only downside to this product is it’s a denser material so it’s a little harder to work with but that is nothing compared to having mold in your home.

Premixed Finishing Compounds

One more thing should be mentioned here, when you are putting up drywall there are going to be slight gaps between the sections. To hide and smooth out your walls the gaps are taped and “mud” is applied over this with a spatula and later sanded down to create a clean uncluttered surface so you can paint or put tile on. The problem is that most finishers use a premixed plaster for mudding which is prone to molding. Mike Holmes instead suggests using Sheetrock 90, the 90 refers to the fast drying time. The plus to using this mixture is because it dries so fast mold does not have time to grow also it is stronger than regular mud. The downside to using this product is that you do have to mix it yourself and you have to work quickly because it dries so fast.

Is Mold in Your Future?

The dirty little secret of the home construction industry is that time is money and to save cost and speed up the process builders use regular drywall and premixed compounds to[...]

Down Time is a Necessity

Creating a relaxing bath has probably saved many marriages and the sanity of some individuals. Humans have lived in dwellings for thousands of years but it was not until the nineteenth century that the humble bathroom was integrated into the design of their homes. At the turn of the century, the first pioneers placed a water closet in the same room as a tub, the space barely large enough to house the fixtures. That was then, now modern washrooms have made up for lost time and are now regarded as an essential room in our homes.

Personalizing your bath by creating a relaxing home spa has become trendy and in some cases a necessity. And it is simple to do. Choose the fluffiest towels, hang your bathrobe to warm on a radiator or towel warmer, play relaxing music, dim the lights, add some incense or candles and unwind. This is your comfort zone so relax in your bath and take a load off.

The movement towards creating a soothing bathing environment is not really a surprise as present day homeowners have placed a much higher value on fitness, well-being and peace of mind. Whenever someone needs to unwind both mentally and physically, they usually end up in the bathroom to relax. This space has grown to embody the characteristics of a personal refuge, representing the most pampered room in the home.

Let Your Creative Juices Flow

Taking creative license with conventional bath accessories allows the homeowner to personalize their bath space and escape from the troubles of their everyday lives. Transport the outdoors, indoors! Bringing in plants, fish aquariums or embellishing your surfaces with rough 3-dimensional natural stone or unconventional materials like moss for bathmats, twigs and branches for shower curtain rods or towel racks can create a soothing and tranquilizing atmosphere for your mind, body and soul.

Job got you all stressed out again? Or maybe it’s the kids and you feel you don’t have any time to yourself. You need to schedule time to relax in your washroom. Whether it’s early morning, right after work or before you go to bed, everyone needs a little bit of downtime once in a while. For some households a bathtub is just a basin for bathing but for those that can relate to needing some “me” time, the home spa is probably the only place they can seek refuge from the outside world. When is the last time you had a blissful bath-time?

Feel Like You Again

We have all found that the washroom is a special place to unwind, read, meditate and let go of disturbing thoughts. But how do you personalize the space and turn it into a calming sanctuary? Contrary to popular belief you don’t need a Jacuzzi or to embellish the room with rich and exotic fixtures and surfaces (though that would be nice to help create the mood). All you need is a quiet place to change your mental state, where aromatherapy combined with simple meditative exercises, can transform your restful soak into an almost spiritual experience.

To personalize your bathing experience while soaking in the tub you can use a cocktail of green tea, oils, milks, salts and lotions to treat your senses and make you feel like you again. Lower the lights add the comforting aroma of frankincense, geranium sandalwood, cedar or cinnamon to make your relaxing bath even more sensuous. Just like the hordes of electronic equipment we haul around with us all day long (cellphones, laptops and tablets) we also need to recharge our batteries.

Pleasant Memories are Created by Personalizing the Space

Psychologists agree that “down time” is one of the most important self-serving luxuries we can give ourselves. Sleep is when we totally switch off and we are entirely oblivious to the world around us including our senses. While awake we also need to temporarily go offline but in order for this downtime to be effective it should leave a lasting impression on our psyche. This allows us to create pleasant memories we can later reflect on when we need to unwind and [...]

Why are you Upgrading?

It is common knowledge that bringing an ugly or “run down” looking bathing area up to modern standards is money well spent. As a homeowner, you can expect to recoup almost all the money paid for your bathroom improvements if you did the work yourself. It should be noted however that you’ll probably only get back about forty percent of your investment if you hire a contractor to do the work for you. Mind you, the reason for your bath’s reconstruction is also a determining factor of your final cost.

If your goal is to flip your home quickly, then in all likelihood your renovations will help sell your home more swiftly as you would be willing to go for the lower return just to make the sale. Duly noted, upgrading your master bath just makes more sense than splurging on a new powder room.

Another thing to consider is if you only have one family washroom in the entire house, a sensible upgrade would be to remodel it to accommodate two or more people by providing double sinks and a separate shower enclosure and soaking tub.

Go For Mass Appeal

Sometimes homeowners forget when evaluating their space for bath renovations that what they like may not be what other people enjoy, therefore when improving upon an existing lavatory you must ensure that your improvements appeal to potential home buyers. Yes, play it safe with colors and textures. While a clinical white on white bathing facility might come to mind when you think of mass appeal, nobody wants to be reminded of going to a hospital.

Add subdued color with a hint of accent colors to add appeal. Tune down your design bravo, keep your design elements simple and organized. Fixtures should also be modern and streamlined to appeal to those that want an updated contemporary look.

Home buyers can appreciate quality. Purchase washroom fixtures that are made from quality materials, that not only look good but can also withstand the rigors of everyday usage.

A special note here: if you plan on doing any of the details yourself, make sure you have an eye for craftsmanship, never attempt to do the work yourself unless you can offer professional looking workmanship. Believe it or not, people may not be able to see the flaws in your work but can intuitively sense if they are in the presence of true artistry.

A Big No, No!

On their quest to sell their home some homeowners go all out by installing unnecessary trendy products or by trying to put too much into the limited space in their bathroom. This is a big no, no. You must plan your bath transformation to fit the rest of your house. If your lavatory seems out of place, with the spatial or design orientation of your home then potential buyers will be turned off by the inconsistencies.

Remember that any design elements that do not blend into the fundamental style and personality of your home will take away from its overall appeal. For example a classical styled bath in a rustic looking home will look out of place. Essentially your goal is to have up-to-date modern bathroom amenities while at the same time staying true to the traditional temperament of your home.

To stay on top of what is popular in bathrooms, your local real-estate agent can be a great help. You can ask simple questions like what amenities home buyers expect in a powder room, how many grooming spaces they want in a home your size and what are popular styles.

Don’t make the mistake of grabbing the first Better Homes and Garden magazine off the racks, going to the bathroom section and remodeling your existing bath based upon the first design that appeals to you. Find out what the local market wants and then remodel your bathing space for comfort and convenience.

Can You Recoup Your Investment in the Final Sale?

Getting your money back on your remodeling cost when you sell your home should be at the back of your mind when you are coming up with your budget. You may consider getting a small home improvement loan if you can recoup your cost in the fin[...]

Amp up the Style of Your Powder Room

Replacing a bathroom basin is an effective way to freshen up the room without spending a lot of money. Most people tend to become smitten with the design of a sink first and then they think about its functionality later. Unfortunately as a consumer, that’s the opposite of what you should really be doing.

According to well informed modern bathroom designers, similar materials do perform comparable across many popular brands, so when you shop for bath basins, you should be more concerned about the permanence and functionality of the material than the manufacturer. Here is a list of what you need to know about the most common materials you’ll find on the market before finalizing your buying decision.

Enameled Cast Iron and Steel

Extremely durable, available in many colors and are easy to clean, the porcelain finish resists chipping but depending upon the size of the basin, its weight may require a reinforced countertop for support. You can however purchase a lighter and less expensive enamel on steel version. If you drop something heavy and pointy in the bowl the enamel can be chipped or cracked which will eventually cause the metal underneath to rust but the chances of that happening in the bathroom is far and in between.

It should also be noted that enameled cast iron basins aren’t as durable as enameled steel at fighting stains and have a tendency of chipping when small five pound objects are dropped on it. One word of caution though, don’t be fooled by acrylic sinks that look similar to enamel because they scratch more easily and heat from a curling iron can be damaging by burning or discolouring the surface leaving a visible mark.

Viteous China or Standard Porcelain

One and the same, it is solid all the way through and finished with a highly polished surface. Vitreous China is a mixture of clay and other minerals baked at high temperatures then is triple glazed and triple fired for durability. This oldie but goodie is still popular for bathroom sinks because it resists staining and is not as heavy as cast iron though some newer materials are more resilient without the expensive. Surfaces can be chipped however when small, pointed objects are dropped on them.

Solid-Surface

This is one of the most common materials used for integral sinks. Made from acrylic resins and natural coloring agents, solid surface basins often look a lot like regular stone or marble. These sinks are frequently paired with counter tops made of the same composition giving the vanity area a unified appearance that is easy to clean.

Dropping a light sharp object like a curling iron or small bath appliance could potentially damage the surface. But what’s great about this building supply is that the colors and patterns go clear through this sumptuous synthetic, giving you the opportunity to easily sand out scratches and minor blemishes if they occur. Heat can also damage the surface so hot curling irons should not contact the surface for very long.

Stainless Steel

Is becoming very popular in modern bathrooms and can be purchased in a mirror or satin finish. Stainless steel is lightweight and is frequently found in self-rimming counter-mount sinks. Despite its profound beauty, unfortunately the material tends to show water stains and can be potentially noisy when things are dropped in the basin. It was formally recommended that you get 18-to-23-gauge steel with an undercoat to reduce any noise.

The way it works is that the lower the gauge, the thicker the steel (also the more expensive) so most people tend to buy the thicker brands, in the hopes that it will reduce any unnecessary sound. Through consumer reports however, it has been found that the gauge has little to do with performance and basins with sound-absorbing pads, placed on the bowl’s bottom and sides will muffle any usage noise.

Cultured Marble

Not marble at all, but marble dust and polymer resin, you get a sleek, stone-like surface that requir[...]

Rescue Your Old Tub

Resurfacing tubs and sinks in your bathroom allows you to rescue your tired old tub and sink by spraying on an acrylic urethane resin coating. For most homeowners when their tub or sink is damaged or discolored beyond recognition, it is usually time to replace the fixtures at a sizable expense. What most home renovators don’t realize is that they can refinish their bathtub or sink at a nominal cost as compared to a complete removal and replacement of their fixtures.

If your bathing space or sink is looking older than it actually is, with little experience, you too can successfully bring back the sheen to your worn and dull tub and sink surfaces. With the proper application, bathtub and sink refinishing is a process that can make dated colors, swirls, cracks and scratches all disappear at a fraction of the cost of buying new fixtures.

Refinishing bathtubs and sinks can not only make your grooming space look amazing once again but it also allows you to change the color of your tub or sink to compliment any new décor or redecorating plan. You will need to acquire a list of materials to properly refinish your bathtub and sink, so before you get started make sure you have everything you need!

Surface Restoration Tools

Repairing and refinishing bathtubs and sinks requires the following materials for surface restoration:

• Gloves (the thicker the better, so try to get some high quality rubber ones)

• Face protection equipment (this includes a respirator and protection for the eyes)

• Piece of cloth

• Chemical cleaners

• Primer

• Paint

• Sand paper

• Knife

When refinishing bathtubs and sink in your bathroom, you’ll be working with chemicals that will irritate your skin so you should always wear protective equipment to avoid any chemicals from touching your body or unnecessarily inhaling noxious fumes.

Proper ventilation is also mandatory with bathtub and sink re-glazing, as working in a closed space with so many chemicals is not an option. Turn on all fans and open all windows in your washroom, and make sure nobody else enters the room while you’re working especially children or individuals with asthma or other related breathing problems!

Preparing the Surface

Ok, let’s move forward with your remodeling project. To return your damaged tub and sink surfaces to their original smoothness, you first need to clean them properly. Use a prescribed chemical cleaner to remove the caulk, dirt, and any other mineral deposits that may be present on your bathtub or sink surfaces. Also when you refinish your bathtub or sink, make sure to use your gloves, because the chemicals will irritate or even damage your skin!

Next use the sandpaper to sand everything down, this not only removes surface anomalies but also helps with creating a slightly etched surface so the primer and paint will adhere to. When repairing worn damaged or chipped bathroom fixtures make sure any gaps or cracks that are present are filled with polyester, so the surface is smooth and leveled. Subsequently, either use a damp cloth to wipe the bathtub and sink spotless, or you can clean it again.

It should be noted here that when you refinish your bathtub and sink, it is very important that no dust, dirt, soap or other debris remains on the fittings surface, so use a prescribed chemical solvent to ensure cleanliness. Plus in order to complete your tub refinishing project, primer needs to be applied and it won’t stick to the tub or sink’s surface if it is not fully clean and free of all oils or grease.

Protect From Overspray

Before applying the primer to your tub or sink, use some painters tape to cover the areas that you won’t be painting to protect those surfaces from little droplets of overspray. You may be confident in your painting skills and you may think that this is not required, but trust us, this step is very important and will reduce clean up and time consuming paint removal later on! You can use newspapers for larger areas.

Now you can start[...]

Fixtures With a Touch of Radiance

Who likes entering a gloomy looking room? No one does, but how do you add brilliance to your home décor? When someone thinks of illuminating a bathroom they usually think of overhead or wall lamps, yet there are really no limitations as to what you can apply decorative lights to. As most modern interior decorators will tell you, illuminating the streaming water from your faucets, bathtub or showerhead has become a trendy thing to do. An integrated lighting system that incorporates a warm glow of lights behind paintings or wall hung mirrors can bathe the fixture in back-lighting to highlight or offset it from the background and add new life to what would have been an otherwise boring white wall.

Design Flare

While decorative lighting is mainly used to supply light to your bathrooms ambient layer, it can also be used to accentuate areas of your bath as well as provide a way to personalize the space by drawing attention to the lighting fixture. Mirrors are an ideal place not only for task lighting but you can give your grooming area a sense of distinction when soft light glows from around the edges as well as the front of a frameless mirror. The doors of a mirrored medicine cabinet can be banded with radiance turning your homely ready-room into a contemporary grooming space that sparkles.

Spark the Conversation

Clever lighting is an important design feature that can help your bath look its best. Under counter accent lights can be used to highlight natural stone countertops and backsplashes. A hanging circular fluorescent chandelier can add decorative lighting to your bathing space as well as be a unique and interesting conversational piece when your guests come over.

Visual Barriers

Low voltage pin lights gently set your bath ceiling aglow creating a dramatic interplay of illumination created with a minimal amount of glare. Let your creativity gleam, you can even shine colored light through a panel of frosted glass to not only wash the panel with luminosity but also create a visual barriers that gives a sense of privacy and adds luster to the room.

Well-lit While Saving Money

L.E.D. or fluorescent fixtures reduce operating cost because they are more energy efficient than incandescent or halogen bulbs. However, when it comes to fluorescent bulbs make sure you choose products that use a high-frequency electronic ballast to eliminate any distracting hum or flicker. Skin tones look best with color temperatures of 3500k or less. When putting on makeup, select bulbs that have a manufactures label with the words “warm-light” or “color corrected” to eliminate the greenish glow that was reminiscent of earlier brands of fluorescents.

Sometimes Enlightenment Comes in Small Packages

If you do not like the elongated tube like look of this product, you can also purchase compact fluorescent bulbs, which look like standard bulbs but have a much longer life span and therefore will cost more. The only downside is that they cannot be used if you have dimmer switches in your bathing area.

Highlighting the Positive Attributes

Specialized lighting effects can be used as an interesting and dramatic design element in your bathroom. Many theorists believe that light onto itself can promote positive physical health as well as calm and soothe human emotions through holistic healing methods. These color psychologist support the notion that colored light (otherwise known as chromatherapy) can bring about a predicable emotional response that can be used to help those that bathe in its visual properties. While these claims can be argued, the use of decorative light in your bathroom can without a shadow of a doubt be used to make a design statement and leave a lasting impression of your home. Punch up your décor; let’s brighten up that dreary looking bath today!

Home Style

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Ease of Use

Function should be at the top of your list when decorating your bathroom. No matter how pretty the tile is or how well you applied the design elements and principles, if the space doesn’t serve your needs then you’ve just wasted your time and money. So you may be wondering, how can you make your washroom functional, without compromising on aesthetics? How do you get it right and what should you avoid when thinking of remodeling your bath? Efficiency is just as important as comfort. Use these tips to plan a functional and beautiful bathroom.

Define the Purpose of the Room

Most rooms have multiple purposes but more than likely your bath has one overriding function such as a one or two person early morning pit stop on the way out the door or perhaps it serves as a lavish home spa to relax in…. The take away here is you mustn’t get caught up in the “pretty spur of the moment fads that come and go with the seasons” and lose sight of the rooms major function as you develop your plan for the décor. Not to mention a functional bathroom should be a well-planned space anyway that is easy to clean whether it is for the early morning rush or for a private prolonged soak.

Put in what is Essential

You need to look at each and every element in your bathroom and how it interacts with the available space. Would a shower be more practical than a tub if no one takes a bath? Do any of your fixtures take up more space than necessary? In order to maximize a small grooming area, there are a few things you could do to help such as reducing clutter. For instance you can replace your vanity with a pedestal or corner sink. Even that big old water guzzling toilet can be switched out with a more sleek and modern water saving model.

Think of who will be using the Space

Is this a private spa or central grand station that everyone will be using every day? For example if it is a guest bath you might be more concerned about how the room looks rather than maintenance, which is fine. However, you should pick materials that fulfill your desire to impress your guest while still being as easy to clean as possible. Looking at the project in terms of usage gives you a framework in which to make the décor as functional as possible.

Choosing the Furnishings

The more versatile a piece of furniture is, the better it can be utilized in the space. For instance, freestanding storage units allow you to move them around as your needs and taste change over time. Another thing to consider when choosing bathroom furniture and fixtures is durability. In the bath safety and moisture is always an issue so the sturdiest possible furnishings, fabrics and other slip resistant surface materials should be selected when decorating the room.

Beauty Versus Purpose

A well-designed space brings these two elements together and illicits great feelings. With so many choices on the market these days the home remodeler does not have to limit their fixtures to bland boring furnishings. Just because functionality is a priority doesn’t mean it can’t be beautiful as well, the two can still go hand in hand. Manufacturers today produce quality crafted, and beautifully designed bathroom faucets, drains, and shower systems that are not only gorgeous but you know you can depend on them to be both practical and add beauty to the space as well.

Using the Principles of Design

A general understanding and use of the elements and principles of design is what ultimately will make or break a room, not a person who tries to create a beautiful interior by a happy accident. Ask any seasoned interior designer and they will tell you function should always come before form. Combining practicability and visual harmony is possible and not so difficult to achieve if you ask yourself as you plan if each element is necessary and how its helping you use the facility? Once this has been worked out then you can add the “prettying touches” to create warmth and comfort, with style and luxury in mind.

 

[...]

What Has Happened Before

Welcome to the first installation of the bathroomgurureview design training series.

In this series we have broken down the design process into four main categories

1. An introduction to bathroom design

2. Refining the design process

3. Planning your design project

4. Construction and execution techniques

This module is entitled: Looking Back on Bathroom Design

In order to get the full benefit of designing and remodeling your bathroom you need to first understand where it came from and where it’s going:

“Summary: Bathrooms used to be very predictable and ordinary in layout and execution. A prevalent trend in design is the personalization of the space. Homeowners want a beautiful and exciting planned bath that is visually integrated into the design of the rest of their home.”

A Brief History of Bathroom Design

So, before we actually begin the design process let’s briefly take look at how the room has changed over the years and why homeowners are remodeling the room. It should come as no surprise to anyone that technology has been a major influence in the evolution of your bathing area. It started out as a convenient space for performing personal hygienic tasks and has progressed over the years to become a room of rejuvenation and relaxation but for the most part, to be realistic, the bathroom itself is still a room where privacy has always been a requirement.

Baths of Distinction

That of course would all depend upon who is using the facility and is also dictated by lifestyle adaptions. Couples for example would be more willing to openly share the space whereas individual family members might be a bit more modest, so you have to take this into consideration when coming up with a layout that will work for everyone.

I believe that one of the most noticeable changes to the bathroom in the latter part of the century is the fact that lavatories used to be very predictable and ordinary in layout and execution. Nowadays, for the most part, bathrooms have developed into showcases of distinctive design ideas and have gone the route of greater individualistic expression.

We can really see this change if we look back at how the typical home was laid out. There were the characteristic entertaining areas such as the dining room or living room and then there was the bathroom, yeah that room, the room hidden away at the back of the home where people did their unmentionables. It was all hush, hush. You went in closed the door did your duty and nobody talked about it unless it backed up or broke down.

This mentality for the most part was the reason why home decorators primarily concentrated their design efforts on the more public areas such as the living room, parlour and entry to the home. As families began to cocoon their lifestyles, due to economic slowdown or political unrest around the world, other areas of the home such as the kitchen, bedrooms and family room also garnered some stylistic attention as it became chic to turn your home into a personal refuge.

Cocooning Trends

The family home became a dwelling to focus and center your universe; a calm place in the midst of the ever prevalent chaotic steam of life. Family sought stability. Instead of starting the home buying process by purchasing small and selling your home every couple of years, each time buying a bigger home, families were now staying put and instead chose to expand and improve upon their present residence.

Where to Draw the Line?

Eventually this new train of thought spilled over into the bathroom to overcome the utilitarian mindset and spur on a creative revolution of high styling and chic decorating ideas. The spurned love child now became the cherished prodigy as it came of age showing its true colors. In some bathrooms, the fine line between the bathing area and the rest of the home has all but disappeared with the inception of open concept layouts such as wet rooms.

In other cases the distinction between the bathroom and[...]