Todd Nesnick
When you are a homeowner, the two best renovations with the highest return are the kitchen and the bathroom. If you are purchasing a new home, you have the opportunity to design those rooms to suit your tastes. Whether you own a home already or are going to purchase one, the design of a bathroom can be an exciting undertaking. Where do you start with your design? There are so many options and items that you may not be sure where to get started.
The Basics
You will want your bathroom to have all the items in it to make it completely functional. This means a sink and vanity combination, a toilet, a shower, a bathtub, and a bidet (optional, but now being installed in most modern bathrooms). The starting point is to measure the space and then layout your design to determine where each item will fit into the room. You may be limited on options if your plumbing is already installed, but it could be moved if you want to take that on. You will also need to decide on colours for the room and the type of flooring you want to install.
A modern bathroom is sleek, elegant and has a minimalistic design. You want to have clean lines, minimal colors, geometric shapes and the best quality. It does not matter if your bathroom is large or small, a modern bathroom design can transform it into a luxurious space that is designed for relaxation. You use your bathroom every day and you want it to be designed to be suited to your personal taste and style. Modern bathroom style could be what you need, and the elements included in the modern style are:
- Neutral colors
- Minimalist fixtures
- Freestanding bathtub
- Floating toilet
- Floating vanity
- Modern mirror
- Geometric tiles
- Mirrors and lighting that are streamlined
Neutral Colors
Neutral colors are the best choice when it comes to your modern bathroom design. White brings light into your space while marble tiles can help to soften up the appearance of the room while keeping it looking elegant. White is not the only color that you can use, to achieve the overall look and design. You can combine colors, such as black and white or use grey. You can also use neutral shades of beige with wood accents to provide a spa atmosphere. Black and white offers a dramatic contrast. Dark shades of color can make your bathroom appear larger. You want to choose dark shades of green, grey, or blue to improve the look of the bathroom and make it more modern looking.
Minimalist Fixtures
When you are designed a bathroom and you want it to look modern, the basic rule to follow is simplicity. You do not want to use fixtures that are overly complicated or fancy because they will be out of style in a few short years. Go for fixtures that are wall mounted and install faucets that have a single handle or two handles. Any fixture or appliance that has a lot of detail is going to look outdated in a short amount of time and is not recommended.
Freestanding Bathtub
Having a freestanding bathtub is one of the main elements to a modern bathroom. The tub is the focal point of the room, like an artwork. Modern tubs come in many sizes and shapes and are usually oval, rectangular, or designed to fit into a corner. Try to avoid tubs that have feet, a lot of curves and other details if you are working on going with a more modern style. Larger tubs with an oval shape seem to work the best in modern bathrooms. These offer a good option for those who like to soak in a tub.
Floating Toilet
A floating toilet adds an ultra-modern element. These are best in a larger bathroom space and are great for keeping a bathroom space compact and free of clutter. Since floating toilets do not have the added cistern on the top and a pan footprint, they offer a lighter option and make even a small bathroom seem larger and more luxurious. Floating toilets are not widely in use by a lot of people, but they may not be aware that these are a great option for their modern bathroom design.
Floating Vanity
A floating vanity has many useful qualities including that it works well in either a smaller space or a larger one and helps to keep the area free of clutter. Light colors and wood are good options for these vanities with a shiny white gloss paint finish being a good option. Floating vanities do not have a bottom edge and provide a more modern look since there are less “defined edges.”
Modern Mirror
The modern mirror is no longer contained inside of a frame. Instead, it floats on the wall and takes up most, but not all the wall over the vanity. On either side of the mirror is the ideal area to place lighting. The modern mirror is larger than the traditional mirror and has an updated appearance. A modern mirror instantly adds a much-needed updated element to a bathroom and is also what provides a “finished” look to the room.
Geometric Tile Shapes
Geometric tiles are a great option for your modern bathroom because they provide an updated appearance to your space. They offer clean lines and visual interest without the fancy elements. You can tile your floor, the walls of the shower and the backsplash of your vanity. Great options for this include stacked, staggered, herringbone and penny style tiles. If you want a more relaxing space, choose larger format tiles. If you are very undecided, it is always a good option to obtain a lot of tile samples and compare them to one another in the space where they will be installed.
Streamlined Lighting and Mirrors
The lighting in your bathroom needs to work functionally so that you can do your basic grooming activities such as applying make up and shaving. You want the lines to be clean and geometric for all the mirrors that you have in your bathroom. A modern bathroom mirror has no frame. Backlit mirrors make a great option because they remove shadows from around your face. If you do not need extra lighting around the mirror, it can be a good way to save space. The standard option of a medicine cabinet with a mirror is a good option. The option of a mirror with no cabinet is also a good one, but you will want a mirror that is around 70% the width of your bathroom vanity so that you can add sconces on either side to frame the mirror. Bar lighting is a great choice because it provides clean lines and is generally long and narrow. Most modern bathrooms have recessed lighting which is ambient and is great for specific areas of the bathroom. These recessed lights are good for your toilet and shower areas and the border of the ceiling can also have recessed lights that will light up the whole room. You want to include natural lighting in the room with big windows and skylights which add functionality to update your bathroom.
If you have difficulty in matching items or finding the right appliances, fixtures and colors for your bathroom, you can look at pictures of completed bathrooms to give you ideas. Manufacturers of certain bathroom items have lines of products that go well with each other and are often presented in photos or in stores so that you can see what the result is if you choose those options.
The starting point is to choose the colors and design of your bathroom. If you are renovating, you will need to remove everything and begin from scratch. If you are not ready to do this yourself, you can enlist an experienced company to assist you with the process. Don’t worry, you will still have plenty of input from choosing the colors and fixtures to selecting the trim and tiles that are to be installed into your bathroom. Once you have decided that you are ready to begin, make sure that you have everything already lined up and ready to go. It is always a good option to have more than one bathroom so that you will have a place to use while one is being renovated. The completed space is one that will provide you with many years of relaxation and pleasure in the process of self-care. Once your bathroom is updated or decorated in the modern style you will be happy that you decided to go with that option and will have many people admiring it as well.