Everybody likes different things about their house. Some people love their bedroom layout, others like their kitchen design, some are even huge fans of their bathrooms. Okay, the last one may be a bit unusual, but perhaps there’s a reason for that. I’ve noticed over my years as a builder that certain things tend to get overlooked in design. One is lighting plans.
Most designs tend to ignore the layout of lights in the house and simply throw some lights on ceilings and walls at the last minute to meet code requirements. This is a bummer as much opportunity is lost in this way. Another place where opportunity is lost is in bathroom design.
So here’s what I’m asking: what do you love about your bathroom(s)? What would you do differently if you had a chance to redesign your bathrooms (and perhaps the rooms around them)? This conversation could very well help the next person out, so please take a minute or two to share your thoughts.
I’ll get things started. I love a simple bathroom, and I want lots of natural light in there. I don’t like having to turn on the power every time I go into my bathroom so that I can find my way across the room. I would like a LOT more natural light in the way of floor to ceiling windows (privacy glass of course and with proper orientation so that my neighbors aren’t watching our silhouettes all night and day) and skylights.
I want a passive solar heated floor so that my feet are happy when I get out of the shower, but more so when I wake up in the morning and step on to the tile floor. A little passive solar storage would be great for that one. Also, easy cleaning: I want less design lines on my toilet so that less dust can settle. Clean, straight design lines are a must. Finally, I want a sauna and a steam in my bathroom. I sauna more than I shower these days, so having that at home rather than at the gym would be fantastic. How about you? What wisdom or wants can you share?
8 Responses
– A hard-wall shower compartment (no doors, no curtains!), preferably with two shower heads and sufficient room to comfortably chat under the shower.
– Proper ventilation window(s).
– I love the idea of the Japanese wooden tub with a lid: take a good cleaning shower first, then relax in the tub, that always remains hot and keeps the room warm. Change water every few days,…
Okay, I like to soak in the tub – that means, light for reading and shelf (or tub edge) space to safely put things to read, and a tub that one can actually recline and put one’s head back in in comfort. Also, a tub that’s actually deep enough to cover a normal body, and long enough to stretch out in.
Walls that are tile or otherwise easy to clean and impervious to damp while still being attractive would be wonderful.
OH, and everything Andrew said, too! 😉
We made a concrete countertop in our bathroom it is out of white concrete, which I love. I also really like natural little stone tile. You don’t need a tile cutter and they lend easy to doing artwork, maybe adding a few cut geodes and other interesting rocks or crystals. Also, we have a large clawfoot tub my Mother salvaged from a horse pasture (was being used as the water trough) and re-did it. It is awesome for soaking, we left a little over a foot all around the tub so it is easy to clean and has room for plants.
A small bathroom is a small bathroom, and unless you remodel your home so you can add to the bathroom’s space, that’s going to be the news. But from that, it does not follow that you’re simply stuck with an inadequate bathroom. Replacing worn-out sinks and vanities will surely help, but if all you’re doing is more of the same, that’s what you’ll be left with–more of the same. I would very much recommend buying the very best your budget will allow and searching the Internet for innovative ideas. You will be in the bathroom every day of your life. Why not make that place a true retreat? With a little imagination, you can.
I want lots of lights above the mirror. My eyes aren’t what they used to be, and shadows can be a real bummer.
One of the greatest joys was having a shower with a high window in it facing east. I showered watching the SUN RISE each morning! I slid open the window and breathed in the fresh air as I showered. It was a JOY every day I lived in that house. An Italian built it, and all the walls and floor were tiled.
A good idea to gauge space is to draw a little plan to scale e.g lets assume your bathroom is 10’x7′.You would convert the feet into inches to keep true scale.Then you measure area for bath and ,again,scale down.It gives you a great guide as to how things are going fit,wether you have sapce for that wet room.Those old cast iron baths with the feet sure look great in the middle of the floor when the piping has been done correctly.
I use cork flooring in bathrooms and kitchens which is a renewable resource recently we paneled the walls with the as well. Cork is unaffected by water and doesn’t mold