Quickfire Bathroom Design Tips
Designing from scratch, or even planning to renovate or refresh your bathroom can seem like a daunting task. Modern? Traditional? Bold or minimal? With so many temptingly beautiful bathroom images circulating in magazines, on social media, or our friends' Pinterest boards, it can be difficult to know where to start - or how to achieve a practical yet well-styled suite.
We caught up with Tom and took a tour around his Grand Designs bathroom to discover exactly how he created a relaxing yet family-functional space.
BALANCE FORM AND FUNCTION
Bathrooms are often the smallest rooms in a house, so, to make the most of the space, every inch must be carefully considered. Of course, this doesn’t mean you have to compromise on style. We asked Tom how he achieved this balance in his own home...
TR: Danielle and I tried to design the bathroom so as to make it future proof. Once you've got children it has to be a communal, functional space, but we also wanted it to be relaxing for us too. Space planning was important, to make sure that all five of us could be in there if needs be - three in the bath, plus room to brush teeth and read a story.
For us, including a bath was essential. Especially as once you have a bath there's the option to add a shower over the bath whereas opting for just a shower can be limiting.
CHOOSE THE RIGHT MATERIALS
Choosing which materials to use in your bathroom can be tricky. They must be both easy to clean and aesthetically pleasing. How did you decide which materials would work in your bathroom?
TR: "For us, wood was the perfect choice. A natural material that would be hard-wearing and durable was our main priority, and we loved the idea of having a bathroom reminiscent of a Nordic spa. It also reminds us of a sauna which adds to the Scandinavian feel.
Wood also has an amazing ability to retain heat which is really important throughout the winter months. In our bathroom, we used beech, ash, Norwegian spruce and sweet chestnut from our own woodland. Large sheets might noticeably warp or distort when subjected to heat or humidity, but our cladding is made up of individual pieces that can move independently of each other, we haven't had any issues yet!"
CREATE YOUR OWN STYLE
How did you make sure your bathroom reflected your own interior style?
TR: We love to feel connected to nature. This is reflected in the woodland around our home and also in the designs of our lighting and furniture ranges. We wanted our bathroom to reflect this, which is why we chose to use so much wood in the panelling. We've also used stone and other natural materials - the concrete basin for instance works well with the muted tones and brings a great masculine edge. Our Urchin Pendant also creates lovely patterns of shadow when dimmed, which is very relaxing.
Posted: 28.01.20
Updated: 28.02.23