Whether you are trying to design a modern bathroom, or a more traditional one, having a grasp on what makes your design functional is crucial. Sink design, flooring, whirlpool tubs versus airbaths; when making your choices, the design of the bathroom is important, but making sure that it will fit your lifestyle is more so.
Who Will be Using the Bathroom?
Is this bathroom for your kids? For guests? Is it the master bathroom suite that you've been dreaming of for years? Are you sharing it with your partner, or is it all for you? These questions might seem obvious, but too often, people get so caught up in the details of the space and what looks good, that they fail to remember that they have five kids and a dog, and that perhaps polished marble and vessel sinks are not the right way to go. Or they might be planning a bathroom for their toddlers, not remembering that kids grow and in ten years, they may not appreciate the whimsical, cartoon tiles or fish shaped sink.
Make a list of the needs that you have from the bathroom. Is this your comfort spot? Or do you need it to be easy to clean so that the kids can get good and dirty in it? When you put the needs of the space first; you allow the design to follow naturally, rather than trying to force a design to fit your needs after the fact.
Will it Get Use, or Take Up Space?
The idea of a whirlpool bath, body sprays, or a vessel sink can sometimes be so attractive that it pushes out the question of whether it will actually get any use. People with diabetes, high blood pressure, or circulatory problems should not be using whirlpool tubs. Likewise, someone who likes to sit, soak and read in the bath might not want the water swirling around them and splashing on their pages. If you are planning on using a deep tub as a shower to save space, you will need to make sure that everyone is able to safely get into and out of it first.
Body sprays can be attractive to those who don't like, or can't use whirlpool tubs as an option for massaging away the stress of the day, but not every home is built to handle them. Each spray head puts out 2.5 gallons of water per minute. You'll want at least three, plus at least one high flow shower head, if not two regular flow. A regular flow shower head, puts out 7 gallons a minute; high flow heads up out up to 20.
If your home has a well, you are only getting 20 gallons of water a minute. Add 7.5 gallons of water for the sprays and a minimum of 14 gallons for the shower heads, and suddenly your high performance shower becomes a trickle. If you have town water, you are half way there, but remember to consider your water heater.
How Big is It?
If it's only 25 or 50 gallons, remember the equation above; you don't want only one or two minutes of shower time before the water goes cold. You'll need to invest in a commercial sized water tank of at least 100 gallons to make the installation of the sprays worth it. Make sure that you really intend to use them before proceeding with the expense.
Vessel sinks are great in modern bathrooms, and bathroom sink designs are more attractive than ever, but they do have their draw backs. The risk of splashing from the faucet becomes a consideration, meaning that you need to have a flow restricted faucet, that puts out the water at one steady pace. Great for saving water and avoiding splashing, but it can limit your choices in what type of faucet to purchase and often increase the initial cost.
You'll also want to make sure that the material you choose to have the sink made from isn't too high maintenance for your needs. Stone, or metal will require special sealing and cleaning to keep the beauty for years to come. Even the prettiest design can become ugly quickly if it takes all your energy to keep it that way.
Keeping your design functional can go a long way to making sure that your bathroom is enjoyed for years to come. There's no need to sacrifice style for comfort; you just need to make sure that the function leads the way. Remember; styles are limitless and the choices today of materials and designs are greater than ever before. But just like there are only one you, there is also only one bathroom that is going to suit your needs. Be sure to consider that first, and you'll be sure to enjoy the space for years to come.
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