A beautiful bathroom is everyone’s dream. Designing your bathroom is an exhilarating task for many yet daunting for some. We know that designing a bathroom can be a complicated, tedious, and an expensive process if you are not a professional. So before jumping headfirst into making changes to your bathroom, here is a checklist of essentials every bathroom needs. And to make this process a lot easier for you we have created a checklist for your bathroom interiors. We’re talking about bare, basic essentials!
Essential Elements For Your Bathroom Interiors
Here’s a lowdown on the essential elements you need in your bathroom:
Toilet
This is the first piece of sanitary ware you need to work on as you plan the plumbing requirements for your bathroom. Although it will be the last to be installed in your bathroom it is important to work out where you want it placed as you start planning your bathroom interiors. Toilet designs have evolved from the standard and western style to several advanced ones. So as a homeowner you will be spoilt for choice even with the most basic element needed in every bathroom. The options these days include wall-mounted, floor-standing, rimless, close-coupled, and one-piece toilets. You can pick the right one based on your personal needs and comfort. For instance, if the user of the bathroom is an elderly person or a kid, a wall-mounted or rimmed seat will be an ideal pick. This is because wall-mounted toilets can be fixed to your preference while rimmed toilet seats avoid the risk of slipping.
A Countertop With A Sink
Also known as a vanity top, bathroom countertops are an excellent way to spruce up even a small bathroom. You don’t require a lot of square footage to design a countertop with a sink in your bathroom. There are various materials you can choose from to design a countertop such as marble, quartz, granite and tiles. Each of these materials is different and unique in their own way and therefore fit into different styles, designs and budgets.
A Vanity Unit
A bathroom vanity unit is a blend of sinks and the storage surrounding it. Vanity units are basically bathroom cabinets surrounding the sink and additional space for storage apart from hiding ugly plumbing.
The size and style of vanity you choose will impact other choices you make for your bathroom interiors. You must ensure you plan all the elements you want in your bathroom simultaneously so that all the dots connect well. How many sinks do you need? What types of storage solutions do you need? What will the colour scheme look like? And so on.
Bathroom Flooring
Flooring is an essential element for your bathroom interiors and must be decided early along with the design for your cabinets and tiles. Be it toothpaste, washbasin splutter or your makeup brush, your bathroom floor needs to be ready for anything. The material you choose for your flooring must withstand all of this. Also, it needs to be thick enough for floor standing cabinets to take its weight. Tiles are the most popular choice of material for your bathroom flooring as it is moisture and water-resistant. They are available in various colours, patterns, textures and price ranges making it a perfect fit for every style and budget.
Shower Fixtures
Another design decision you need to make for your bathroom interiors is around your bathing space and its functionalities. Do you want to add a separate tub and shower fixtures, a combination of both, or a standard walk-in shower setup? Choosing the right shower fixtures is an important element in your bathroom interior design checklist! Before you choose fixtures for your shower area figure out how you want to use them.
A few questions you must ask yourself:
- Are you right-handed or left-handed?
- Do you want the toiletries and grooming kits displaying out in the open or do you want to hide them?
- Do you need a seat in your shower area?
Answers to these questions will help you pick the right fixtures for your shower!
Lighting
Lighting is an essential interior design element of any space. And for bathrooms, it is no less important. A well-lit bathroom will highlight the details and will prevent falls and slips. The vanity, tub, sink, toilet space and shower all require different types of lighting. When combined it must make your bathroom look stylish and cohesive.
Here are some of the lighting types you can use in your bathroom:
Mirror Backlighting
Mirror backlighting is a must-have in your bathroom. This is where you get dressed! Backlit mirrors offer delicate yet ample illumination to help you get dressed. It is perfect for putting on makeup, shaving, or just brushing or cleaning that requires an adequate amount of light.
LED Strip Lights
LED strip lights provide maximum brightness with minimal energy use. LED strip lights are safe to use and cool to touch. Extremely easy to install they are available in different colour tones that make them perfect to fit in any bathroom design and colour palette. These lights can be used to light up your bathroom mirror, vanity, storage or shower niches.
Pendant Lights
Pendant lights like these are a perfect addition to a master or guest bathroom. They add a touch of style to any bathroom and offer ample lighting to this space as well.
Spotlights
Spotlights are perfect lights for shower areas and your vanity unit. They are soft but yet bright enough and blend with all the other types of lighting.
Wall Mounted Lamps
Wall-mounted lamps are a classic type of lighting that are typically installed on either side of a mirror or above the sink and vanity. They are available in different styles, designs and colour tones for you to choose from.
Accessories For Your Bathroom
Accessorising your bathroom is just as crucial as those in your bedroom or kitchen. A combination of modern accessories or fixtures will uplift the functionality of your bathroom. Here are a few accessories that you must incorporate into the most important space of your home.
Grab Bars
If you have an elderly member in your family or a guest bathroom used by different age groups, grab bars are a perfect way to ensure their safety. These can be fixed near the toilet seat or shower areas.
Corner Shelves
Instead of putting your toothbrushes in a mug and your face wash and toiletries strewn around the sink, install corner shelves to keep everything organised in one place. It is a great space-saving hack too and will keep your countertop neat.
Towel Rods
A must-have accessory in every bathroom to keep your hand towels, bath towels all in place! You will need nothing else to keep your bath linen organised.
Shower Niches
The latest in bathroom interiors, shower niches are built-in storage accessories that go into the wall of your shower area to store your personal care essentials handy and tidy.
And these are the elements and features that you must include in your checklist as you design your bathroom space. We hope this guide helps you make an informed decision!