Latest Designer Bathroom Ideas and How To Guides for your Home

Not everyone wants to pay a handyman to come in and install a new bathroom cabinet, so here is a way that people can do it for themselves.  This short guide is aimed at installing a bathroom cabinet designed to be set into the wall.

You should start by making marks on the wall where the cabinet will hang.  You should then locate the bracing beams in the wall, also known as studs. 

Locate the stud in the area and then make square holes four inches wide on either side of it with a keyhole saw. The saw should not go too far into the wall.  Look around the holes for obstructions.  If there are any wires around, the job cannot go forward without an electrician.  

The cabinet should then be held against the wall and a precise outline of it drawn.  The cabinet must be hung level, so it is important to use a spirit level to check.  Having completed this step, you can then cut along the pencil markings, clearing debris as you go. 

The screws on the stud must be removed at this point.  A hacksaw blade will do the job.  The wall stud itself must then be cut out with the use of a handsaw. 

The cabinet door should be removed for easy handling, and the cabinet held up to the hole that has been made for it.  Any tight spots can be fixed with a utility knife. 

A section of 2×4 should be used for blocking, and held into place with adhesive as well as screws.  The cabinet can then be attached to the wall.  You should ensure that any wall plugs or screws used to affix the cabinet are strong enough to keep it up.  Many bathroom cabinets even come with affixing kits containing the proper elements.

For many homeowners bathroom cabinets may be an afterthought in the overall design process.  However, as a central feature of any bathroom, cabinets really need to be carefully chosen close to the start of the project as they often make a statement of their own, and picking the wrong piece at the end of the task can throw off the balance of the look.

Bathroom cabinets come in a range of styles and designs.  Homeowners looking to install a new cabinet as part of a bathroom refit will want to consider in the first instance where they wish this piece of furniture to be placed.  Bathroom cabinets are available in wall mounted designs with mirrored fronts for use above a sink, in corner designs for space saving bathroom storage and even in bespoke styles designed to fit around the pedestal of a sink unit for a more understated approach to the issue.

Finishes for bathroom cabinets vary from natural, stained or painted wood to glass in a mirrored, smoked or transparent finish; there are even fabric-on-frame designs for those looking for a country feel on a tighter budget.

More daring households may want to look for eye catching bathroom cabinets in innovative designs such as a hanging design or art inspired piece that can become a real conversation piece when guests pay a visit to the smallest room in a home.

When selecting bathroom cabinets, keep in mind the function they will serve – does there need to be space for toiletries?  Medications?  Check that the shelves are the right fit for the function.

Mirrors are an essential element, and are available in different patterns, sizes and styles. They are an inexpensive way to smarten up the bathroom. As a point of interest, a mirror can increase the sense of space in a bathroom. The refractory principles of a mirror make them highly suitable for reflections of light and dark, creating a dimension of spaciousness to an otherwise murky corner of the room.

The décor of your bathroom may lend itself to an illuminated mirror, a semi-framed or a frameless mirror. The self-illuminating mirror is multi-functional. It offers a extra dimension to personal grooming, as it lights up the face and adds a soft ambient light for trekking to the bathroom in the middle of the night. Self-illuminating mirrors are not only a modern concept, but are also versatile in style, as they are in every conceivable design mode on the market.

Semi-framed mirrors can provide extra space, as they put a reflective façade on a storage or linen cabinet door. Usually framed in tile or wood, they come in a variety of styles to enhance your décor.

Frameless mirrors are created with a wavy or bevelled edge that pulls the eye towards the mirror and adds a delicate style, deepening the perception of space to a small room.

Bathroom mirrors can also be used in a tile format suitable for a shower suite, from floor-to-ceiling blocks that create a diffused reflection rather than a straight-on mirror image. It creates a wonderful space that is light, airy and seemingly endless. A mirror is a timeless, classy finish to any room, and bathrooms are no exception.

If you are in the market for a quality shower enclosure, you may have to look no further than a corner shower stall. In fact, it is a smart choice for a small bathroom, because they leave additional space for a bathroom vanity unit or storage accessory. As they are installed in the corner, this shower enclosure only requires two walls for its installation.

Corner stall shower enclosures are available in a wide variety and come with glass doors that have been etched, pebbled or set with wavy blocks for added privacy. The shower enclosures also come frameless, with very trendy right now look, or framed in materials like chrome, steel and aluminium for an updated look.

The corner stall shower enclosure gives a cosy look to a modern bathroom and can be installed as a home renovation project. However, you will need to purchase the shower pan, flooring and door. If you choose to build it from parts, you have the ability to add design features such as seating, shower trays, and other shower accessories such as built-in nooks or ledges designed to hold shampoos, soaps and the like. Another choice is the custom kit, which is a prefabricated piece that needs only the right place for installation. It comes as one solid piece, and the biggest issue will be ensuring proper drainage.

However, the method is secondary. The fact that you have chosen a corner stall shower enclosure for your bathroom demonstrates you are not only design conscious but budget savvy too. Corner stall shower enclosures can be a very economical choice.

Bathroom cabinets and bathroom furniture go a long way in establishing the look and function of your washroom.  Homeowners looking to save time and money on the job often undertake the task themselves.  Here are some important factors to keep in mind if you are planning a do-it-yourself bathroom cabinet installation.

Plan to have plumbing and wiring done first if necessary, then cabinets.  Flooring should be put in after the bathroom cabinets have been installed.

The first bathroom cabinet you install must be level and plumb in every direction.  All the other bathroom furniture will be aligned to this first cabinet, so a flush placement is crucial. If you plan to install a corner cabinet, place this piece first. There’s a greater chance that you’ll run out of room for each unit if you work from the outside of the room inward. Mount cabinets on smooth, clean walls.  Locate wall studs to help secure top cabinets, especially if these will be used to store heavy items. 

As installation progresses, you may need to compensate for uneven flooring or wall surfaces.  Small pieces of wood are very useful for this function; simply tap them into place to fill gaps beneath and behind cabinets.  For serious defects you may need to use a scribe rail, a longer piece of wood that can be custom moulded to fit the wall. Always be sure to screw cabinets securely into the mounting wall. Screws should penetrate wall studs by at least three centimetres.

Taking the time to install bathroom furniture properly will ensure safety and serviceability.

The first thing to consider when remodelling a small bathroom is the fact that you are bound to have all kinds of things cluttering up your bathroom, and because it is so small, you need to provide bathroom storage so that everything is neatly out of sight but can still be found easily and quickly.

Whether you are intending to do any work yourself, or you want to get an expert to do the job for you, drawing a plan of what you had in mind will help you to visualize it. Have a look at magazines, catalogues and other places where there are pictures of bathroom layouts and designs and note down any fittings that you particularly like. Then you will have some idea of what you want when you put it all together. You may change your mind on some items, such as bath, taps, or even basin shape but that is all part of the design process.

Fitting a sliding door will save space in a small bathroom and a shelving unit built around the sink or the installation of a vanity unit will save lots of space and provide storage. Many people get rid of their bath, which takes up so much space in a bathroom, and fit a shower cubicle with a curved or sliding door and a compact shower units like the Grohe Euphoria Shower System. This is a good idea for saving space but you need to be sure that you will not decide later that you should have kept your bath.

Think about what you have in your small bathroom and get rid of anything that is not really essential and store it somewhere else. You may be surprised at how much more space there seems to be by doing this one simple thing.

Everyone who embarks on a bathroom redesign project will encounter challenges with regards to fitting furniture into their room. Obviously smaller bathrooms have limited space but storage is still required. Bathroom furniture may have to be restricted to wall-hung toiletries/medicine cabinets. As with any larger room, bathrooms with more free floor space can accommodate bigger furniture. This means that larger bathroom projects have a wider range of choices available from free-standing cupboards to fitted bathroom units.

If you are kitting out a small cloakroom bathroom or en-suite toilet then you should consider low level furniture which will create a sleeker, less cluttered aesthetic. Many suppliers also stock space saving furniture specifically designed to fit in the more bijou bathroom. Heritage and Shades are two brands who currently stock a wide range of smaller bathroom furniture. Also if you are determined to introduce free standing furniture into a small room, you may consider a rotating cabinet which disguises your products to the back with a mirror to the front. It is also important to consider the colour of the furniture in a small bathroom. Lighter coloured furniture will create the illusion of space.

Fitted display units or storage units are another consideration. You can achieve a minimalistic aesthetic by having all of your toiletries stored out of sight. You can still add your own personal touches to the room with candles and luxury toiletries.

Free standing bathroom units for larger bathrooms come in such a wide variety of designs that you can really express your creativity and put your own stamp on the bathroom…be it with colours or mirrors or glass or wood. You may even want to mix and match to create a truly unique look.

Along with all other bathroom accessories or bathroom furniture, the bathroom mirror comes in a multitude of styles and designs from which to choose.

An illuminated bathroom mirror will either have lights attached to the top, or have a cabinet that opens with another mirror on the inside, around which there will be lights. There are even some that are framed by LED lights and in the right bathroom supporting the right theme and style, they can look very attractive.

Another variation of bathroom mirrors is the bathroom mirror cabinet. These mirrors are a dual combination, consisting of a mirror and a medicine cabinet all built into one functional piece of bathroom furniture. These mirrors are very useful in bathrooms with little space and they not only provide a bathroom mirror, but also an alternative storage facility. The bathroom mirror cabinet proves to be very popular in one-bedroom room apartments or small houses with smaller family bathroom suites.  Bathroom mirrors that are flush to the wall, without a cabinet are also an option. If you are looking to purchase a bathroom mirror from this category then this is when the options open up.

There are many ideas to choose from including; wood framed mirrors, ceramic framed mirrors with complicated designs, stone framed mirrors, or square, oval or round mirrors. 

Yet whatever your taste or style, make sure you choose the bathroom mirror that is suited to the ambience of your bathroom. Usually the bathroom mirror can become the feature focal point of your bathroom so ensure that it is in keeping with your theme.

If your bathroom has seen better days, it’s time to renovate. Like kitchens, good bathrooms can add appreciable value to your home without amounting to major property development. DIY painting, decorating and plastering skills will take you a long way, without substantial building work or calling the architects in.

Start by thinking about whether the layout can be improved. Would a walk-in shower look better than the tub? Are the basin and WC ideally located or could they be moved to enhance space? Don’t forget about drainage runs and soil pipes here, though, the latter are especially difficult to relocate. Next, physically map the layout using your body as a guide; are the soap dishes and bathroom cabinets or anything else you use frequently, within comfortable reach? Will you require extensive re-plumbing if you shift the basin or tub/shower?

Think about the fixtures, properly chosen, they can add verve to a bathroom. Is the design you’re seeking ultra-modern or classically elegant? Gleaming, modern chrome taps and showerheads can be beautiful, but so can elegant Victorian alternatives, it’s best not to mix them, though. A generous bathroom mirror or two can make a small space look twice the size.

Choose lighting carefully, a bathroom can be made to look warm and inviting or cold and forbidding, depending on what lighting you use. Remember, any lighting above areas where water is used must have a special safety rating.

Finally, soften harsh lines and angles with touches of fabric, even towels can help and some strategically placed potted plants.

Freestanding bathroom sinks have become increasingly popular in recent years. Before this, the most common type was the pedestal, which was traditionally made in white ceramic, with a long, slightly fluted base on which perched the basin.

Although elegant enough in its way, the pedestal has fallen out of favour, largely due to the problems of lack of storage space.

One of the great advantages of freestanding sinks is the range of materials it can be manufactured from. This makes it a particular favourite with designers and DIY enthusiasts who like a little more flair in the bathroom. Indeed, such is its versatility that many a bathroom has been designed around, for example, an oiled bronze sink.

What really makes this design so popular is the added storage it allows. Cabinets can easily be installed around the sink and allow further creativity by mirroring the design of the basin.

For example, a specially designed chrome sink would match a minimalist contemporary bathroom cabinet or vanity unit. In this way it would provide a focal point for the bathroom, every bit as striking as the bath or shower unit.

What is important is to carefully choose the shelving that will go inside the bathroom cabinet or vanity. Do not forget that the pipes for the water supply are also located inside the cabinet. The depth of the cabinet is vital and if the shelves have to be cut around the pipes, the material you decide upon will be of crucial importance.