Bathrooms don’t have to be purely functional. They can be fun and fresh spaces too. Let’s see how. 

Bathrooms are an essential, sure. But they’re so much more than this. They’re a statement about you. 

What do you want that statement to say? That you’re a solid traditionalist content with things as they are? Or you’re a go-ahead modernist, ambitious to move on to what’s next in life? So tap into your bathroom’s potential and let it do the talking. 

By incorporating exciting modern bathroom ideas, you can show the world what you’re all about. (as well as giving yourself a daily boost when you’re getting ready in the morning). 

Let’s start by considering a few basics concerning modern bathroom renovations before outlining a few ideas on what is modern style bathroom thinking.

What are the different factors in a renovation?

Stay in the real world

There’s no way to dress this up. In all modern bathroom designs, you need to be realistic about the space, and then you need to plan appropriately. If you have what a real estate agent might call a ‘delightfully intimate’ small modern bathroom, that’s actually just a shower cubicle, then you’ll need to jettison those clawfoot roll top bath ideas. Unless you’d consider having one installed on its end. 

The good news is that, whatever the size of the space you have to work with, there are exciting and innovative modern bathrooms design solutions that will bring that area to life. So what if you can’t have a king size infinity bath? A wet room might be where it’s at for you. Go with slate or subdued stone tiling – it says quality without over-busying a restricted space – and you could have a compact arrangement that really exploits the dimensions to the full. 

Bathrooms are infinitely varied, but there are 3 basic types. What are the 3 types of bathroom? Family/master, en-suite and cloakroom. Whatever the type of bathroom you’re upgrading, the need to be realistic is ever-present. Master bathroom ideas will not necessarily work in a cloakroom, for instance, and small ensuite designs won’t be ideal for a family bathroom. 

Get your plan together

Once you have a general idea of how you want your bathroom to look, start to work out what individual fittings you want, and how they would fit in and around one another. This is where a guiding hand can make all the difference. To involve an expert at this stage will cut out a lot of heartache and wasted time further down the pipe. 

That’s not to say you can’t do it yourself if you have a good head for practical projects. As long as you’re aware of the importance of working out routes for water in and water out, and the need for certain units to have more space than you might initially think necessary (Mr Toilet is a prime culprit) then you can give that plan a good go. 

Get a friend to look at it too – it can be fun to design these things together, and they might spot things that you don’t. And if anything goes wrong, you can blame them (if they’re that kind of friend).

It’s a great idea to get a checklist together. That way, as you move on with the bathroom design project, you can be sure that you don’t forget anything. Wait – where’s the toilet? Oh no…

Installation time

At this point, unless you really know what you’re doing with bathroom renovations, it’s almost certainly time to get in the experts. There are innumerable bathrooms out there with slanting sinks and listing cisterns that attest to the number of people who thought they could plumb, but they were actually just plums. 

So, don’t be reluctant to call on the specialists. That way, your toilet will be a triumph and your freestanding vanity sink won’t vanquish you. And you won’t have to repeatedly come face to face with a reminder of your limitations, in the shape of a cock-eyed spigot. 

If you do decide to see the project through with nothing but your own skills, a trusty monkey wrench and that good old mastic gun, the number one thing you should bear in mind is this. Allow lots of time. Work out how long you think it’s going to take, then double it. And don’t send out those invitations to the grand opening until you have the end well and truly in sight. 

The number of amateur bathroom installation projects that get finished on time is exceedingly small. The reason for this is that the jobs that make up the project can be very fiddly and time-consuming. Take tiling. The weekend tiler will take an inordinately longer time over, for instance, tile cutting and fitting, than a professional. 

What can you do to help your bathroom look more modern?

You’re probably thinking ‘how can I make my bathroom modern?’ There are countless bathroom ideas that will help modernise a space. Here are four types of bathroom inspiration to get you started. 

Show some metal

Bathrooms tend to be meccas for metalwork lovers. Taps and showerheads are usually stainless steel or chrome, but there’s no reason to stop there. 

Consider making all the pipework a symphony of steel or a concerto of copper. Run that theme through to the walls and flooring – have threads of metal running through whatever tile pattern you decide upon. And continue it through to the handles on the shower door and the flush on the toilet. Some well chosen metal accents can make the bathroom zing with modernity. 

Less is more

Minimalism works exceptionally well in a modern bathroom. Why? For one thing, most bathrooms aren’t cathedral-like in terms of space. So it makes sense to think uncluttered and sleek. 

Secondly, minimalism is super-easy to clean. Yes, prosaic but practical. When you’ve gone to the trouble of getting a high-impact head-turning luxury modern bathroom, you don’t want it to let itself down by being the kind of place dust and cobwebs go to hang out longterm. 

Vanity project

Well worth looking into the wonderful world of vanity sinks right now, especially when combined with the latest hues. What are the new colours for bathrooms? Navy and sky blue, earth tones, charcoal, soothing greens and jewel tones like ruby are all being splashed across the newest installations. 

Mix it up

Sometimes, a luxury bathroom seems best left trad. In a period building for instance, with high ceilings and picture rails, high box cisterns and rolltop baths just seem right. However, there’s nothing to stop you having those things, but contrast them with some modern touches. 

Consider a bold lighting choice that will really contrast with the otherwise vintage ambience. A funky chandelier can give a nicely respectable bathroom some attitude. Same with an asymmetric mirror or a gloriously in-your-face piece of sculpture. 

Who can help with your bathroom installation?

If you’ve decided to get in the experts, there are many quality installers you can choose from. If you’re looking in the Bentley area, VBathroom are an excellent choice. They’ll get you fixed up with the bathroom of your dreams in the time it takes to brush your teeth. Well, nearly.