Latest Designer Bathroom Ideas and How To Guides for your Home

When designing or refurbishing a bathroom, one of the first decisions to make is whether to have a shower curtain or a shower door.  The differences between the two can come down to style, price, and practicality, budget and long-term bathroom plans. 

Shower Doors

Installing a shower door on the side of a bath is quite simple and need not be an expensive endeavour and most bathroom suites can accommodate one.  It is certainly worthwhile doing if you plan on staying in your home for some time.  Shower doors instil a luxurious atmosphere to the bathroom and also allow users to install additional features into the shower enclosure, such as rain showerheads, which would normally make a tremendous amount of mess if you only had a curtain.  Shower doors are also easier to clean than curtains, as less mildew accumulates on them. 

Shower Curtains

Curtains can add flair to bathrooms and are great accent pieces that can be easily removed and changed.  They are available in a wide variety of colours, prints and textures to match any existing scheme.  Inexpensive and easy to install, shower curtains are an excellent short term and practical solution when moving into a new home.  Curtains can be left open to show off a bath or closed to hide it from view. 

On the downside, they do tend to be harder to clean and if inadvertently left outside the shower or bath, can drip water onto the floor.

Is your bathroom tired and out of date?  You may be surprised at how easy it is to liven-up your bathroom by changing just a few key elements, something that can be done over a weekend.

First, draw out your battle plan.  Make a list of everything in your existing bathroom that you dislike.  Next, browse over images designer bathrooms to gain inspiration.  Once you find key elements that you like, browse through catalogues or websites and decide on the specific items in your bathroom that need to be changed.

Bathroom cabinets can be painted for a fresh look, just be sure to use a proper primer and ask for bathroom paint when you go to buy it.  Consider the colour of the things you are not going to be changing, such as the basin and its surround, the toilet, the bath, the shower.  Remember, bathroom walls are a breeze to paint.  It should only take a few hours, given the relative small size of the room.

The basin and bath taps are fairly easy to replace, as long as you choose an interchangeable style.  Depending on their design, some taps can soon look outdated and just this one simple change, along with matching bathroom cabinet hardware can have a huge impact.

Replacing bathroom accessories is by far the easiest and most economical way to update your bathroom.  If you have a tired looking bathroom mirror, consider swapping it for a more contemporary design.  If your lighting reminds you of 1987, find a replacement system that can be installed without digging through the walls.

Updating your bathroom takes little time and effort, but can make a huge difference.

Looking at renovating your bathroom, but not willing to invest in a whole host of bathroom accessories to give it a facelift?  Although often overlooked as important features, a bathroom mirror can actually bring out the best in the room.  With so many different types of bathroom mirrors available on the market, from heated to illuminated models, it can difficult to choose which type is best suited to your room.

As with almost every other important feature, you should first look at the style, size and colour of the room.  Decide if the mirror should follow an existing look or style, in order to blend in with the rest of the fittings or whether the mirror should be used as an accent to create a new look.  Do not be afraid to experiment with styles that differ from what you already have.  Be bold and take some time to imagine how various models would fit into your bathroom, rather than buying the first one you see.

Size is another important factor that will determine what kind of mirror to buy.  The overall theme or the style of your bathroom accessories will help determine what size and shape would be the best fit.  As an example, buying a rectangular mirror in a room that features predominantly round shapes will not work well, so be sure to keep the overall look of the room in mind.

Colour is the final important element to consider.  Coloured mirrors can be an easy way to add life to an otherwise bland bathroom.  Matching and contrasting colours can have a very strong, but positive effect.

Tiling is often regarded as a complex task, way beyond the capabilities of the average DIY enthusiast, but in fact if you follow a few basic guidelines it is relatively simple and the effects can be startling.  The principles once learned, can be applied to both small and large areas and once you have mastered the art of tiling you might find yourself becoming addicted to it because of the sense of achievement you get.

A shower cubicle is just three walls and when the tiling is complete, you can add the fixtures and fittings such as soap and shampoo shelves.

It is important to remember that all tiled areas must be sealed off to prevent water seeping through into the surrounding area.  The type of sealant usually used with tiling is silicone rubber, which is especially prepared with this waterproofing role in mind.  If you use another type you will just have to do it all again, as water is absorbed and the wall starts to rot.

Silicone sealant comes in tubes and guns for ease of use and simply squeezes into place and is smoothed off with a finger.

Fixtures come with all necessary fittings like plugs and screws.  Simply drill the holes, using a piece of masking tape to stop the drill sliding on the enamel.  Mark the drilling point on the masking tape with a pencil point and then drill the hole at perfect right angles to the wall.  The masking tape will also help prevent the tile cracking or chipping.

The bathroom is a functional space and one that is most likely to be visited by guests in your home at one time or another.  For this reason it is important to try and ensure that the décor of your bathroom accurately reflects your household personality and gives the impression that you wish callers to take away with them when they leave.

Injecting personality into an area like a bathroom, with its focus on functionality and its clearly defined role in the home, can be a challenge.  However, there are a few tricks that can help to bring your bathroom decor up to the standard that you require.

One trick for an unforgettable bathroom is to create a feature basin.  While the pedestal basin has long been a staple of British bathrooms, homeowners are now beginning to look beyond this and use this important piece of essential bathroom furniture as an eye catching focal point in an otherwise functional space.

Consumers can choose from a wide range of carefully crafted basins – such as “floating” glass basins without any visible under plumbing or support, industrial style steel basins which are a great look in a minimalist home or, for the bigger bathroom, a double basin wall, which can lend a real feeling of symmetry to geometric designs.

To create a feature basin, homeowners need to look beyond the bathroom as they know it and let their imaginations run wild.

When it comes to tiling, the process can be relatively easy if simply fixing materials to a blank wall.  However, in most situations there will be existing features to take into consideration, whether these are sinks, baths, kitchen cupboards, or cookers.  Tiling is still simple as long as the time is taken to consider these features, making alterations as necessary.

In some cases, you may only be tiling half a wall.  In this case, it is important to consider how the ‘edge’ tiles will sit and, if tiling the bottom half of a wall, ensure that whole tiles are seen at the top edge.  Meanwhile, if you intend to tile around baths and worktops, the best look is have full tiles at both the bottom and top.  This will involve having a smaller strip of tiles within the design, and can be placed accordingly to make a feature.  You could even use a different colour tile to highlight and embrace the change.

Tiling around windows and doors can be one of the most challenging problems, with windowsills especially making it vitally important to consider spacing before starting the job.  Try to place tiles around this area so that whole tiles are flush with the features.  Thin strips are more obvious here and can cause distraction from the overall effect.  Meanwhile, whilst tiling windowsills, try to ensure that a whole tile is placed towards the room, with a thinner strip on the outside edge by the pane if needed.

Whilst tiling around existing room features can be more challenging, as long as the time is taken to carefully space materials, there is no reason for the finished job to look out of place.  In addition, by highlighting specific areas with other colours, you can make the differences part of the design scheme.

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.

Fixing tiles can be easy as long as you know how, and with practice, it can be performed relatively quickly.  There are a number of different adhesives available for the job and you need to ensure you have the correct one for the project.  Waterproof adhesives should always be used in bathroom settings, whilst your wall material will also determine your adhesive selection.

Before starting to fix any tiles, make sure that you have cleaned the wall and marked out the exact points where tiles need to go.  Once this is completed, start with a small area of wall and spread adhesive thinly using a large filling knife or trowel.  Instead of smoothing the area, use the knife to create ridges to help tiles attach and provide a certain amount of space to level the tiles later.

When placing the first tile, start with the first whole tile and place at the bottom of the area, making sure it is carefully lined up with the measurement marks.  Using spacers or matchsticks if your tiles do not incorporate protrusions, place the second tile alongside the first, and make sure that it is level and flat before moving on.  Continue tiling in this way, ensuring that all measurements are kept to, spacers are used, and adhesive is applied in ridges to allow for levelling.

Once the area is complete, ensure that all tiles are securely fixed to the wall before moving onto the grouting process and finishing the project.

While traditional bathrooms feature a large bath, this default design can mean compromising on space.  And with many modern families opting for a shower over a bath for water and time saving reasons, it can be a good idea to consider fitting a shower cubicle instead of a bath.

The shower cubicle can help to free up space in a family bathroom, or can help with the creation of an alternative ablutions area in a home where space is at a premium.  And with so many exciting shower cubicle designs on the market, homeowners will be able to create a unit that fits well with the overall design feel of their home.

For homes with regular shaped bathrooms the quadrant cubicle, which fits neatly into a corner, is a popular choice of unit offering the householder a range of options for personalisation.

Select from a range of door styles – from space saving sliders to traditional outward openers.  Shower cubicles can be constructed from heavy duty plastic materials or can have high quality glass finishes in a range of effects from smoked to transparent, or even etched.

Interiors enthusiasts who are looking for something a little different in their shower cubicle design may wish to create a curved corner unit, or could consider creating a wet room space with a partial cubicle.

So you are thinking of fitting a new bathroom?  Before you begin here are a number of things you need to think about and consider. 

1.     What professional advice and help will you need?  When fiddling around with the plumbing, it is likely you will need the help of a professional. 

2.    Think about whether you need to make any changes to existing services, and whether structural work is required.  You should measure the existing services so that you can plan where your new fixtures will go. 

3.    Draw a plan of your current bathroom on graph paper.  From this, you can work out how to rearrange your bathroom to suit your needs.  From this plan, you can consider whether to use double or sliding doors, archways or curtains. 

4.    From your plan, you should also make sure you have enough space for all your new chosen fittings, as well as enough room to move around. 

5.    Think about utilities, such as heating, ventilation and lighting. 

6.    You should also consider that in the future you might need to access the plumbing to fix any problems.  Therefore, you need to think about fitting removable panels around the shower pump and boxed-in toilet cistern, rather than sealing them off completely. 

7.    Consider what colour and style you want your new bathroom to be decorated in.  Ideally, this should complement the décor of the rest of the house.