Whether you are doing up a house to make it more attractive to prospective buyers or you are looking to create a relaxing and stylish environment in which you can enjoy pampering yourself, designing the perfect bathroom can yield fantastic results when done properly. Most people will have an idea of the kind of bathroom they are looking to design - this might be a simple white bathroom suite, or a glamorous stone and glass affair- but there are a few simple tips to bear in mind when designing the perfect bathroom to make sure that you get it absolutely right.

Look at the space

Although the bathroom is a key room for most of us, the space it is squeezed into tends to be pretty small in most houses and flats. Designing the perfect bathroom means taking the space that you do have and making the most of it. Your bathroom might be small but that does not mean it has to be a cluttered, dusty space - it can still feel luxurious. Look at all the fittings that are available for smaller bathrooms; from wall hung sinks to corner basins and baths, shower baths and vanity units for space saving storage, there are plenty of options out there for reducing the amount of space your fittings use. Carefully plan where everything should be installed in the bathroom and go for space saving designs where possible. For example, installing a back to the wall toilet means you can put shelves above without taking any blank space from the room; and cupboards under a basin will do the same. Of course, if you have a large room then you need to make bold statements - look for a large, free standing bath, additional storage units, or even something like a chaise longue.

Consider the scheme

It may seem fussy but the colour scheme of your bathroom will make a huge difference to the eventual feel and appearance that it has. Most bathrooms will benefit from being fitted out with matching fittings - either in the same colour or those that are complimentary. You can give a small room a more organized feel by having matching fittings and a large space will tend to feel much calmer. Monochrome is a popular theme for stand out bathrooms, as is the natural stone 'spa' look. If you want to make a statement you could also consider wallpaper in the colours of your scheme.

Be practical

It is very easy to get carried away choosing a giant walk in shower or planning a statement wall for the room, but there are also a number of practicalities that need to be taken into consideration to make sure everything in the room will function properly when designing the perfect bathroom. Check the water pressure to see what kinds of products are required - a gravity feed system may just not deliver if used with some fittings. Find out how much water storage you have and see if you need to increase hot and cold water tank capacity. Plan to install an extractor fan to reduce things like mildew and increase ventilation in the room. What kind of flooring will you have in the bathroom? Carpeting can be kinder to feet on cold winter mornings but tiling is certainly the most practical option. Do you want to invest in a lighting system with a dimmer switch? One that automatically turns on when you enter? Or a simple pull switch light?

Extras

If you have a decent budget for designing the perfect bathrooms then there are some extras that are worth considering to give your bathroom that luxurious edge. Under floor heating is a great idea for a room like a bathroom, which is notoriously cold on those chilly winter mornings when you have just emerged from a warm bed. Large shower heads are a touch of extra luxury and provide an excellent level of pressure that can feel like a soothing massage. If your bathroom is specifically for couple use, why not consider double basins or a double bath. A walk in shower is a great idea to give a room a feeling of additional space and skylights will add light to a room and open it up.

Whatever the look you are going for and whatever the budget you have, designing the perfect bathroom is easy to do. There is such a wide range of products available - and at such a huge range of prices - that most dream bathrooms can be made a reality with a bit of research. Most of all, designing the perfect bathroom should be enjoyable, so have a bit of fun with it!

Massive range of everything you will need for your bathroom.

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