This week I was sick. I spent a lot of time on the sofa, in bed and having a bath. So I spent some time thinking about how important space is to well being, or recovery. When you’re sick where do you spend the most time? For me the bathroom was were I felt the most relief when I was unwell. So here is my ultimate bathroom design guide for well ness.
Interior Style Goal & Colour Scheme
As with all my projects I recommend starting your bathroom design (or renovation) project with an interior design strategy. What this includes is understanding from the outset what your interior style and colour scheme goal is. This will help you make your selections such as fittings, fixtures and finishes.
On a recent project I worked on the client had an Eclectic interior style preference with a teal colour palette.
Type of Bath
While I was unwell this week I spent a lot of time bathing. As function is the fundamental basis of any interior design project, I need to know specifically how my clients use a space on a micro level. Some clients don’t bathe so don’t need a bath.
Other clients don’t bathe but have kids and need a bath. Everyone is different.
When I consider the layout of a bathroom project I consider the bath first because it’s the largest piece.
I ask my client how they bathe? Does they fill the bath to the rim? Does they bend their knees or straightens their legs? How long do they spend in the bath? All this impact the size and type of bath I end up selecting.
Vanity, wall hung or floor hung
The next thing I consider a bathroom design project is the vanity. This an important part of a bathroom design project because it’s usually the first thing you see.
I ask if my clients want a wall hung or floor hung vanity? What kind of storage do they need? Is the mirror a shaving cabinet or just a mirror?
All these detailed questions reveal insights in the brief stage of the process and why it’s important to be very specific so early on.
Type of Shower
Next big decision to make for a bathroom design project is the type of shower. There is a trend in bathroom design for a simple glass screen, but as you may know I don’t like trends. Still, I need to be certain of what my client wants and deliver this.
I think about things such type of door, pivot or sliding. Which direction it opens? Is it easy to access towels? Does my client want a heated towel rack? If so, can this be close to the shower?
I ask if a client wants a niche. Not everyone does. Some clients don’t mind a shower caddy. Some clients want a bench in their shower.
Some clients want a walk in shower or a double header so I need to check if there is enough room.
Feature wall or floor
There is a common theory in interior design that if you want the floor to feature then the wall needs to be more simple and vice versa. Of course, this rule can be broken with great success but still in a bathroom, or any space you need to be careful when attempting multiple patterns.
Bathroom hardware
With bathroom hardware, I think there are three main choices, black, silver, or gold/brass. Then there are brushed or satin/gloss/shiny varieties. Which you go for, always comes back to your style goal and colour scheme. Some colours suit some styles more than others. For example, in my client’s Moroccan’s style bathroom, brushed brass is the perfect choice.
Storage
When I design a space, although I’m focused on one space, I am considering the whole house at the same time. This is true, especially for storage options.
Knowing what clients want to store in their bathroom, from towels to toiletries, and how much space there is for storage in the bathroom and adjacent spaces is really important for me when designing a space.
It could mean the difference between a mirrored cabinet instead of just a mirror. Floating shelves, or a shelving niche. There are many options to consider but knowing what you want to store in the bathroom and what you can store elsewhere is good to know.
I think planning is key to any interior design project. With bathroom design I think this is also true. It’s my job to consider everything, how everything in the space is going to work in the space and with the other pieces or selections. Good bathroom design is considered, functional, beautiful and personal to you and your functional needs.
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