Bathroom Remodeling Designs - Opening Up to Light
Contemporary bathroom remodeling designs have a strong focus on incorporating natural light wherever possible.
Many people who have internal bathrooms now look at opening up (or totally doing away) with partitioning walls when remodeling a bathroom.
By the way - don't be too quick to decide an open plan bathroom is not for you - we'll show you how to have the best of both worlds!
So much research has been done on the benefits of natural light...
Remodel Bathrooms - Why You Need to See the Light of Day
- Natural light creates visual stimulation in sync with your circadian rhythm i.e. your internal body clock.
- So as you start your day, having natural light in your bathroom during your morning ablutions, actually helps to put you in the right frame of mind. Quite simply, it improves your mood and has a positive effect on your sense of wellbeing.
- Plus! Your skin tone will look more attractive - unlike when seen first thing in the morning in glaring fluorescent light.
- There's a huge added benefit of energy saving during morning peak demand periods if you do not need to turn on the lights.
Ok, enough about the benefits! Let's show you some bathroom design pictures and creative bathroom remodeling ideas which may just work in your bathroom layout too.
The Sky's Not the Limit
Adding a skylight can not only bring in sought-after daylight but can actually provide a beautiful design element.
We love the patterns created by the industrial grid placed under the corrugated fiberglass roof panel!
It's a no-brainer to see how the energetic look of this shower can contribute to a sense of productivity at the start of your work day.
Skylights allow for all-day lighting and inevitably draws the eye upward - creating a dramatic architectural design element.
Another option is tubular daylighting devices which are quicker and less expensive to install than traditional skylights.
A Bathroom Remodel Design Incorporating deLIGHTful Glass Walls
Bringing in natural light can magically transform a bathroom!
- Firstly, it brings in that all important natural light.
- It brings in fresh air and natural ventilation (without having to turn on any fans) that helps control steam and mold.
- The magic touch though is the added sense of spaciousness and the play of light from both sides. When the lights are on in the bathroom only, it turns the bedroom into a softly lit relaxing space.
- When needed, the door can be closed to ensure privacy. The best of both worlds that we mentioned earlier.
Remodel Bathrooms Using Sliding Doors
You can either install a pocket door which is stylish and sleek but requires a bit more construction OR you can go for a barn door.
Barn doors are very much in vogue and much simpler to construct and implement. The first knee-jerk reaction may be that it's for rustic bathrooms only, but thats not necessarily true.
The most delightful implementations of bathrooms designs are the unexpected!
Design Note: Earlier bathroom sliding doors that were mounted externally, tried to disguise that very fact by trying to cover up the sliding mechanisms with pelmets.
Contemporary bathroom design turns those mechanisms into features!
Design Tip for Frosted Glass:
When you design your own bathroom, think beyond a staid stencil-like silhouette that the eye may soon tire of.
Take a look at evocative organic, a-symmetric and free flowing patterns which can be done by traditional sandblasting or acid cream or with frosted vinyl decals.
It need not be 'one-dimensional' either. Accomplished sandblast artists can create beautiful sculpted images - if your budget can stretch a bit.
The pattern of winter branches in the image above, creates the illusion of the shadows on an external window, when seen from the inside of this bathroom.
Small Bathroom Remodel - Lack of Space
If you cannot open up a whole wall, then you could consider the addition of clerestory windows set high in the wall, close to the roof.
If the wall separating your bedroom and bathroom is a weight bearing wall, you can still open up part of it to insert a window. Consult with a professional in this instance!
Where a WC or shower borders on a bedroom or is placed within a bathroom:
A simple solution is to replace solid doors with glass doors, again using frosted or sandblasted glass where privacy is important, whilst letting light through.
It really is such a pleasure not having to always turn on a light (and even a fan) whenever you visit the bathroom!
Incidentally, if you are lucky enough to have a large window in your bathroom, take a look at your window treatment.
Do you really need to cover the whole window to ensure privacy?
Or could you get away with dressing just the bottom half allowing light to stream in without forfeiting privacy!?
The dappled sunshine on this frosted window pane creates various tones of opacity and translucency, an ever-changing decorative element.
Bathroom Remodeling Designs - Planning it All
Apart from all the benefits of natural light already mentioned, the financial investment in your bathroom remodel will be well worth it!
The majority of people rate natural light as the most important facet of a home - be sure to consider opening up the space in your bathroom remodeling designs.
