Is your toilet a joke - well how low can one sink? A stylish bathroom will be an asset to your home.
Do's and don'ts of bathroom design
Bathroom design is a logical process and an area of interior
design in which good planning and a relatively small expenditure can turn
the 'smallest room in the house' into a chamber where one's ablutions can be
performed in reasonably luxurious surroundings. No matter how tight a
budget you are on or how little space you have, the benefits of a relaxing
bath in a large tub or a massage from a power shower cannot be
under-estimated. So, get your bathroom design right first time around.
Much is obviously going to depend on what space you have available. Here are
a few simple considerations to take into account when planning your bathroom
design.
Before you start your bathroom design, identify where the main foul sewer
manholes are outside your house. If you are going to make a new connection,
it will cost you a lot less and make any future blockages easier to deal
with if you can keep a simple straight line between your sink, toilet and
bidet and the existing manhole. The shorter the distance, the less it will
cost you, the steeper the gradient of the pipe (which needs to be at least 1
in 100) and the less prone your system will be to getting blocked.
With that in mind, try to keep the toilet, bidet and sink fixed to the
outside wall nearest the manhole. Pipes under floors are likely to be of
flattish gradient (and thus liable to block) and cost a fortune to expose
and reinstate.
Hidden or exposed plumbing?
Leave plenty of leg-room around the toilet - it is easy to bunch the
fixtures up too close together and not realise until it is too late.
Locate the toilet as far away from the door and the bath as you can in your
bathroom design.
Choose quality fixtures which do not have rough finishes underneath where
dirt and grime will be trapped.
Think 'disabled' when performing your bathroom design. You may well have to
accommodate a disabled person one day but the very act of doing so will also
encourage you to consider ingress and egress. You should also consider how
easy the taps (faucets in the US) are to operate.
Traditionally, most plumbing (ie copper pipework) would be exposed but the
modern style is to have as much of it hidden as possible. Although this
undoubtedly is more visually appealing, it also makes access to the plumbing
more difficult and expensive. Consequently, think through very carefully
what you want in your bathroom design before work starts.
Locating the shower in a corner will save on costs (assuming the walls are
tiled).
Take time and plan the whole room carefully - everyone can appreciate a well
thought-through bathroom design.