Guest post- How to wow your guests with unconventional bathroom design!

The
bathroom is arguably the room upon which almost every homeowner is judged by
guests. Although most of our
bathroom judgement worries centre on cleanliness, hygiene is not the only thing
upon which a bathroom will be judged. The design and look of a bathroom is
equally important as well.

Fortunately,
unless you have a truly horrific bathroom with a 70s-style lime-green tub and
matching decor, most bathrooms will pass the style test. There is a strong emphasis
on pass there, however – a bathroom
would not truly astound your guests unless it offers something different to the
norm.

How
do you go about offering something different to the norm? Here are some
ideas...

Subvert layout conventions

The
most famous and most successful of bathroom layout subversions is the
‘bathtub in the centre of the room’ layout; this eschews the tradition of
placing a tub next to a wall and places it (‘it’ usually being a round tub)
slap bang in the centre of the room. The effects can be stunning, although
you will need ample space to pull it off.

You
do not need to be so bold when subverting your own layout conventions, however.
You might choose to install two sinks, instead of one. The sink
could be placed next to the end of the bath instead of its more standard
location adjacent to the toilet.

The
only rules when it come to designing a layout is that the layout does not hamper
your use of the bathroom, and that it does not require too much plumbing or
electrical work to facilitate.

Play around with shapes

It is
not something a lot of people realise, but shape plays a big part in our
expectations of a bathroom. Generally, people expect a rectangular tub, a round
shower head and a round sink. Any rugs should be rectangular too.

This
provides the budding bathroom subversion specialist with ample opportunity to
wow their guests in a simple yet effective way. Instead of opting for a
rectangular tub, why not try a round, Jacuzzi style tub? Square sinks
(especially vessel sinks) can have an equally attention-grabbing effect, too.

Even
something as simple as picking an oddly-shaped rug (you could potentially have
one cut into a custom shape) can have a big effect on a guest’s overall
perception of your bathroom.

Unusual materials

The
average bathroom is a haven of tiling, plastic and ceramics. An unusual
bathroom should use much more, drawing on inspiration from a range of design
trends to draw the eye and dazzle.

Wood
is one such material; commonly used in Scandinavian-style design to create a
‘log cabin’ kind of effect. However, the trend has not quite caught on elsewhere. Wood
can be expensive, but adding some water-proof paneling to your tub or even
just adding wood-effect wall paper is relatively cheap and produces a great effect.

Stone
is another lesser-used material, usually reserved for relaxing,
Buddhist-inspired spas. Stone tops look amazing and produce a chilled out vibe;
they may be expensive, but if it is within your budget, it is well worth it.

Changing colors

The
bathroom color palette is limited to say the least: whites, creams, pastel
shades and...well, little else, really. This adherence to a limited color set
limits the potential of most bathrooms and taking a more open approach, one
based on your personal style and color preferences, can lead to some gorgeous
results. So, if you feel like painting your bathroom a deep red – do it! It
might not be to everyone’s taste, but it will grab plenty of attention.

Those
are just some of the ways you can create your own unusual bathroom. 

Chris Smith is a writer currently
working with Illuminated Mirrors,
a leading supplier of mirrored
bathroom cabinets.