Inspired by boutique hotels and glossy magazines, many homeowners have long been seeking to create the perfect spa bathroom. This bathroom design blog brings together some top trends and advice to recreating spa bathrooms in your client’s own home.
As a result of many health spas and gyms being closed throughout 2020 and people being less inclined to visit, a recent study has shown that homeowners view the bathroom as a place that should be dedicated to wellness and relaxation.
To see the full ‘Spa Bathroom’ design guide, click the button below, or keep reading for the key tips from expert bathroom designers to create the ultimate spa bathroom look and space for your clients to unwind and relax.
Ambience
A bathroom lighting scheme creates a large portion of the ambience. From ceiling to statement lighting, there is a great choice of different LED light fittings, illuminated LED mirrors, and integrated cabinet lighting to illuminate feature areas of the bathroom and turn an ordinary bathroom, extraordinary.
Select a series of recessed ceiling spotlights to highlight the main bathroom space. Add feature lighting in alcoves or open shelved areas to highlight contents and offer a focal point of interest in the room. Visualising how your client’s bathroom lighting scheme will look in all conditions is crucial. Innoplus enables you to play around with different options and switch between day and night so that customers can see the effect of the lighting at night.
Showering
You’ll need to establish whether your customer likes to relax and revitalise in the shower or bath, or if they have a requirement for both. By sitting down with the customer during the design process and exploring all available options, you can gain an idea of what is and isn’t possible and suggest the most suitable options for their space.
Many homeowners will opt for a luxurious shower and if so, the showering space should be as large as can be reasonably accommodated. The shower should be as luxurious and as flexible as possible, with a variety of jets, drench, and steam options. Investing in shower sets is important, and what you can specify will depend on what the customer can afford, but a spa-style bathroom for around £5,000 is achievable.
Don’t forget to consider water pressure and water consumption before you begin to manage expectations and eco-concerns of your customer. There are many eco-friendly products that deliver a just as satisfying experience – less water doesn’t necessarily equal an inferior experience.
Bathing
When it comes to the bath, the trend generally is towards keeping things simple. For many, a deep freestanding tub with ornate legs is the dream, or perhaps they want something more modern, sleek and sculptural.
Whilst freestanding baths have grown in popularity in recent years, whirlpool or spa-type baths seem to have fallen out of fashion, with homeowners focusing on the size, shape, material, and style rather than having spa functionality. Whilst sunken baths are on trend right now, there are a number of technical and installation challenges which can prove expensive.
Don’t forget that when specifying a tub, knowing precisely what goes on behind the scenes, under the floors and behind the walls, is vital in the planning stage to understand where the waste is going to go. Also, make sure you’re working with a level floor – particularly in older properties.
Sanitaryware and Storage
Opting for a back-to-wall WC instead of wall hung and a tall storage unit rather than an under-basin vanity unit can help make the most of space and provide more storage. Good quality accessories and luxury toiletries are worth investing in, as they won’t break the bank and will greatly elevate the scheme. Fluffy white towels, scented candles and reed diffusers are just a few ideas to complete the luxe look.
Heating
To complete the spa experience, underfloor heating might be the best way to go, if the customer’s budget can stretch to it. Underfloor heating enables heat to be distributed more evenly around the room, and although the initial outlay may be more expensive, the homeowner is likely to make savings on their energy bill in the long term. Another benefit is that underfloor heating frees up wall space where radiators may have been.
For those customers who want a heated towel rail or are keen to have radiators over UFH, consider how they can add a touch of colour, texture, or perhaps a sculptural focal point.
Visualisation
When it comes to designing the bathroom space, ensure you involve the client throughout the whole process and guide them through all of their options. Using high quality CAD software such as Innoplus acts as a sales tool to help you demonstrate the value of certain products over others. Innoplus possesses the flexibility for you to create bespoke items that your client may desire.
For more tips on creating a spa-style bathroom which are predicted to grow in popularity for the foreseeable future, click below to download the full design guide.
