These days, shopping for our homes has become extremely convenient. From online shopping to huge interior design sections in department stores, shopping and decorating our homes can be done at any time and everywhere. But with so many options available, designing our homes can be overwhelming as there are so many things to consider.
I have always struggled when it comes to my own home. I spend my life exploring the various options, unearthing new products, seeking out new designers and hunting for new trends. So when it comes to renovating, I find it all a bit overwhelming and tend to suffer from analysis paralysis regularly.
In today’s post, we are looking at bathrooms and sharing some bathroom design tips to make sure your renovation goes smoothly. Bathrooms, much like any other room, present us with myriad options to choose from and so many questions. Should I go for a shower or a bathtub? For bathroom vanities, what type should I choose? What’s the best way for me to organize my bathroom? How much storage space do I need in my bathroom? These are just a few of the questions we must ask ourselves when planning and designing our bathrooms.
Narrowing down the options can be a daunting task. One way to do this is by deciding on a theme. You can choose to go for a classic monochromatic bathroom and stick to only whites and blacks. (I stuck to white in my own small bathroom). You can also choose to go for a modern bathroom that makes use of neutral colors and clean straight lines. Or maybe you can opt for a spa-themed bathroom and incorporate elements of nature into your bathroom.
Or you can mix and match different styles in the bathroom. Mixing and matching can allow your personality to shine more as well as giving your bathroom more character. Whichever approach you take, here are seven-bathroom design tips to guide you through the process of renovating your bathroom.
Online shopping is highly convenient and has widened the net when it comes to sourcing products for our bathrooms. This means we can easily shop from stores abroad. This works to our advantage but can also cause a lot of problems. Prices of items abroad may be cheaper but you must always consider other factors that may change the price such as shipping fees and customs fees. We must also be cautious about shipping timeframes. This is especially true if you’re working with a tight deadline. Not all countries can ship quickly which is why you must always double-check the shipping terms of international stores.
1. Always practice caution
Online shopping is highly convenient and has widened the net when it comes to sourcing products for our bathrooms. This means we can easily shop from stores abroad. This works to our advantage but can also cause a lot of problems. Prices of items abroad may be cheaper but you must always consider other factors that may change the price such as shipping fees and customs fees. We must also be cautious about shipping timeframes. This is especially true if you’re working with a tight deadline. Not all countries can ship quickly which is why you must always double-check the shipping terms of international stores.
2. Check for compatibility
In line with shopping from international stores, it is crucial that before you purchase a product you should always check the product specifications. You need to know if the items that you’re purchasing from different brands are actually compatible and will work well together. For example, if you’re purchasing your sink and bathroom vanity from different stores, you have to check if the sink will fit with the specifications of your bathroom vanity.
3. Focus on balance
Bathroom tiles have taken a turn for the adventurous in recent years. There are now so many exciting options to choose from. You can play with different patterns and textures in the bathroom, but you must remember to focus on the balance. You can combine small and big-scale patterns to add more visual interest. But remember not to overdo it when mixing patterns as you want to end up with an elegant and sophisticated bathroom.
Another tip to remember when playing with patterns is to be consistent. Most would suggest mixing two tile pattern designs at most. Mixing three patterns or more has a high chance of making your bathroom look messy and just uncoordinated. As much as possible, you would want your bathroom to look clean and organized. At the end of the day, your bathroom is still a place where you can relax and destress. It’s important that you feel at ease and comfortable there.
4. Choose finishes carefully
This next tip applies to all of the elements in your bathroom and that is combining different finishes. Most trendy bathrooms nowadays mix and play with matte and gloss finishes. So try mixing glossy tiles with matte-finished sinks. You can also incorporate different monochromatic tiles to add another layer and more character to your bathroom. Handmade tiles are a great way of adding personality and character to any space and they can have the added benefit of introducing additional texture to your bathroom.
5. Stick to a colour palette
Colourful bathrooms are very on-trend at the moment but it takes a very keen design eye to pull this off well. If you want to bring color into your bathroom I suggest you choose your colour palette carefully. Stick to one or two colours max so that the design still looks cohesive. You can always add more interest by experimenting with shapes. For example, you can use two different designs for your tiles but ensure that they’re in the same colour.
Going back to tip 3, you should always focus on creating a good balance. Choosing neutral colors such as white or beige will automatically balance out any pattern or bold color you incorporate in your bathroom. This will also balance out any and all of the textures that you introduce and will make your bathroom look a lot more elegant and clean. For our bathroom, I chose tiles that were textured with a hexagon pattern, but because the tiles were white it was a very subtle effect.
6. Quality is King
This is perhaps one of the most important bathroom design tips. Just with any other room in your home, quality still remains king. This is something that most homeowners can easily forget. As homeowners, 9 out of 10 times, we’re usually working with a budget. When shopping around, especially online, it is easy to get carried away.
Once we see how much cheaper something is, so long as it looks great, that can easily sway our decisions. But it is not enough to buy something just because it looks great. We must always be diligent and research the products before purchasing them. Purchasing something that is of low quality will only lead you to spend more money in the long run as you would probably have to replace it more often.
7. Aim for Cohesion
One of the trickiest parts of designing your bathroom is to end up with a cohesive look. When you are sourcing from different stores or different suppliers, it is highly possible that things won’t look cohesive. Some of the items you order may have different finishes. A great example of this is metals. Metals can have different finishes which can be very noticeable. Metals such as bronze or antique metals can differ depending on the supplier. It is always recommended to ask for samples from the supplier before purchasing the items. This way, you can compare and check if the items are cohesive and look good together.
Your bathroom is a great place to show off your personality. These days, you are no longer constricted to sticking with monochromatic bathrooms that show little to no character. Try to think out of the box and experiment with different textures, shapes, and materials for your bathroom. It is important to plan ahead and to take your time when deciding on these things. Do not rush through the process.
Don’t be afraid to be brave and make a bold statement with your bathroom. As long as you stick to these general bathroom design tips, your bathroom should look fantastic.