Bathroom design has come a long way. It is a wonderful period in design with so many options available. In this blog we have added images of some bathroom designs we just love, added a few notes of history and make some practical suggestions. After all bathrooms need to be very functional as well as beautiful.

In Ancient Greece bathrooms were more modern that some bathrooms of the 1800s era. They had decorative bathtubs and basins with running water and water flushing toilets. The ancient Romans, Chinese, Indians and Egyptians all had sophisticated bathrooms. The first modern siphon-jet toilet developed in the 1800s is still in use today.

 Some tips for a great bathroom

1. Workout the position of the bath first as this is the largest item in the bathroom
2. Make sure there is a wall space for a towel-rail near the bath
3. Select water saving options
4. Leave enough room in front of the basin to allow easy access to the vanity beneath at least 80cm
5. Position the bathroom door so it swings away from not toward the basin
6. Position the toilet away from the door if possible
7. Create good storage space this will help keep clutter at bay

How to make the bathroom appear bigger

1. Use large floor to ceiling tiles
2. Mirrors can add a sense of depth, width and length add more light making the room appear larger
3. Large plain light colored floor and wall tiles will also make the bathroom appear bigger
4. Select wall hung basins, vanities and toilets this will reveal the floor making the room appear more spacious
5. Frameless shower panels can make the room appear larger
6. Use a sliding bathroom door to enter the bathroom instead of hung doors
7. Place the window close to the ceiling to free up wall space

Today designers are encouraged to design bathrooms with universal design in mind. The aim is to make sure bathrooms are easily accessible to all people; no matter what their age or physical abilities. This can be achieved in a number of ways. The floor should be slip resistant and level with no steps. Semi recessed basins placed at 80cm from the floor would be suitable for all even someone in a wheelchair.

Four pronged star shaped taps are suitable for all users however, mixer taps are also suitable. Many showers are 90cm by 90cm in size however a better size would be 120cm by 120cm. Wet room style shower bathrooms work well because they are level making it easy to get in and out of the space. Grab rails placed 80cm from the floor are considered good design practice. The usual toilet or toilet bathroom is 90cm wide by 120cm long, this is considered too small by universal design practitioners. Following universal design principles in the design stages can save money in the long run.