We are often asked what are our top tips when designing each room of the house. Therefore, I have decided to create a series of posts with design tips for each space. Although a bathroom is usually small compared to the rest of the rooms in your houses, choices are endless and choosing materials, finishes, colours, tiles, fixtures etc can become stressful. Bathrooms are usually overlooked since they are a functional space, so money is invested in others areas first. However, it is also a room with constant use and suffers much more than others, so it is worth paying attention to it and make the right choices for your family's present and future needs. Listed below are our top suggestions from knowledge, expertise, experience and client's feedback on previous designs.
Top Tip #1 - Niches and recessed storage
A bespoke niche is easy to add to your shower if planned from the beginning and adds a priceless sense of high end to the bathroom as it becomes a feature. They are beautiful and free the space up from clutter. To create it, you need to lose about 10-15 cm of wall by building a boxing. Therefore, you can also make the most of it and add some other integrated storage in your bathroom, such as: shelves above the toilet or a recessed mirror that doesn't stick out from the wall.
Picture #1&2: Bathroom design in Chiswick. Project finished while our founder was a project architect at EMR Architecture.
Top Tip #2 - Wall hung sanitary ware
Wall hung vanities and toilets give an illusion of space. This is specially important in small bathrooms. The more floor it's seen, the more spacious it feels. Cleaning the bathroom also becomes easier since you have fewer obstacles. They also have another advantage: you can slightly adjust the height to your needs. This means if you are shorter or taller than average you can change the height to suit you, which is not possible with freestanding items.
Picture #3&5: Bathroom design in Hammersmith.
Picture #4:Bathroom design in Chiswick.
Projects finished while our founder was a project architect at EMR Architecture.
Top Tip #3 - Tile only the wet areas
Tiling only the shower area and around the bathtub where the splashing happens, it's cheaper and quicker to execute. Furthermore, compare to fully tiled bathrooms, this option makes the bathroom feel lighter, bigger and tidier. It also frees the walls to play with other textures, paint colours or wallpaper, resulting in a more personal and interesting overall design.
Picture #6: Bathroom design in Hammersmith. Project finished while our founder was a project architect at EMR Architecture.
Top Tip #4 - Don't overlook lighting
Lighting design is crucial in every room, but even more in the bathroom. Consider using other sources beyond the recessed ceiling downlights to make it more functional and flattering. Architectural lighting hidden in the ceiling to wash the shower wall is a great addition, so is including light behind the mirror. Decorative lamps such as pendants on each side of the basin or above the bathtub and wall lamps can help create the atmosphere you are after.
Picture #7-8: Bathroom design in Fulham and Notting Hill.
Projects finished while our founder was a project architect at EMR Architecture.
Top Tip #5 - Consider an enclosed shower vs walk-in
Walk-in showers are beautiful, stylish and contemporary, but it is important to consider its downsides before choosing this option. Firstly, the heat is lost without an enclosure, which results in feeling colder while taking a shower. Secondly, the water will inevitably be splashed outside the shower area, which results in much more strict waterproofing requirements. Lastly, since walk-in showers are usually bespoke sizes, it is more difficult and costly to build.
Picture #9-10: Bathroom design in Chiswick and Fulham.
Projects finished while our founder was a project architect at EMR Architecture.
Top Tip #6 - Hardware and faucet finishes.
When choosing finishes it is important to consider their durability, if they are easy to match and combine with the rest of items, easy to clean and also the cost. That's why chrome is the most common option because it ticks all the boxes. This doesn't mean you cannot choose other options that suit the style you are after, but it is worth investing a bit of time in making sure you can find the perfect combination of them, so everything is consistent.
Picture #11-12: Bathroom design in Fulham and Hammersmith.
Projects finished while our founder was a project architect at EMR Architecture.
Top Tip #7 - Bathtub
Whenever the size of the bathroom allows for it, consider adding a bathtub. Not the all bathrooms, of course, but you should at least have one in the house. The reasons for this suggestion is firstly, wellbeing since it is a great resource for stress, muscle pain and some chronic diseases too, but it's also relaxing for anyone once in a while. Secondly, very convenient if you have children to be able to bathe them at a young age. Lastly, it makes your house more attractive in the market if you ever want to sell.
Picture #13-14: Bathroom design in Chiswick and Fulham.
Projects finished while our founder was a project architect at EMR Architecture.
Top Tip #8 - Underfloor heating
There are two types of underfloor heating: dry (or electric) and wet (or hydronic). Both work very well and have similar outcomes, but the electric one is easier and quicker to install and more suitable for smaller areas like a bathroom. The reasons why we recommend it in bathrooms is because it is more efficient than radiators, energy saving, increases comfort since the heat is equally distributed, and it frees space to allow you more flexibility in the rest of the design. We also recommend having a heated towel rail for an additional luxurious hotel type feeling.
Comentários