Whether preparing the interior of their first house or planning a remodel of older living space, one of the rooms that often requires the most of a homeowner’s consideration for design is the primary bathroom. Aside from how much usage the faucet, toilet, and shower, and bath will get on a daily basis, this room is also meant to be a comfortable, yet, functional, space for you and your family. With those elements in mind, let’s look at five of the key design elements that no bathroom should be without.
1. The Importance of Your Floor Option
For easy clean-up, granite and marble both work very well, but among the most common and popular are beautiful tile designs that fit into the room’s complete motif. Over the past few years, terrazzo tiles have become very popular materials for both the bath section, but primarily terrazzo floor patterns. You may be wondering, what is terrazzo? Well, chance are you’ve seen its unique appearance before: a composite material where exposed marble chips are brought to the surface of the concrete tile, then polished for a beautiful luster. The two biggest assets of terrazzo are its durability and the many colors and patterns available, which can make the tile perfect for whatever color scheme you’re considering for the bathroom floor. Additionally, the mixed material makes the dividing strips or any cracks between the tiles nearly invisible, no matter the square foot necessity of your floor.
2. The Sink and Vanity
Choosing the size of your sink is significantly more important than you may realize, as the sink’s diameter and design can dictate whether the vanity is possible, as well as the size of your cabinets for medication and beauty accessories. Aside from the cosmetic elements of the room, it’s important that the medicine cabinet remains accessible for emergencies. If you have a healthy lifestyle and are invested in your wellness, there’s a chance your prescriptions and holistic remedies, such as blood pressure medication, herb supplements for weight loss, sleep issues, or even the best natural diuretic you have on-hand, will find their home behind the vanity. Natural diuretics and herb supplements are common these days, especially for those who suffer from fluid retention or kidney stones. For that reason alone, the cabinets and vanity should be large enough to accommodate your needs and be easy to find.
A vanity not only adds a luxurious feel to any bathroom but is also practical for your morning prep time. The design of the countertop can bring consistency to your overall room motif, and tiles can be matched to your shower and type of flooring, especially if you opt for the versatility of porcelain or terrazzo tiles.
3. Your Bathroom’s Lighting
Although every decision you make regarding the family bathroom is important, the lighting definitely requires some consideration. Ideally, this room will receive a certain amount of natural light due to window placement (this tends to help for the overall comfort and calming atmosphere), but for installation, you can choose between a lighting bar and sconces. With sconces, the bulbs are typically placed around the vanity mirror for a “halo” effect, while the lighting bar is placed above the mirror. Again, it call comes down to your personal tastes, but sconces tend to offer a more flattering effect when paired with a vanity around the sink.
4. The Shape and Size of the Mirror
Your bathroom’s vanity mirror is one of the first elements that you or a guest will notice when they enter the room, making your design selection (its size and shape) wholly dependent upon the motif of the tile and vanity itself. If the bathroom itself has been done in a rustic motif, you may want to consider the ornamental elements of the border rather than the shape; on the other hand, if you’re going with a large vanity, the mirror has to fit correctly and be proportional.
5. The Bath or Shower
Depending upon the age of your home, you may already know the layout and measurements that a contractor will be working with. For a major remodel or first-time installation, you can have fun deciding on whether a free standing or built-in bathtub is right for you, or just a standing shower alone. Space is an issue, but so is the durability and the materials used. Most interior designers agree that a bathroom’s color scheme should be neutral and calming, so muted pastels or other lighter colors (think lemon yellows, lime greens, and cream-toned beige) are among the most popular for bath decor.
