Design Basics for the Bathroom

Ideas to guide your plan

When you’re standing in the middle of a disastrous bathroom, it might be difficult to know where to begin to change it. Even though your new design should take into account the existing structure, it may be best if you get as far away from the room as possible when you want to brainstorm new breathtaking elements that will make everyone forget what was there before.

Great Inspirations

Many of the greatest ideas get there start in something real. I’m not talking about loving your sister-in-law’s bathroom so much that you decide to use all the same design elements in your own, but rather about taking some inspiration from an element you find somewhere in your world and then building on it. Whether it’s a fabric you’re charmed by or an old medicine cabinet that you retrieved from your grandmother’s house, let something you love be the inspiration for your bathroom design, and then let your mind wander with the possibilities. After all, you’ll spend a lot of time in there, and you deserve to love the space you’re in!

Bathroom Layout

Plumbing lines and budgets might limit your ability to change the layout of an existing bathroom, but if you’re designing from scratch or you have the opportunity to move plumbing and change your bathroom layout, there are some things you need to know about placement. If you ask the right questions, you’ll know how to change the layout to best suit your needs.

Bathroom Design Elements

The elements you include in your bathroom design will depend on who is going to use it and what is most important to them. How the user values privacy, serenity, access and style can affect the decision to use certain products and materials as well as the function of the bathroom itself. From counter heights to shower style, bathroom design elements will affect the comfort of the user.

Foundations of the Bathroom

Whether you’re planning a complete remodel or a quick makeover, there are fundamental bathroom props that you can’t get around incorporating into your new design. Toilets, tubs and sinks are the purpose of the room and take up most of the space, but you don’t have to let them define that space for you. Minimize their appearance by choosing pedestal sinks and water-efficient toilets, or let them take a more solid role by choosing a Victorian vanity or a claw-footed tub.