Bathroom Design Guide and Best Practices

From designing a family bathroom to creating the perfect ensuite for your master bedroom and any guest rooms you have, bringing your bathroom goals to life can be a lot of fun. But first, you have to get the layout right and ensure that all the structural foundations are in place to support your Pinterest-themed design choices. 

That’s where we come in – and we’ve created this blog post to share just some of our key steps to help get your bathroom interior design right from the ground up. 

Step one: Assess your needs

This is where you take it to the drawing board and decide what features you need in your bathroom for optimum use. How much storage space do you need? How many basins do you need? Will this bathroom be used daily by multiple people or more sporadically?

Draw on other bathrooms you have seen, spaces you have felt relaxed in, and design ideas that work well in bathrooms you dream about. 

Step two: Measure up

Don’t buy anything until you know for certain that it fits – and where exactly it will go. Building cabinets and counters from scratch is a whole lot easier than amending a store bought cabinet that isn’t the right shape or fit for a space – so make sure you measure your space and…

Top tip: When in doubt, ask the experts!

Bespoke joinery companies like ours are here for this very job. We help you create tailored items for your home which fit into the smallest and most awkward spaces, allowing you to make the most of the space you have available.  

Step three: Choose a layout

Once you know your space and you’ve chosen your overarching design theme, it’s time to create a layout and map it out ready for installation. This is where we recommend factoring in height and texture as well as how far various items stick out into the room or away from the wall – as all this will matter when it comes to the usability of your bathroom. 

Knowing your layout in advance will help you to find decorative accessories which compliment the space and make it a cohesive room to spend time in. 

Step four: Seek some inspiration

If you’re not already using Pinterest, now is the time! And it’s not just Pinterest which offers endless inspiration and ideas for bringing all your home projects to life. Instagram and online interior styling guides are all great resources – or you can simply head into a DIY store and check out the range of paints and different bathroom countertop materials to see which colours and combinations jump out at you. 

Step five: Be conscious of available space

Cramming too much into your bathroom space will only make it appear smaller, and so you should take care not to fill all the available space with stuff. Create an oasis of calm by only installing the features that your bathroom needs and investing in accessories which serve a purpose and don’t simply take up room unnecessarily. 

Step six: Consider ventilation

This is so often overlooked when it comes to modern bathrooms, yet it’s such an important part of the very practicality of the room. Make sure the room is well ventilated through a fan as well as windows which can open – this will serve to protect any wood features in your bathroom and keep it a clean and hygienic space. 

Step seven: Consider storage needs

From undercounter cabinets to floating shelves, the opportunity for storage in a bathroom is varied but shouldn’t be overlooked. We recommend installing cabinets to hide all your unsightly toiletries and keeping shelves for purely aesthetic items – for example candles and indoor plants. You can also look at installing a shower shelf inside the cubicle or around the bathtub to keep all your regular use items in a handy place. 

Step eight: Bathroom lighting and the final details 

Natural light is great in a bathroom, but the chances are you will need some form of light for late night visits and getting ready in the evening. Consider mixed level lighting which gives you some control over how bright the light is – taking care not to throw too bright a light into a bedroom from an en suite in the middle of the night.

If you like to do your make-up in the bathroom, it’s also worth installing a mirror next to a window for plenty of natural light and installing a harsh light to give you the best chance of well blended application. 

Other final details to consider when it comes to your bathroom design include the soft furnishings and towels, toiletries you need, and additional hooks and features you might need to support your individual lifestyle and bathroom usage.