A bathroom should be a place that can be a retreat or sanctuary. 

Bathrooms – A place to Retreat
11/18/2011 
10 design tips/trends to help relax and revive your home
 
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Gone are the days when the bathroom provides just a space for functional use. After the kitchen, the bathroom is the most important room in the house. The trend now is to create a personal sanctuary where we want to spend more time having a relaxing sensory experience. Here are some tips as to how you can achieve this result.
 
Bathroom tips/trends
 
  • Bathroom design – alongside of the open plan living area we now want to open up the bathroom more to integrate it with the bedroom and try to make an easy bond with the outdoors. If you can link the outside to the inside through the placement of the bathroom in the plan or the placement of a window or bifold doors in the bathroom to the outside then you are well on the way to creating that feeling of a retreat. If you cannot do that then why not bring the outside in through the use of a live plant.
  • Your budget - this will determine how far you can go in the bathroom. A smaller budget may mean that your choice is restricted to a basic builder’s selection in tiles with the wall tiles containing a built in border the cabinet work being laminates. A larger budget will allow for larger tiles, smaller grout lines, separate borders or feature walls and stone or stone composite bench tops. It could mean the difference between a free standing bath or a built in bath or in the case of smaller bathrooms a bath/shower combination.
  • Tile choice – there are basically two types of floor tile. They are either ceramic or porcelain. In general the ceramic tile has been fired in the kiln for one hour less than the porcelain tile. The porcelain tile is generally tougher for that reason however; ceramic tiles can also be very strong. Wall tiles should never be used on floors as they do not have the strength to withstand the wear and tear of the floor. Floor tiles can be used on walls and floors.
  • Grout spacing – generally the edge of the tile determines how wide or narrow the grout line between the tiles will be. A rectified edge allows for minimal space between tiles of approximately one millimetre or less. A standard edge allows for a three to five millimetre grout line. The smaller the grout lines the more modern and continuous the tiled area looks not to mention the easier it is to clean.
  • Material choices – choose materials that have textures that soothe the senses. Today there is quite a lot of fusion between rustic materials such as stone and wood and sleek glossy finishes such as glass and metal. This trend is also currently occurring in furniture.
  • Colour Trend – currently in Europe the trend for kitchens is leaning towards the colour grey. This colour is then softened by the use of woods or wood grains so that the area does not appear too clinical. This trend is also being followed into the bathroom.
  • Lighting – lighting is just as important as any other area of the home. Don’t just rely on the good old down light over the work space. Try to introduce some feature lighting to create added interest.
  • Plumbing choices – when choosing your fittings for the bathroom try and keep consistent with your shape choices. For example, if you are choosing square fittings in the rest of the home to continue the flow, keep your taps, basins, bath, shower and light fittings in the same shape.
  • Soft furnishings – if you have the space then try to introduce a chair or ottoman with a feature material to complement the bathroom colours. This not only appeals to the sense of luxury but creates another tactile feature in the room.
  • Audio visual – to complete that whole sensory experience then why not use a relaxation DVD on a flat screen television mounted in front of the bath.
 
Gone are the days of restricted choices in the home. Whether you are renovating or building for the uninitiated too much choice can get very frustrating and confusing.
Kate is an experienced interior decorator, colour consultant and interior stylist. Her attention to styles, trends and her uncanny ability to listen and understand what clients want is why so many people use her services time and time again.  
 
If you are still not sure of what to do then call Kate and she can help you to make informed choices that help to simplify the whole selection process.
 

Contact
 

Kate now to discuss your interior design needs. or kate@interiorsinfusion.com.au