Home decor, interior design tips: 10 common mistakes in bathroom designing that you should avoid

Home decor and interior design experts highlight 10 common mistakes in bathroom designing that you should avoid

Bathrooms are increasingly becoming a focus in homes and the importance of the right bathroom suites and bathroom furniture is key to creating a well designed and welcoming environment to prepare for the day ahead or relax after a stressful one. As such, badly designed and poorly decorated bathrooms are becoming a thing of the past as homeowners are beginning to design bespoke bathroom suites that are perfect for their style of life.

Home decor, interior design tips: 10 common mistakes in bathroom designing that you should avoid (Photo by Chastity Cortijo on Unsplash)

In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Sapna Aggarwal, Creative Director at ANSA Architecture and Interiors, pointed out some mistakes that can be avoided in designing bathrooms:

1. Use of high flow fixtures in bathrooms as people want to indulge in luxury through use of high flow fixtures but on the contrary these can be achieved through low flow fixtures which can save good amount of water. These low flow fixtures use areators that can disperse the water jet into many tiny streaks. Hence, these faucets do not influence the water pressure rather they regulate the water mount per minute. This means that volume of water in shower can be accomplished with less water.
2. Avoiding bends in drainage pipes - The bends in drain pipes increases chances of clogged drains. The bathtubs or shower are clogged due to accumulation of hairs, soap scums, toothpaste and calcium deposits. The chances of blockage increases which results in overflowing drains.
3. Not selecting proper stone for bathrooms - Stone is another popular option for cladding on walls and laying on floors. The natural variation, grains and colour available make each bathroom designed in stone a unique. Apart from giving a look of being closer to nature, the stones have an advantage of being installed joint free. The keypoint is to select a stone which is non porus and not very heavy for wall claddings.The slates and fossil stone available at local stone market can be used to add rustic character to the bathroom.
4. Improper floor slope - Proper installation in both tiles and stone will ultimately determine the look of the bathroom. This will also ensure proper drainage.

Manu Goel, Architect, Urban Planner and Director at Novarch Consultants in New Delhi, added to the list and highlighted -

1. Lighting: Bathrooms are private spaces. The experience they can offer to the user needs to be personal and full of warmth. Yellow lighting, mood lights, coves, strategically highlighted walls, backlot mirrors etc can add drama to the design while making it a good experience for users.

2. Location of fixtures: bathroom internal spaces can be classified as dry areas and wet areas. One of the most common mistakes one in design may be improper segregation. Ideally the most used space- the basin should be the first in terms of approach and the most wet area i e. The bathing space should be at the far end. If one needs to cross the bathing space to use the WC it messes up the flow.

3. Material selection: Material, such as the stone or tile decide the aesthetics of the space. Ideally a good highlight should hold the area, which can be emphatic in terms of colour or pattern.

4. Waterproofing: the most important factor, this is not visible, but if done with right material and correct technique, this can make the bathroom go a long way. The best kind of waterproofing for this purpose is the two component elastomeric treatment, which is available by various names in different brands.

5. Improper storage planning: Storage in a bathroom depends upon its usage completely. While essentials like space for dustbin, cleaning equipment and towels is the basic need, requirements of a master toilet will vary a lot from a powder toilet.

6. Glass and mirror coating: last but not the least the glass maintenance is key to the look of the bathroom in the long run. Excellent nano coatings are available for shower glass that make it water resistant and can enhance life and impart it a clean and sparkling feel.