Planning to renovate your family bathroom or building a new home?
Along with Kitchens, Bathrooms are one of the most expensive rooms of the house to renovate or build. With so many fixtures and fittings in a small area and the variety of specialist trades required this is understandable.
To make your life a little bit easier we polled our fabulous FB community on what they feel is the best design decision they’ve made in their family bathroom and compiled them below…read on.
1. Bath
Whilst free-standing baths are all the rage, have you spied the back-to-wall versions?
Making your cleaning life soooo much easier, these baths fit flush against the wall and / or corner, yet have the simple elegance of a free-standing bath with a curved edge facing the room.
See this bathroom renovation by Giuselle Bathrooms with its gorgeous back-to-wall bath.
2. Swivel Bath Spouts
Yep – add this to your tapware list! With children in the bath that ability to swivel that bath spout out the way of little heads is fabulous! Plus bliss if you manage to escape and enjoy a bath yourself.
3. Coloured Tapware
Talking bath spouts and tapware, have you spied all the gorgeous coloured tapware available now? From black, brushed nickel to gold, rose gold and brass, you can really step the wow factor. Many love the brushed nickel for hiding splash marks and adding that more subtle matt finish. Gold adds a punch of luxury and brass is stunning! Options abound to match your style. And don’t forget about shower screen fittings and door hinges.
Check out Highgrove Bathrooms for designer tapware at affordable prices! For added wow and variety of finishes also see Just In Place, Simply Interiors or ABI Interiors.
4. Hand-held Showers
We all love a rain shower, fabulous to stand under and wash away the cares of the day. However include the addition of a hand-hold shower. Brilliant for ‘hosing’ the kids and also fab to assist with cleaning. And really, as much as rain showers are great I don’t find them that good at rinsing out the shampoo – go the hand-hold!
See this stunning shower set and bathroom renovation by Just In Place in Belrose, Sydney
5. Two Basins
To help with crowding in the mornings and the battle to do teeth increase the size of your vanity and allow for two basins. While you’re there, also adjust the size of your mirror to suit (or have two!).
6. Recessed Cabinet
Bathroom cabinets add much needed storage space. Let your builder or bathroom renovator know early on in the planning process so you can have it recessed into your wall. With many options out there, they can be a design feature in their own right or super sleek to fit in with your style. Also consider twin cabinets with mirrors if you have space for a double vanity!
We love these pencil-edged mirror cabinets by Highgrove Bathrooms for their stylish simplicity; you can recess or flush mount them.
7. Powerpoints
Plan these early. They don’t need to be front and center on the wall. You can hide them away in your cabinet or vanity drawers, be tucked under your cabinet, or even on the side of your vanity. Options abound!
8. Long Shower Screens
Wet rooms are becoming more popular as we look to create more spacious family bathrooms. Now, we know shower screens come in 900mm….but don’t do it. You’ll be forever cleaning up the splash! Try to have a minimum of 1000mm, better yet 1100mm.
Bathroom by iRenovate NSW
If you are thinking of an enclosed shower and wondering what type; see our blog here on the different types of shower screens here
9. Heated Towel Rails
Heated towel rails are fabulous for drying towels. Did you know you can now also buy vertical heated bars? Great if you like a sleek look and space is tight. The traditional bathrobe hook is also popular, just make sure you have a couple together on the wall so you can spread your towel over them on cooler days to aid drying.
10. Underfloor Heating
Our audience love underfloor heating, some even say its the best money they have spent on their reno! Recommend the underfloor heating is installed with a timer so it comes on in the early hours of the morning for a few hours, and then in the late afternoon.
11. Smart Toilets & Bidets
EEK! Yes! In today’s environment with elusive toilet paper many are looking to install a hand-hold bidet hose or sprayer, bidet attachment or toilet seat, or even a smart toilet.
Smart toilets are an all-in-one system. Check this one out here.
12. Clothes Hamper
Who finds lovely family members leave their clothes lying everywhere?! To save yourself from scooping up undies, t-shirts and wet towels off the floor see if you have space to incorporate a clothes hamper. Check out this design here from Just In Place – the vanity top has been extended giving both more bench space but also a home for a hamper. Love!
13. Epoxy Grout
Now if you can convince your tiler, and are able to budget for it, we fully recommend epoxy grout in at least the shower / wet areas. Epoxy grout makes cleaning a breeze! No more mold or staining. However it is more difficult to work with than standard grout, so make sure you discuss with your tiler and ensure they are experienced in using it.
14. Lightning is really important!
Lastly lighting is crucial, especially in bathrooms where you need at least two different types – task lighting and ambiance . Try LED recessed strip lighting like this bathroom by Integriti Projects . You could also pair wall sconces either side of the vanity or small pendants.
Allow for plenty of natural light. Consider a skylight if there are no windows. A skylight above the bath / shower can be an amazing feature! Just think of looking up to the clouds rolling over…
So there you go, the 14 BEST Family Friendly Bathroom Design Decisions our renovating mums community have found to be fabulous. If you would like to know more or would like some advice then join our amazing FB community for advice and support.
OR if you are hunting for recommended Bathroom Designers & Renovators in Sydney, check out our trades and services directory.
Happy renovating!