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Things to avoid when designing a bathroom
The bathroom is one room in the house that we use every day. Its comfort, hygiene, and convenience are of great importance to our daily lives. You can experience this through remodelling, renovation, or building a new bathroom. While designing a bathroom is one of the practices that improve its quality and give it a visually appealing nature, the process could also be one of the most cumbersome and frustrating.
With poor planning, you may have an incompletely designed bathroom, poor bathroom layout, damages and expenses, and wastage of time. When designing your dream bathroom, there are some mistakes that you can easily make. While some of these mistakes are due to ignorance, some of them may simply be due to the failure to notice important things.
The problem with such errors is that you will end up with a design that does not match your plan or spend way beyond your set budget for the entire design. This article will run through a few of the most common mistakes to avoid when designing a dream bathroom. Let's get right into it!
Hiring a plumber instead of a builder
This is a crucial component of designing a bathroom that most people fail to consider and thus end up with incomplete or inefficient work done. It is worth noting that a plumber deals with pipework and installing fixtures. However, plumbers are not in the best position to handle some parts of bathroom design.
On the other hand, builders have expertise in both the demolition and completion of buildings. Therefore, hiring a builder or bathroom designer who will understand what you want, the bathroom layout you prefer, and anything else you need to have in the bathroom would be better for certain design aspects.
This means that you will have to keep communicating with your builder and plumber to ensure that all you need to be done in the bathroom is completed to avoid incomplete work or spending beyond your budget for the bathroom design.
Being unaware of what you can and cannot do
Designing a bathroom involves both DIY work and the services of a professional bathroom designer. However, it is essential that you know the kind of design you want to have in your bathroom. If you've got this component covered, you can determine what you can and cannot do in the bathroom design.
For the simple tweaks, you can easily do without expertise. You may go ahead and carry them out with your builder's directions. However, for the things you cannot do, it is best to keep away and let your builder carry them out. Knowing what you can do and doing them will help you cut costs and thus save you some money.
On the other hand, rushing to do what you do not know how to and should not do may cause damage to your bathroom. As a result, you may be forced to spend even more than your budget or have conflicts between you and your builder.
Once again, the most important thing to do is to communicate with your plumber or builder. With their help, you will identify what components of the designing process you could carry out and when to do so to ensure uniformity and compatibility with whatever components they are supposed to carry out.
Placing the toilet in the wrong area
The toilet is essential and cannot be ignored in a bathroom. However, wrongful placement of the toilet in the bathroom may be a mistake that you cannot rectify or will cost too much to correct. Even though most people may not know this, the toilet should not be the first thing that meets the eye when you open the bathroom door.
Similarly, in the attempt to hide the toilet, be cautious enough to ensure that you do not have your toilet in between the cabinets and the walls, as this may make using the toilet uncomfortable.
In whatever way you place your toilet in the bathroom, it would be best to ensure that its location matches the design of other items in the bathroom to provide maximum beauty and space.
Lackluster or insufficient storage
Insufficient storage space for bathroom users in the house is one of the most common bathroom design mistakes that people make with their bathrooms. Even though bathrooms exist in different sizes ranging from small, medium to large, this should not be an excuse for failing to create storage space in the bathroom.
This is because, for every bathroom size, there are various effective storage solutions that you could use. For instance, a great storage solution is the use of vanities that come with storage space. Others, like the use of pedestal sinks, do not have storage spaces but exhibit great beauty in the bathroom.
The primary cause of insufficient storage space in the bathroom is trying to have too many things. When you install too many fittings and fixtures in the bathroom, it becomes too congested. Not only will this impede easier navigation in the bathroom, but it will also impact the ability to effectively and safely store your items in the bathroom.
When designing your bathroom to accommodate sufficient storage space, begin by determining all the items you would like to store in your bathroom, such as towels, toiletries, etc. You can always make modifications to ensure enough storage space in your bathroom. Have you considered including some niches in your bathroom showers? Niches are built-in shelves that could help you store hair shampoos effectively without requiring extra space.
Having storage space with no function
While having storage space in your bathroom is an essential consideration, its use in the bathroom is another important consideration in itself. Having enough storage space that lacks a function is baseless. Therefore, before settling on creating enough storage space in your bathroom, it is best that you know what items you have and which of them you would like to keep in the bathroom.
After determining the items, you would like to keep in the bathroom, allocate the storage space according to the items, ensuring that no space remains underutilised. This will help you declutter your bathroom.
Preference for beauty vs. functionality
Of course, the leading indicator of a great bathroom design is the beauty of the bathroom. However, one should not focus too deeply on the look of the bathroom but at the expense of the bathroom's functionality. You do not want to have an attractive bathroom just for display, one that you cannot use to achieve its purposes.
Therefore, as you prepare to design your bathroom, it would help to consider questions such as, where will you have your toiletries? Where will you hang your towels, and how easily can you access the toilet, shower, or bathtub? Answering these questions before you proceed is imperative to ensure a successful bathroom design.
The internet provides various classic design approaches that can be applied in a bathroom. However, you should always carry out due diligence to ascertain that the approach they choose will accommodate the functionality of your own bathroom. In this regard, it is better for you to consult professionals before choosing a design for your bathroom.
Poor lighting and ventilation
For the purpose of using the bathroom with comfort and ease, a bathroom should have enough lighting. Due to the nature of the bathroom, it is best that you have adequate ventilation for efficient air circulation. Apart from using light bulbs, you could also use large windows to increase the bathroom lighting as well as ventilation.
Similarly, you can consider having extra small windows above the showers to bring in more light from outside to maximise ventilation while still protecting your privacy in the bathroom. If you did not have windows in your bathroom, and there is no chance that you could add some, it would help to use a light colour theme in your bathroom.
This would help you expand the space in the bathroom by making use of natural light. Many people have adopted the use of bathroom exhaust fans to ensure free and adequate air circulation in the bathroom. Plus, installing a bathroom exhaust fan is an effortless task that you can do at home without seeking professional help.
The primary issue is choosing the right exhaust fan for your bathroom. The exhaust fan will help improve the air circulation and do away with any odour and steam from the bathroom.
Failure to create separate zones
We've already discussed the importance of having enough space in the bathroom. However, having enough space does not necessarily let you off the hook for mistakes committed when designing a bathroom. People tend to make many mistakes when the bathroom is too large.
You may have seen a bathroom with plenty of empty space in the middle since all the fixtures and fittings are located along the wall's perimeter. However, there is an excellent way to go about this issue. If you have a big bathroom with plenty of space in the middle, all you need to do is create separate zones to make the bathroom more functional and easier to navigate.
You could have separate zones for the vanity and toilet, the bathtub, and the shower. If you are wondering how to do this without incurring a lot of expenses, you could simply have a stud wall in the middle of the bathroom to create the partitions.
Disregarding the existing infrastructure
When designing a bathroom, most people fail to consider the infrastructure that they already have. Designing a bathroom could be done when getting a new bathroom, during a bathroom renovation, and during a remodel of the bathroom. This leaves room for you to accommodate your existing bathroom furniture after designing your bathroom.
What should you do to ensure that your old bathroom infrastructure and the new one are all accommodated in the bathroom in a way that doesn't leave the bathroom congested? The best approach is to consult with your plumber and builder to ascertain if the new bathroom layout will accommodate the old bathroom infrastructure. However, it would help to be cautious not to go beyond your set budget as you do this.
Not abiding by Australian standards
Most people are fascinated with imported bathroom products such as Italian showerheads that play Vivaldi when operating. There is a belief and perception that imported products are of higher and better quality and provide more beauty and pleasantries in the bathroom.
However, when it comes to fixtures and fittings in the bathroom, you must focus more on the functionality than the appearance. Remember the saying that "looks are deceiving"? Do not get caught up in this situation. The bottom line is that while some of these imported products may be more attractive or even of more outstanding quality than Australian products, you may suffer losses when you fail to conduct due diligence.
The Australian government has specific standards that items must meet; otherwise, the plumber or builder cannot install them. Therefore, blindly purchasing such things that your plumber may not be able to install will only leave you with significant losses and incomplete work.
Ignoring the small details
When designing a bathroom, it is easier to focus on the elephant in the room while turning a blind eye to the smaller details. Sometimes it is not a matter of ignorance but failure to notice such factors. For instance, it is not easy for a person to miss factors such as ensuring enough storage space or the location of the toilet.
However, one will likely fail to catch little details such as the alignment of tiles on the walls and floor, the level of privacy in the bathroom, etc. It is worth noting that these details may be minor but not insignificant. Little details contribute to and determine the quality of your bathroom and the level of success of the end design.
Failing to look at the bigger picture
Designing a bathroom requires ample planning, rationality, and reasonableness. Sorry but this is not the time to just live in the moment! Examples of living in the moment when it comes to bathroom design include choosing very luxurious fittings and fixtures with a short life span and removing essential things in the bathroom to create more space.
For instance, imagine removing a family bathtub to create more space in the middle of the bathroom, especially where the extra space is not completely necessary. Yeah, don't do that.
Overexcitement and doing too much
It's common to feel the need to visit innovative showrooms before designing your bathroom. While this could be an excellent move to obtain bathroom ideas to apply to your bathroom design, it could also be one of the greatest mistakes people make during bathroom designing.
Most showrooms have very attractive bathroom styles, bathroom tiles, fixtures, fittings, etc. These may tempt you to go beyond your budget and buy what you had not planned to purchase before. Afterward, you will be struggling to accommodate all these items in your bathroom.
In such a case, there are high chances that you will miss the suitable scales, mismatch the tiles, or purchase furniture that is not compatible with the bathroom. Showrooms are great, but be sure to visit them with your builder or bathroom designer to ensure alignment. Some bathroom designers have their own showrooms, so you should check theirs instead of a random one.
Overdesigning the bathroom
Many people may not believe it, but it is possible to overdesign your bathroom. Most bathrooms do not have enough space to accommodate all the mirrors, showers, bathtubs, and vanities you would like. Therefore, you must make a decision on what is most important to have and where.
For physical and graphic designs, a "white space" is suitable for the general look of the bathroom. There is a misconception that the more items you have in your bathroom, the more attractive it becomes. Having fewer items placed in the correct positions makes your bathroom more appealing and leaves you with a comfortable space.
Consult a professional early
Designing your bathroom improves its quality, beauty, comfort, and convenience and increases your house's value. A bathroom design project could range from simple and effortless to requiring a lot of labour and costs depending on the extent of the design and preferred bathroom layout. Similarly, the entire process of designing a bathroom involves both professional expertise and DIY approaches.
However, it is best to do your due diligence and make appropriate consultations to determine where and when DIY is required. You must get it right with designing a bathroom. A slight but significant mistake, and the whole process fails to go as planned. You cannot afford to make several design mistakes unless you do not want to achieve the objectives of the bathroom design.
Remember, failing to make the right plans with a reasonable budget could also lead you to spend more money than you had anticipated or, worse, be stuck with an incomplete bathroom because you ran out of money. Several mistakes may also subject you to damages and losses to the extent of inconveniencing you, especially when you cannot use the bathroom.
Most importantly, you should consult with a bathroom designer before you set on the journey to design your bathroom. The expert will help you determine the best bathroom layout for your needs, the approximate budget required, the approximate time for the entire design, and the materials you need to purchase. All this information will help you in planning to avoid making the mistakes listed hereinabove.
