Bathroom Planning - Bathroom Styles and Layout

The most important part of creating a new bathroom is the planning do you go for a bathroom with a designer bath, steam shower and luxury heated towel rail or budget by going for an acrylic bath, shower enclosure with shower head and then a toilet and basin pottery suite? Although the look is very important, a truly wonderful bathroom must also work on a practical level and be much more than merely functional.

THE PLEASURE OF A BEAUTIFUL BATHROOM

A well planned, beautifully complete bathroom can make all the difference to your daily routine. It should always be a pleasure to bath and wash in and cater for everything you and your family require, whilst avoiding a cramped feeling. Such a bathroom need not be hugely expensive, and it's a good idea to set yourself a budget and go from there otherwise you might be tempted to overspend.

If space is a problem, and with most bathrooms it is, think about what you really use and what you could do without. Most people like having both a bath and a shower, but could do without the bidet! The shower provides an essential energizing, head-clearing start to the day, while enjoying a long leisurely soak in the bath is the ideal way to relax.

Ideally if everyone had the money and the space we would all probably choose to have a separate shower room or failing that perhaps a built-in shower enclosure within the bathroom. If there just isn't the room in your bathroom, and you don't want to lose the bath for the sake of a shower, you may have to compromise by showering in the bath. This can often be achieved quite simply by changing the bath taps for a shower mixer unit, with an extended hose mounted on the wall.

Once you have sorted out all the practicalities, you can decide on style and colour. Personally, I think bathroom suites shouldn't be any colour other than white. They can be off-white, or even ivory, but they must be white ageless and easy to clean.

Bathroom Planning - Baths

When it comes to choosing a bath, you don't have to stick with the one that comes with a matching toilet and basin. You can select an individual bath to fit in with the other bathroom fittings and the overall decor. There are hundreds of different shapes and styles to suit every taste, as well as a wide choice of materials including acrylic, resin, steel and cast iron. There are also glass baths for sale!

Over the years though we have found that tried and tested materials always work best and for use nothing can beat a steel bath for heat retention 1. Steel baths can be very heavy though, depending on their quality, so if you have set your heart on one of these, you need to make sure that the floor joists are strong enough to take the extra weight. Acrylic baths are lightweight by comparison and come in a vast range of profiles 2. Corner baths are often the best baths to include in smaller bathrooms were you must use the space you have wisely, a bath will take up a lot of room so keep this in mind and think about were your sink, toilet and possibly shower or shower enclosure might go. The thicker the acrylic, the more sturdy and durable the bath itself will be.

If you are really into self-pampering, then a victoriaplumb.com airspa bath or a whirlpool bath may be the answer 3. Essentially, these baths incorporate an air-jet system that provides massaging options. Some even have underwater lighting.

A major decision is whether the bath is to be fitted with bath panels to suit the decor or freestanding (designer bath). With a straight bath with bath panels all the pipework will be hidden 4, but with a designer bath the pipework can become a feature in itself 5.