Designing Your Own Bathroom

Re-designing your bathroom

Bathrooms have come a long way from tiny, dingy and bleak places where you can want rush out as far as you can. Earlier bathrooms were open in space with no accessories attached in it and people used to bathe just for bathing sake. But the time has changed even the styles of bathroom, now bathrooms are transformed in a new way describing its own importance.

Today modular bathrooms are different from those dingy spaces, style ranging from practical to luxurious. Variety of accessories and fixtures can be avail to make your bathing area a designer place. Bathrooms are been given much more attention, particularly in size. The budget allocated for decoration of bathrooms has also increased substantially. There are some points which one should follow before going for a designer bathroom.

DESIGN: One should always have a clear mental picture what one wants. The continuity of style and shape contributes to a good design. You should always complement the existing shapes, and avoid clashes in both the shapes and the colors.

SAFETY: The environment should always be a safe one. One should not spill in the bathroom that is the flooring should be chosen with full care especially in the tub and shower area. Secure bathmat is the most suitable preventive measures.

VENTILATION: The ventilation is the most important thing in a bathroom. The best comes from the windows, better if they also provide a cross-ventilation. Privacy is important, so even if the windows are low, put frosted glass on them. Exhaust fans are another good alternative to keep an area free of suffocation.

PLUMBING: The network of pipes that brings water to the taps and takes away the waste and soil is known as plumbing. Domestic plumbing depends on many things, but especially for bathrooms, the number of sanitary appliances being installed sets the criterion for the kind of plumbing required.

DRAINAGE : The system of removal of sludge or waste water from floor traps , wash basins , kitchens and soil water from W.C. and urinals and conveying the same upto its ultimate point of treatment and disposal , is called drainage. It is the most critical system, if this is not done properly, then it causes leakiness, dampness and thus the unhygienic conditions.

Whereas earlier the sink, WC and bathing area were placed just where they fitted in conveniently, often resulting in the users having to traipse the length of the room to wash their hands, today a lot of thought is given to the placement of each fixture in the bathroom. You should always keep some of the tips in mind when you are planning your bathroom.

• The ideal position of the bathing area would be one that allows you to step out of your bath on to dry ground.
• A variety of W.C.'s are now available in different shapes, flushing styles and the capacity of the flush-which ranges from 5 to 7.5 litres. Wall mounted W.C.s are available in two options: standard and concealed flushing apparatus
• The color schemes popular today are contrasts between a basic earthy shade like a fawn, beige or black, with a bolder color like a deep maroon or forest green.
• Plumbing fixtures should be comfortably spaced, with storage facilities and furnishings well arranged so that there is plenty of free space left for maneuvering.
• A WC should be placed near a window or an outer wall, so that an exhaust fan can be fitted alongside.
• The bathing area should be kept away from the windows to protect it from drought. - Tailoring the bathroom to suit the age requirements of all its users is sensible. If toddlers use the same bathroom as the adults, the towel stand could be fixed a little lower so that a child has easy access.
• Colour scheme should be according to the age factor. Women prefer soft colours and designs, while children's bathroom sport cartoon characters. The middle income groups there are marked preferences for pastel shades. The trend should be sober and not flashy.
• Floor should always be skid resistant variety.

Current lifestyles often demand that bathrooms offer extra facilities beyond the purely functional. Besides the now mandatory closet storage, make-up table-cum-dresser, washing machine or even a little nook used as a dressing space, you could find a bed or a dance floor in your private retreat next- depending, of course, on the space available.