How do you ensure your bathroom fixtures are practical as well as pretty?
Designing a bathroom is never an easy task, no matter how small your bathroom renovation may be. From making sure you've organised your tradie timeline, ensuring all your supplies have arrived at the right stages, and planning your bathroom layout—there's a lot of thought that goes into it.
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To help you make sure that the fixtures you're fitting into your bathroom are the perfect balance of form and function, we've created this handy shopping guide for the shower and bathtub.
SHOWER
Think about style versus substance in shower design. "Rail showers are a practical family choice as they have adjustable height variations. They're good for showers where the water inlet position is fixed, but adjustable arms and locking nuts can make them look messy," says Luke Di Michiel, industrial designer at Caroma. "Fixed showers provide a cleaner look. Rain showers are a luxe alternative; they're positioned overhead and spray a concentrated stream of water, so might not be suited to young families."
Choose safety features. "Shower mixers often offer a temperature-limiting function," says Leonie Brickwood, industrial designer at Caroma. "This is useful for family bathrooms."
Get swayed by novelty features. "Different spray options might seem like an added bonus but for the majority of people, the novelty wears off and they stick with their favourite 'normal' setting," says Leonie.
BATH
Choose the right material for your bathtub. Fibreglass baths are inexpensive but susceptible to stains and mould. Acrylic and steel enamel baths are more durable and scratch resistant. Beware of cast-iron tubs as they're very heavy, and may require extra support in the subfloor.
Be practical. If you're planning on installing a shower over the bath, ensure it's a special 'shower bath'. These have a flat bottom so you're less likely to slip, and also give you more standing space. "'Tiled-flange' options allow the bath edge to be tiled into the wall, ensuring water spray from the shower runs into the bath," says Luke. "This is great for tight spaces, too."
Get carried away. "There's nothing worse – or harder to clean – than a freestanding bath that's been crammed into a small bathroom," says Leonie. "If your space is small, consider a back-to-wall freestanding bath. This will give the look you're after but can be installed flush against a wall, saving space and making it easy to clean."
Source: homestolove.com.au
