Whether big or small, bathrooms should always be well thought out and carefully located, and should function with multiple users in mind. We’re long past the era where there was one bathroom for every three bedrooms in the house, and everyone had all the time needed to use it. Today’s bathrooms need to be beautiful, use the space efficiently and serve the users functionally. Avoiding these common bathroom design mistakes below will go a long way to rewarding you with a bathroom for the ages.

5 Common Bathroom Design Mistakes to Avoid:

1. No view out.

Lack of natural light is one of the most common bathroom design mistakes. After all, nobody likes a dark, damp bathroom — it’s no fun nor is it relaxing to spend your time in a space like that. If you’re building or relocating a bathroom, ensure it is located to feature external walls with windows. If windows aren’t an option, look into installing an operable skylight. This will allow for the fresh air and natural light needed to make the space feel comfortable.

2. A clear view in.

Whenever possible, avoid locating the bathroom directly off one of the home’s public rooms — like the kitchen, living room or dining room.

Try to create some sort of formal separation to break up the line of sight between the common areas and the bathroom. The last thing you want is to be sitting in the living room with a glass of wine and looking straight into the bathroom at the toilet.

3. Making it all about the toilet.

This one is unfortunately a very common bathroom design mistake. Avoid making the toilet the first thing you see when you enter the bathroom. Also try to avoid any sight lines to it from adjacent rooms.

Ideally you should try to put the toilet and shower in their own space within the bathroom while keeping the sink separate. This instantly increases functionality as it allows someone to have a shower while someone else gets prepared

4. Frameless enthusiasm.

A frameless shower not only makes a bathroom feel bigger and look cleaner — it’s also a very practical and much more safe for users of all ages. A simple glass screen works to separate the wet area from the rest of the bathroom. It will let light flow in throughout the space, creating an airy and light-filled bathroom.

5. Thinking bigger is better.

Bigger isn’t always better; better design is better. Whether you’re designing a large master bathroom in your dream home or trying to make the most of a limited bathroom space, there are a range of fixtures, baths and spas available for your project. The most important aspect of any new bathroom build or renovation is that it has a well thought out design. A clever design will not only introduce a home sanctuary of relaxation but will also function efficiently for your specific lifestyle.

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Perini Tavola Subway Tile

Tavola offers a unique wall tile featuring a distinctive crazing finish on its surface. Colours are inspired by the rich deep colours of the Mediterranean Sea and are available in a captivating subway format.

Perini Subway Tile

This new range of subway tile takes inspiration from the rectangular wall tiles covering most of New York City train stations. Subway is available in 10 enchanting colours suitable for all wall surfaces.

Pavé Spanish Subway Tile

Pavé’s Spanish handmade vintage subway range is created by craftspeople dedicated to preserving ancient techniques. The vintage range has an understated aesthetic, with a nostalgic past and modern present.

Produced with a gloss finish, these tiles are perfect for a special internal space wanting to capture a sense of history with modern simplicity. Ideal for redressing kitchens and bathrooms of today but set in a bygone era.

Pavé Italian Subway

The elegance and simplicity of the subway tile is timeless. The current Italian ceramic trend is textured high gloss (lucido) tiles, which can be utilised in any space, from modern to classic. Use traditional brick or herringbone patterns, or use blocks of colour and tones to create your own unique feature.

Here’s a gallery of what some amazing Australian designers and architects are doing with subway tiles:

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Brick

The raw and rustic beauty of exposed brickwork looks equally great in contemporary and classic designs. However, due to the high maintenance and the labour intense work involved in achieving this look, it has been out of reach for most people, until now. With the new introduction of porcelain made bricks the resemblance is so true-to-life you’d be hard pressed to see the difference between the man-made version and the real thing. Every detail, texture and colour variation has been carefully considered including the mortar and the end result is nothing short of spectacular.

Geometric

Geometric tile takes on a new meaning in 2016. Standard cubes and penny rounds are out making room for new patterns such as irregular hexagons, diamonds and star shapes. The shape of the tile has become the focal point adding creative interest and a design element not seen before.

Chevron/Herringbone Pattern

New textures inspired by a variety of material including porcelain, wood, metal, marble and stone will hit our shores in 2016 taking this age-old pattern to greater heights and further increasing its popularity status.

Colour and Handmade

Even though earthy greys and neutrals will never go out of fashion, expect a welcoming shift towards a lot more colour, personality and handmade texture in 2016 . There’s something very special about tiles made by hand that cannot be captured by a factory made product. Handmade tiles encapsulate a unique and irresistible human quality with their subtle imperfections and colour rich tones.

Terrazzo Look

There’s been a lot of  hype on Carrara and Calacatta marble tiles of late and as beautiful as they are, 2016 will demand you pay attention to the very stylish, edgy tones and patterns of terrazzo stone. The technology is so advanced these days that the porcelain product flawlessly simulates the real thing making it even more irresistible when installed.

3D Tiles

Although already introduced into the marketplace, 3D tiles will hit new levels in 2016 pushing the boundaries of design even further. New styles, colours and patterns adding dimension and pattern that appear to be jumping off the walls will hit our shores changing the way we think about tiles forever.

Hexagon

Hexagons have been popular for some time now and are showing no signs of waning in 2016. In fact the new breed of this versatile format have taken on new life and are demanding the spotlight once again. Manufacturers are thinking outside the square and have created a revival by using new materials, textures , colours and formats. New for 2016 are these super-sized hexagons in an array of colours and textures creating serious drama and stunning visual impact.

With so many options available, it’s now easier than ever to find the tiles for your build or renovation yet harder to make a decision! We hope you enjoyed our roundup of the top 2016 tile trends.

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As higher quality products and materials become more accessible, these 2015 Bathroom Trends show that it is easier than ever for those who are not only building their dream home, but also those who are renovating their existing homes.

Clean & Simple

Following bathroom trends across Europe, inwall cisterns help to achieve a clean modern look for any bath and their space-saving benefits provide the perfect solution to smaller bathrooms and powder rooms.

Outdoor Bathrooms

The trend towards outdoor bathrooms or bathrooms that bring the outdoors is bigger than ever, as being surrounded by lush foliage and warm natural sunlight adds to a truly relaxing yet still private bathing experience.

Freestanding baths and spas are particularly useful as their ability to be easily moved between indoor and outdoor bathroom locations allows them to provide the perfect solution to creating an outdoor bathroom sanctuary.

Eco Friendly

While water saving solutions have been the focus for a long time, environmentally friendly materials such as bamboo are increasingly being incorporated and utilised over traditional timbers in bathroom designs for applications such as vanities and storage cabinets.

Sharing The Experience

Tiny cubicle showers are out while showers, baths and spas that can accomodate two are in, providing the flexibility to enjoy a relaxing bathing experience solo or to share it.

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We had such a great time at last year’s Melbourne Home Show that we’re back again this year!

We’ll be featuring a selection from our range of Australian made baths and spas while the team will be there to learn about your upcoming build or renovations plans and will be more than happy to answer any questions about our comfortable human-form designs, industry leading Gelcoat fabrication and 100% Australian production.

Melbourne Exhibition Centre: Thurs 18 – Sun 21 August

In the meantime, here’s a gallery of snaps from our stall at last year’s show…

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1. Windows & Natural Light

Allowing natural light to enter the bathroom can help give the impression of letting the outside in, increasing the visual space within the room, a large garden window delivers a tranquil sanctuary where relaxation and solitude can take place within a beautiful bathroom retreat.

2. White – Colour Consistency

Maintaining light and common colours throughout a space will make a room feel larger, as reducing visual punctuation lifts the entire room . If you have a small bathroom with compact dimensions, keep it simple and clean while avoiding the temptation to include too many varying surfaces and colours.

3. Frameless Walk-In Shower

Frameless glass walk-in showers not only allow more light into the shower space, keeping the bathroom light and clean, but also allows for easier shower use, less visual clutter and fewer safety hazards when exiting the shower.

Gone are the days of the heavy aluminium framed showers!

4. Mirror

Similar in effect of a large window, a large mirror can essentially double the visual space in your bathroom.

A large mirror is an instant and cost-effective solution to add loads of visual space to a bathroom of any size.

5. Light

Avoid cold, fluorescent lights and aim to introduce warm, crisp lighting to further increase the sense of space in the bathroom.

Some clever forethought and planning of the lighting of the room, whether through the addition of windows, skylights or lighting fixtures, will have an amazing impact both your final bathroom design and also your bathroom experience within the room.

6. Cabinetry

Removing detail within the cabinetry and drawer details will reduce visual clutter in your bathroom and add to the sense of space.

Wall-hung vanities and cabinets provoke a sense of floating and weightlessness to an otherwise large structure in the room, adding an air of flow to the bathroom.

7. Tiles

The secret to selecting tiles is to choose a design or palette that creates width and space to the bathroom layout. Horizontally laid tiles enhance the visual dimensions of the room in contrast to vertically laid tiles.

To create the longest-lasting bathroom design possible, try to avoid current trends that come and go as they tend to date rather quickly, instead opting for classic styles and colours.

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Never fear though because we’ve got a list of 10 handy tips to help you create that beautiful bathroom you’ve always wanted without the expensive price tag!

1. Accessorise!

The easiest, quickest and most cost-effective way to update the look and feel of your bathroom is by updating the little details – towels, indoor plants, shaving mirrors, toothbrush holders and shower curtains instantly add new features and colours to the space.

2. Keep the layout

Sticking with the existing layout of your bathroom and avoiding costly structural works keeps expenses down and timeframes to a minimum.

3. Easy installation

By choosing products that are easy to install (and can even be installed by yourself, eliminating the costs of tradespeople) and have long term warranties not only reduces expenses but also provides peace of mind should anything become faulty with the product down the line.

4. Update your shower screen

An instant and cost-effective way to open up the space in your bathroom and bring it up to date is by replacing old, chunky aluminium shower frames with sleek, frameless glass shower screens. It will do wonders for your renovation.

5. Large tiles

Larger format tiles not only add a sense of space to a bathroom due to their larger expanse and less grouting (which can add a cluttered feel) but are also faster to install for your tiler, saving you both time and money.

6. Clean your grout

Before deciding on the investment of new tiles and the associated costs, can your new bathroom utilise the existing tiles? Try giving the grout a good clean to freshen them up and you may be surprised at how good they actually are.

7. Think long-term

Your bathroom is an investment in the future value of your home, so think long-term and avoid current trends when selecting products, tiles, fixtures, fittings and colours.

Ask yourself how long you plan on staying in your home? Is this renovation for yourself to enjoy in the future or is it to appeal to potential buyers?

8. Plan for the worst

You never what could be hiding under those old tiles when you pull them up, so be prepared to find existing problems such as water damage.

9. Update your tapware

One of the quickest, easiest and cheapest ways to add new life to your bathroom is by updating the tapware. Replacing old, tired and outdated taps and faucets with modern chrome or black taps can make a huge difference for marginal cost.

10. Waterproof properly

Poor quality waterproofing will lead to extensive water damage problems (and repair bills) down the line, so avoid any chances by getting the waterproofing professionally assessed, completed and warranted.

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