EKBB - Article - Learning curve

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Bathrooms are embracing soft silhouettes and rounded corners for a calm and harmonious vibe

Published: 9th February 2017

There's a subtle style shift going on in our bathrooms and it’s all down to our need for solace, respite and a sense of calm amid today’s hectic lifestyles. For while the sharp lines and slick angular shapes of the super-minimalist bathroom were once our go-to design choice, these are being gently rubbed down in favour of softer curves, organic lines and an altogether more Zen-like spa ambience where we can escape for an hour or two.

Lead image With soft, organic lines, the EauZone Plus curved shower enclosure from Matki offers generous showering space with a sliding door and 10mm solid safety glass. Priced at £2,354

Below The interior, circular shape of the Kaldewei Centro washbasin is based on the brand’s bath of the same name, for harmonious design. In steel enamel with a bespoke wood top, it costs from £857

‘The word harmony is currently being used as a catalyst for the top trends in 2017,’ explains Nancy Straughan, interior designer at London-based luxury bathroom emporium, Hugo Oliver. ‘Many people are now looking to create bathrooms that provide a peaceful sanctuary away from the stresses of everyday life. So, to create this ‘harmonious’ look try seeking out basins and bathtubs that all feature beautiful curved design elements.’

Below This classic, curvaceous London bath is made from Lucite with a painted PVC surround in Sand. It costs £1,999, from Burlington Bathrooms.

Design experts agree that curvaceous freestanding baths, cylindrical taps and curved cabinets all play their part in creating an effortless, laid-back bathroom space that suits our demand now for a softer, more relaxed silhouette. To sum up, curves are back. ‘A bathroom with fewer hard edges is less clinical and can be much easier on the eye,’ says Giulia Montagnani, designer at Day True, exclusive UK supplier of the Rexa brand. ‘Clients have much more freedom to play with the design given that the basins, bathtubs and toilets don’t strictly need to fit into corners or align with windows or doors.’ However, adds Montagnani, curved bathrooms are often made up of freestanding pieces and can’t be installed flush with each other, so generally need larger spaces to work.

Below Exuding a Zen-like calm, the Neutra Spa bath, £30,154, is carved from a block of Basaltina, a grey lava stone with a granular texture. Shown here with the shallow Nest basin in Bianco Carrara stone, £1,373, all from C.P. Hart.

Craig Senel of The Furniture Union has also witnessed a renaissance in rounded edges which bring with them many benefits for the bathroom designer and homeowner alike: ‘Curves work with curves just as well as straight lines while curved cabinets can be fitted into tight spaces without looking too cramped and forced into place.’ It’s a versatile look, it appears, with the new generation of curves suiting all styles and sizes and mixing with straighter, squarer lines if you don’t want to go all out on the trend.

Below The gently rounded Curvo bathroom furniture by Dansani comes in Matt Graphite, Grey Rubber lacquer for an extra tactile finish. Basin unit costs from £1,762, and wall unit from £1,099, all The Bathroom Shop.

‘If you’re not looking to completely change your bathroom, go for a freestanding bath designed with softness in mind,’ adds Straughan. ‘If you don’t have the space for a tub, why not install a shower screen that features a curved door design. And if you love your current bathroom but you’d like to bring in this ‘harmony’ trend, simply look out for curved accessories, like storage and mirrors, with rounded shapes and soft lines.’

Article by: Lara Sargent

How to maximise your bathroom budget

Read article : How to maximise your bathroom budget

Whether your bathroom budget is big or small, be sure to maximise it with expert design tips, detailed planning and smart shopping.

Image: Clearwater Baths (01322 473 222; clearwaterbaths.com)

Your bathroom might be the smallest room in the house, but it’s easy for a refurbishing budget to spiral out of control. So how to make your money go further without compromising on style? Affordable products, reining in additional costs and ensuring your design works hard all help to stretch a budget. Start by working out which areas are worth investing in and where you can be thrifty, as well as the finishing touches that will take your project to the next level.

Where to spend

Shopping online makes it feel as if there are bargains to be had, but some buys are better value than others. Most experts agree that good brassware is worth the investment, especially if replacing valves further down the line means damaging walls to access them. ‘Taps are the only true mechanical component, so durability and reliability are key,’ says Phil Etherden, managing director at The Albion Bath Company (01255 831 605; albionbathco.com). ‘Remember that the fitting costs of expensive or bargain products will be the same, and that if you buy cheap, you buy twice.’ Spend on showers, too. They need to be able to withstand daily use, and they could save money on water and energy bills if they have eco settings or are thermostatic.

Image: DesignWright (designwright.co.uk)

It’s also worth allocating some of your budget to storage. Buy units that are durable – essential when you consider how many times a day doors and drawers will be opened.

Where to save

Timeless white sanitaryware tends to be inexpensive, but do check its quality. ‘It’s vital to shop carefully as there are low-cost imports that will not give long service,’ says Howard Birch, director at Aston Matthews (020 7226 7220; astonmatthews.co.uk). ‘Cheap ceramicware can have bubbles and faults that result in stains or cracks, while bargain cast-iron baths may have a thin enamel finish that will chip.’ The style of sanitaryware will also affect fitting costs: although wall-hung designs look striking, they may need false walls to conceal brackets, so floorstanding items can be more economical.

Image: Roca (01530 830 080; uk.roca.com)

Mixing affordable buys with pricier elements will give your design a high-end feel. ‘If you’ve found an expensive tile that you love, try incorporating it as an accent alongside a neutral, cheaper tile to get a luxurious look,’ says James Holt, co-founder of Holt (020 8878 2555; holtgroup.co.uk). ‘Similarly, think about how you use materials. Granite countertops come with a hefty price tag, but you can save by buying a slab with imperfections that can be hidden by your basin or taps.’

Low-profile shower trays are a way to create the style of a wet room without the cost of tanking, while framed enclosures are cheaper than frameless. If you’re including a tub, there is a wide range of good-value and sized-down acrylic baths. Available in many shapes, they are low maintenance, keep water warmer for longer and often come in design-led styles.

Image: Topps Tiles (0800 783 6262; toppstiles.co.uk)

What’s new?

A wider choice of products makes creating the look you want more achievable. ‘For example, developments in the manufacture of acrylic have allowed for a more affordable alternative to cast iron, copper and tin previously used to make freestanding baths,’ says Tina Robinson, product manager at Heritage Bathrooms (0330 026 8503; heritagebathrooms.com). ‘We can now apply a more detailed design concept, including different lacquered finishes, plus it’s a lighter material, meaning no floor reinforcement is required.’

Technologies that have previously been the preserve of high-end bathrooms are starting to filter into the middle market. These include integral lighting, Bluetooth speakers, rimless WCs, charging sockets, colour-changing LEDs, de-misting functions and digital technologies. ‘Certain digital showers come with wireless controls, which gives more  exibility on the location of the shower valve,’ says Chris Taylor, a designer at Bristan (0330 026 6273; bristan.com).

In high-end bathrooms, luxurious finishes such as black and rose-gold brassware and silk-matt surfaces are becoming more popular. Ultra-thin edges for basins and baths, fully flush shower surfaces and pared-back cabinetry are the newest additions to many ranges, with composites and metallic finishes allowing adventurous shapes.

Image: Victorian Plumbing (0800 862 0878; victorianplumbing.co.uk)

Words: Rachel Ogden

Planning a Bathroom Layout - Better Homes and Gardens

Read article : Planning a Bathroom Layout - Better Homes and Gardens

Planning a Bathroom Layout

Large or small, every bath needs a good floor plan to shine. Here are some tips to a zen, space-saving layout.

Privacy, Please
If you have a generously sized space, a separate toilet compartment is the ultimate in privacy, but it does have drawbacks: Solid walls make the overall room feel smaller, and many people find a toilet closet claustrophobic. There are other ways to enhance privacy and comfort. Just placing the toilet out of the direct line of sight--off to one side of the doorway or protected by the vanity--can make a "big difference mentally," says Lori Jo Krengel, a certified master kitchen and bath designer in St. Paul. One of her favorite options is a privacy panel made of tempered glass, with a sandblasted design that obscures views without blocking light. "It's beautiful, and it takes up very little floor space," she says.

A Vanity Affair
Every bath needs a sink, but choosing one sink or two deserves some pondering. "Think about how you use the bath," Krengel says. "If two people are actually getting ready at the same time, and both need the sink, then two sinks make sense." Otherwise, consider having two roomier grooming stations -- with a completely separate makeup vanity -- and just one sink to share for tooth brushing and hand washing. "You can tailor the storage to each person's needs and maximize the space if you don't need a second sink," she says. Plus, you'll have only one sink to clean. Don't forget good vanity lighting. Sconces on both sides of the mirror produce less shadow on your face than a single light from above.

Bathing Beauty
If you like soaking, a separate tub is a welcome luxury. A bump-out tub bay is a popular choice, but you can also bump in, creating a central tub niche flanked by built-in storage or by compartments for a shower and toilet. Not everyone prefers a tub, however. These days, many homeowners are trading their underused whirlpool or tub-shower combo for a more luxurious walk-in shower. Most real estate experts agree: As long as you have at least one tub in the house, it's OK for resale purposes to eliminate a second tub.

Plumbing Practicalities
Ultimately, your layout will depend on the constraints of your space--and your budget. Remodeling costs tend to soar when you start moving plumbing lines. Just switching an adjacent sink and toilet could set you back $1,500, Krengel says. "Moving the whole vent stack is the real big-ticket item," she says. "If you have to do that, it could be $5,000 to $10,000." You need a licensed plumber to assess your home's particulars, but in general, these final tips will help keep plumbing costs down:
-- Keep new bathrooms close to existing plumbing--either directly adjacent when on the same level of the house or stacked in a multilevel plan.
-- Consolidate plumbing within the bath. Go with a single "wet wall" or an L-shape "wet zone" made up of two adjacent walls (more on wet walls below).
-- In cold climates, be wary of pipes in an exterior wall--they can freeze, burst, and cause horrific water damage.