Your home should be your refuge from the outside world, where you can be yourself and relax. Every room in your home should be designed to enhance your lifestyle, and the bathroom design is no exception. The bathroom is where you start and end your day and is at least as important as other home living spaces. This very personal space is an oasis where you should be able to relax, gather your thoughts for the day ahead, and clear your mind before bed.
Create a space that starts with functionality and add stylish elements that prioritize comfort. Top it off with accessories and colors that promote a sense of zen and make you immediately feel at home. Bring in soft and natural light, add elements of nature, and make it a simple, easy to maintain space to minimize stress. With an efficient layout, ample storage, quality materials, and a personal touch, your bathroom remodel will be your favorite room in your home.
Functionality First
The foundation of any design is the layout, which also ensures that you maximize the value of your room’s footprint. A room that has ample storage ensures you can keep the room clutter-free, and one with clean lines and quality materials is easier to maintain and clean during the many years you will use this space. Think about where you will position your storage, so you have plenty of space to hide away items you don’t want visible while having essential items close at hand. The last thing you want while relaxing in the tub is to have to climb out to get your soap or towels.
Examine the size of your bathroom design and decide what you will be able to include. Vanity storage is a must, and ideally should be sized for the number of users of the space. If you have a large enough bathroom, you could include both a bathtub and a shower, but if not decide which is more important to your enjoyment. Start with a functional, efficient space that meets your family’s needs, and then add a style, color scheme, and materials that bring out your personal tastes.
Design for Your Life
You are creating a bathroom design for your family and your home life, not for a design showroom. Think about who will use the space, how frequently, and in what way. Will the bathroom be used by more than one person? Will it be used by adults exclusively or will kids be using it too? Does anyone using the bathroom have limited mobility?
These and other considerations will influence the type and amount of storage you need, the materials you incorporate, what type of bathtub or shower you include, and more. There is no point designing a bathroom ready for the pages of a magazine if it doesn’t fit your lifestyle, your family, and your home life. Remember you have to live in this space and will only find it relaxing if you are comfortable with the style and functionality of it.
For example, you may love the look of a freestanding tub but if no one in your family enjoys a bath, you would be better off using that space to create a large, luxury shower. A minimal vanity cabinet that prioritizes open storage may appeal to your sensibilities but will leave your space cluttered if you don’t create enough storage for the needs of your family members who will use it.
Minimize Clutter
It’s impossible to relax in a space that is cluttered and chaotic, so the first step in creating your relaxing bathroom design is to completely clear out your room. Dispose of anything that is out of date, broken, or no longer used. Take everything that is left and decide what needs to stay in the bathroom and what could instead be stored in a linen closet or utility room. Now you know exactly what you really need to have in your freshly styled bathroom design.
In a full bathroom remodel, discuss your storage needs with your design expert and they will help you create customized storage solutions for everything you need. This will ensure that everything you need in your bathroom always has a place and you can easily find each bottle of shampoo, tube of toothpaste, and hairbrush when you need it. Combine this uncluttered space with the clean lines of a sophisticated design and you will have a truly relaxing space that will become a retreat within your home.
Maximize Comfort
Get your priorities straight when planning a relaxing bathroom design. Choose design features and materials that maximize the comfort of your space, so you look forward to entering your soothing space. In a large shower, add a custom-built bench where you can sit and enjoy the steam. If you have space in an expansive bath design, consider adding a wooden bench outside the shower or even a comfortable armchair near a window. Include a bench or chair at a make up vanity for a relaxing place to sit while you get ready for the day ahead.
Freestanding tubs are the ultimate in relaxation when it comes to bathtubs, especially one designed to support the curve of the body for the most comfortable bath time experience. In a shower, maximize the space as much as possible, include a bench, and add a multiple showerheads such as a rainfall and handheld or massaging shower panel.
Keep it Simple
Clean lines, classic or contemporary styles, and a simple color scheme are the perfect choice for a soothing style in a bathroom remodel. A uniform appearance creates a sense of calm, and this can be easily achieved in a bathroom design by keeping your materials and color scheme simple.
Swap out subway or mosaic tiles for large format tile or slab materials that give your bathroom clean lines and an uncluttered appearance. Minimizing grout lines also means your bathroom design is lower maintenance, which is certainly a boost for relaxation!
A simple color scheme in neutral tones is easy on the eyes and promotes relaxation. Go for the bright white of a spa style space paired with fluffy robes and slippers for the full spa experience. Cool, gray tones create a contemporary style that is softer than white and easy on the eyes. Natural wood paired with beige or brown tones evokes a natural feel that brings soothing warmth to your bathroom. Add contrasting color in small ways like towels or accessories to create visual interest without interrupting the clean lines of your relaxing color scheme.
Another way to create simple, clean lines in a bathroom design is by installing a more open shower style. A walk-in shower with a custom glass enclosure, or better yet a fully open shower, gives your room a clear, uncluttered appearance. It allows light to shine through your space and leaves your stylish tile and other materials open to the rest of the room.
Go for Quality
Quality materials create a sense of luxury and sophistication in any design without being fussy. Depending on your budget, choose materials that will have the biggest impact on your bathroom design. For example, porcelain wood look tile paired with underfloor heating brings the look of nature in a durable material with the warmth of underfloor heating for a perfect, relaxing combination. If you love a soothing shower, invest in top quality tiles and a custom glass enclosure to create an oasis of calm that you will enjoy every day. Pick the best materials your budget allows and focus on areas that will enhance your lifestyle.
Bring in Nature
A connection to nature promotes a feeling of calm in any room in your home, and the bathroom design is no exception. Natural materials are a perfect place to start with wood and stone ideal choices for a bathroom. Consider adding a river rock floor to your shower for a natural, soothing effect under foot in the shower.
Allow natural light to shine in through large windows and if your windows look out onto a beautiful view take advantage of this by minimizing window coverings. Neutral color schemes as well as blues and greens are ideal tones to create a natural feel in your bathroom.
Plants work very well in a bathroom design, creating an obvious connection to nature, while also boosting your mood, producing oxygen, and helping to purify the air. Carefully select plants that work well in a humid environment and so will thrive well in your busy bathroom.
Water is at the center of a bathroom’s functionality, but with the right bathroom fixtures water can become a key factor in enhancing the relaxing atmosphere of your room. Rainfall showerheads give the natural feeling of standing in the rain while you are showering. Waterfall spouts for tub or sink faucets have the appearance of water naturally flowing from a waterfall, with both a pleasing sound and appearance.
Light it Up
Lighting is key to every bathroom design, but a relaxing bathroom must achieve the perfect balance of necessary task lighting and soft, ambient light to ensure you create a soothing atmosphere. Start with natural light through windows and skylights that provide necessary illumination and bring vitamin D into your room. Layer lighting with sconces, pendants, or chandeliers, plus recessed lights, especially paired with a dimmer switch so you can target and change your lighting levels depending on your needs. A backlit mirror is another ideal option that provides the perfect level of light around a mirror without glare and gives the soft appearance that your mirror is floating.
Accessorize Mindfully
Stick to simple, natural accessories that promote a sense of mindfulness. Incorporate natural materials and soft textiles to evoke the feeling of your favorite spa. Fluffy towels and bathmats bring comfort to your bathroom. Candles and essential oil diffusers help boost your mood and create an atmosphere of calm. Add some meaningful items that evoke happy memories or just bring a smile to your face.
Combine a highly functional layout with quality materials, ample storage, and soft lighting for the ideal relaxing bathroom design. Give your space a soothing backdrop with a neutral color scheme and add natural elements and accessories to personalize your space. Contact us today to start planning your ideal relaxing bathroom design!
