The greatest advance in bathroom style over the last 10 years is the many colours and shapes of furniture which are now available. You can get everything from painted oak doors, high gloss, matt and the very popular satin finish & curved doors.
The client’s need for storage has motivated many more manufacturers to increase what they previously offered with far more sizes, shapes and colours being available.
There are two different styles of furniture, fitted and free-standing and both offer traditional and contemporary versions. All furniture serves two functions, one to provide storage and the other is to conceal pipework and cisterns. Fitted furniture is normally used in smaller bathrooms as it does not reduce your bathroom footprint.
Think about what you would like to store in your bathroom and don’t forget to include spares. You don’t want to be running to other parts of the house soaking wet and dripping when the shampoo or shower gel runs out.
If you have young children in the house you may be want to consider a higher wall cabinet which they can’t reach, to store razors, medication etc. For floor level cabinets you can also get childproof locks for peace of mind.
The size of your bathroom will determine the type of furniture you can have and the layout may also influence your choices.
If you want to provide an illusion of space we have found that all furniture will give the appearance of increasing space, however, by tidying up all the pipework and installing wall-mounted furniture the space visible underneath the units provides an even greater feel of space.
Using colours or textures in furniture can bring diversity into your bathroom. You can use furniture as accent pieces, and different shaped basins will also alter the look of many forms of furniture.
And finally, another area to think about is handles when purchasing furniture. If you choose a door that requires a handle then your choice of handles may alter the whole feeling of the furniture and your overall design. Don’t always go for the one that is shown in the brochure as that was someone else’s choice.
Ask your Designer to explain all the variations of Bathroom furniture available and discuss how the space will be used and let them know the final look you are trying to achieve. The overall appearance you are looking for will affect your bathroom layout.
