Understanding Bathroom Design - Imagination

Understanding Bathroom Design - Imagination



Professional bathroom designers are masterful at merging both function and form to create breathtaking results. In this eight-part series which I call "Understanding Bathroom Design," I draw on my experience working with some of London's top bathroom designers to explain this exciting field. This first article focuses on imagining all the possibilities.


Back in the day, the most extravagant thing about a London bathroom was a newspaper, an oil lamp and a bathtub filled with soapy hot water. But thanks to the field of professional bathroom design, that has long since changed. Today, with Londoners packing more work hours into every week, the bathroom is quickly becoming a sanctuary. Increasingly, people are hiring bathroom designers to add special, high-end extras that give a touch of class to the standard look.


The professional bathroom designer starts with plenty of imagination. Today's designs can mean so many different things - in London, the spa bathroom, the retreat bathroom, and the multimedia bathroom (complete with plasma TVs and surround audio!) are some of the most popular concepts. And each of these requires special bathroom design accessories, from whirlpool tubs to underfloor heating to warming drawers for towels. Even the sanitaryware has become astonishingly varied and sophisticated. Think of bathroom designs that incorporate steam showers, shower jet panels and air baths. Also, think of hotel-inspired bathroom design. There is a movement afoot to do away with standard mass-produced vanity cabinets and toiletry cupboards. Instead, London bathroom design today is evolving toward chic watercraft basins and fabric-covered poufs. Hotel-style coffee machines and micro-fridges are even being designed right into bathroom walls or cabinetry!


In addition, home entertainment technology is bringing a completely new dimension to London bathrooms. Complete home audiovisual systems with flat-screen TVs and surround sound are becoming standard. Some bathroom designers love to tuck a DVD player / TV system discreetly away into a cupboard under the washbasin. Perfect to catch up with the Tokyo stock exchange on CNN as you get dressed in the morning!


In my next article in this series called "Understanding Bathroom Design," I'll explore the role of colour in the London bathroom design community.



Interior Design London - Global Interior Design Consultancy Company in London, UK for interior design services.