We are well and truly into 2013, we uncluttered while welcoming the new year, creating space for things to come, the kids are back at school and we have looked at colours for the year and design trends too! So what do we do with all this!
Column by Helen Devmac
I think the bathroom is as good a place to start with our design projects for the year. Have you taken a look at your bathroom recently? Do you like what you see or do you perhaps think that there could be room for change?
Bathrooms have sort of taken on a new persona, no longer just functional stark and sparse. There is a whole lot you can do to bring life and sparkle to a tired bathroom. Your bathroom shouldn’t just be the room in which you spend the least time in the morning, you know a quick brush of the teeth and shower and out. Use your bathroom to relax and unwind at the end of a busy day, but in order to do that, the atmosphere has to be just right.
The first thing to consider is the hygiene and care of the bathroom, make it easy to care for, and one of the ways of achieving this is through tiling. Floor to ceiling tiling makes for easy cleaning, simply wiping your walls with a good detergent and disinfectant on a daily basis will do the trick.
Make sure you have good natural light , have additional light fixtures overhead and over the bathroom mirror. Chandeliers and pendants look great in a bathroom too. Ensure that there is air circulating at all times to avoid damp and mildew, hang damp towels out to dry and where possible install heated towel rails and extractor fans.
Decor must be timeless, tasteful
Have practical storage solutions for detergents and toiletries. You could have dark wood glass fronted cabinets installed, for that extra spa feel, with all the detoxing, exfoliating body scrubs and lotions to calm body and mind attractively displayed. Or go for a cheaper option, by using baskets for storage, you can buy these at every street corner in Harare, you have seen the type that look like a set of drawers. They are convenient for bathroom storage along with woven laundry baskets.
Décor must be elegant, timeless and tasteful. You are not going to be decorating and remodelling your bathroom often, save money by going for options that will last more than a season. Yes, trends come and go, so don’t find yourself with a pink bathroom that is so out of date, and belongs to a bygone era. Stick to white fixtures for your tub basin and toilet, white in a bathroom has an enduring quality, choose modern clean streamlined sanitary ware and look for eco-friendly plumbing systems, shower heads and faucets that will save water and money in the long run.
Pale colour on the walls will have a calming effect, go for pastels in washable paint. Splashes of bold colour in keeping with the colours of the year could be confined to splash backs at the basin and, mosaic tile borders in the shower or over the sink. Better still, be prudent and get affordable colour into your bathroom in a non-committal way, by accessorising with colour. Bright and bold striped towels, curtains, bathmats, soaps and jars, etc. these are all lovely ways to introduce colour.
Think safety
The most important thing to consider is safety, so go for non-slip tiles, marble is best but for most of us porcelain and ceramic tiles will suffice look to nature for inspiration , choosing colours that will compliment your scheme and help create an atmosphere of serenity conducive to relaxation. Create your very own spa experience in the confines of your home.
Where there is sufficient room, add some greenery and remember ferns and African violets thrive well in the steamy atmosphere of a bathroom. Hang beautiful pictures on your walls inspired by scenes from nature, all this must be carefully coordinated, choose a colour and a theme and run with it.
