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Lucullus, the Roman first renowned as a general and later as
a gastronome, felt that the two most important rooms in his home were the dining
room and the bathroom. "In the first", he observed, "I pamper my
guests and in the second, I pamper myself". Lucullus was not alone, for many
of the nobler Romans felt that bathing was a deliciously sensual act.
Alas, with the decline of the Roman Empire, the concept of luxurious bathing went
out of style. With the exception of women like Madame du Barry who bathed in strawberry
milk and men like Louis XV who spent hours in a tub with rosewater, most Europeans
convinced themselves that bathing too frequently was bad for the health. The once
luxurious bathroom became little more than a mere "wash room".
Because these were rooms that were not used all that often, they were therefore
not worth spending money on. Even now, most bathrooms are planned with economy
and not comfort in mind. Bathrooms almost always lose out when it comes to design
and budget time, when nearly all decorative and creative ideas are applied to
other, often less functional areas. While it is true that the most important purpose
of the bathroom is to give us a space in which to wash, this is a poor excuse
for creating a portion of our homes which encourages little in the way of comfort,
pleasure or ambiance. With forethought and planning, there is no reason why the
bathroom should not function efficiently yet be as exciting as any other room.
Although there are those who enjoy sharing quiet social moments there, the bathroom
is basically a private area where one can close the door on the world, pamper
his or her body and emerge soothed, refreshed and relaxed. Havens in which to
sooth tired bodies and restore flagging energy and unwind in blissful solitude,
bathrooms should be designed as multi-functional environments that can acc modate
a number of different activities - relaxation, reading, dressing, exercise and
if one is so inclined - making love.
While the shape and size of the bathroom will often be determined by practical
considerations, its style and functions should evolve out of the specific needs
of the people who use the room. Thus, whether designing a bathroom for a new home
or in remodeling an existing area, one will be wise to take ample time to consider
family needs and preferences as well as to assess possible future requirements.
Even simple redecorating should give pause to making this room no less exciting
or enchanting thanany other area.
While there are no established rules in planning, remodeling or redecorating a
bathroom, the following general suggestions about style, color, patterns, texture
and design may prove useful.
Questions of Color
Because the injection of a new color or combination of colors can transform
even the dullest interior into something charming, color is an important ingredient
in designing a bathroom. Apart from producing subtle illusions which alter the
size and proportion of a room and its contents, color is also invaluable for creating
character and atmosphere.
Warm colors such as red, yellow, orange and pink are bright and stimulating and
tend to make a room feel more cozy. They also make a room seem smaller. The cool
colous, blue, green, black and grey make rooms seem larger and produce a cool,
refreshing impression. In a room with limited sunlight, however, one will be wise
to avoid the cool colors, because they tend to create a cold, somber effect (the
exception being when one of these colors is used in a dramatic way, perhaps balanced
by a warm contrasting color).
Also keep in mind that color can be used to minimize basic flaws or unsightly
features in the bathroom. Pipes that are painted in the same hue as walls recede
unobtrusively into the background.
Windows and Lighting
Many bathrooms have been designed with small windows which have been glazed
with frosted glass, the main purpose of which is to prevent passers-by or neighbors
from seeing in. There is nothing more depressing than a dark gloomy bathroom where
the sole source of illumination is a light fixture and a tiny window. Although
some degree of privacy is required, there is no reason why bathrooms cannot have
large windows which offer the advantage of natural light, ventilation and even
a view.
Keep in mind that natural light is best and can make even the smallest bathroom
seem bright, airy and more spacious than it is. Frosted or tinted glass is a sensible
option when privacy is important, but these do not allow as much light as clear
glass and do not allow you to see out. An attractive alternative to frosted glass
is stained glass: even a small window or panel will introduce jewel-like colours
to the room, at the same time screening it from view.
With appropriate window coverings, even clear glass can be used. While curtains
are useful for creating a soft, attractive effect on such windows, these are not
practical in most bathrooms because they tend to become limp in a steamy atmosphere.
As alternates, consider venetian blinds (easy to clean and control the amount
of light that enters the room) or Roman blinds that travel up at the pull of a
cord (and which can be made to order in a fabric that matches the color scheme
of the room.
The truly blessed among us will have bathrooms that allow us to use a skylight.
Whether these are simple glass or plastic panels or elaborate custom-made domes,
skylights allow bright naturallight to flood the room without taking up valuable
wall space orrobbing us of our privacy.
The sun, contrary to Ernest Hemingway's style of wishful thinking, does not always
rise, so attention must also be paid to artificial lighting. A solitary, ceiling
or wall mounted light is not generally a wise choice as these create a harsh glare
in one spot of the room and leave dark shadows everywhere else. The ideallighting
pattern should combine general lighting which casts light over a wide area of
the room and local or directed lighting which illuminates small specific areas
such as the shaving mirror or the make-up area.
Storage Areas and Work Surfaces
A miniature medicine cabinet or a narrow glass shelf is frequently the only storage
facility provided in most bathrooms. All of which is fine if you're the kind of
person who likes to find that every available surface including the edges of the
basin and bath is occupied by a motley collection of cosmetics, soaps, cleaning
liquids and half empty bottles and tubes. If that strikes you as somewhat offensive,
storage areas and work surfaces should be considered at the outset of your planning.
The well designed bathroom will have cabinets, drawers and shelves in which all
of these items can be placed. You should not have to scramble through a jumble
of old shampoo bottles, sponges, and detergent boxes to find the cotton swabs
for which you are searching.
Draw up a list of the objects that need to be stored and plan storage around these.
Bathrooms have definite zones: make-up lotions, hair brushes and razors should
be within arms length of the basin and mirror; shampoos and towels should be near
the bath or shower; detergents, medicines and soap powders should be out of sight
(in a locked cabinet if there are children in the house). While work surfaces
in a bathroom do not have to undergo the rigors of counters in a kitchen, they
are still called upon to withstand a significant amount of wear and tear. The
bathroom is a steamy area which has frequent fluctuations in temperature and your
work surfaces should be made of tough, waterproof, easy to clean surfaces that
will not warp, stain or scratch. Wood should be well sanded and then sealed with
several coats of polyurethane or epoxy sealant. Formica, melamine, marble, granite
and ceramic tiling are all well suited to bathroom surfaces, but be sure the jointsand
seams are sealed to prevent seepage.
Floor and Wall Materials
Although there are a host of materials available for bathroom floors, the basic
decision is the choice between a hard and soft finish. Soft materials are warm
underfoot but difficult to clean and not as hygienic. Generally, the smoother
and harder a material is, the easier it is to maintain and clean. Bear in mind,
however, that smooth materials can be slippery when wet.
Ceramic tiles have become extremely popular as floor and wall finishes. Glazed
tiles are hard, smooth and waterproof and are generally better suited than unglazed
which are more porous. An astonishing range of colors, shapes, patterns and sizes
is available. Quarry tiles are also popular. These have a warm earthy appeal and
are extremely durable, but need to be sealed with periodically linseed oil and
turpentine. Marble, which is smooth, hard, water resistant, easy to clean and
beautiful, has the disadvantage of being terribly expensive.
A fairly new innovation in home bathrooms has been floors made from mosaics of
ceramic chips or glass silicate. While one may not want to use this as flooring
in the entire bathroom, they are ideal as the floors in showers because they provide
a textured,non-slip surface.
Vinyl and linoleum have not been considered stylish since the 1940's but carpeting
has attained a certain, sometimes misguided popularity. Although carpets are warm,
thick, soft underfoot and ideal for making a room seem cozy and luxurious, keep
in mind that they are generally unsuitable for high-traffic areas of children's
bathrooms because they are difficult to clean and can easily become waterlogged.
If you do choose carpeting, keep in mind that it should be loose-laid so that
it can be removed for cleaning. (Also remember that special rubber-backed bathroom
carpeting is available).
The use of cork in bathrooms is also on the rise. Attractive, warm to the touch
and with excellent insulating properties, cork tiles are good for walls but not
floors as they are usually too thin to withstand constant wear and tear. Remember
that cork on walls will tend to blacken unless sealed with several coats of polyurethane.
A Few Designer Tips
Following is a potpourri of ideas for adding a bit of charm, to your bathroom,
whether new or old. Some of these
suggestions will appeal, others of which will not, depending on your individual
tastes and needs.
- Use your bathroom as the showcase for a collection of things dear to you and
then lie back and enjoy the thimbles, old jars, perfume bottles, shells or pebbles
that you have been grouped on a shelf or alongside the bath.
- Find several old brass or porcelain-topped taps, and mount them upside down
on the wall to make unusual towel hooks
- Banish frayed, warn towels from the bathroom and make a splash with big fluffy
towels, a thick soft bath mat and huge terry-cloth robes
- Use mirrors to lighten and enlarge dreary space. If plain mirrors create too
chilly an effect, consider using grey-tinted or the antiqued varieties. Hung together,
a collection of differently shaped framed mirrors can enliven a dark wall.
- Leafy greenery is visually refreshing and can lend glamour and luxury to a bathroom.
Use ferns and other plants that flourish in the steamy atmosphere of the bathroom.
- Furniture definitely has a place in the bathroom. A bentwood chair or antique
marble table can introduce old fashioned elegance into a modern interior or an
upholstered chaise lounge can be wonderful for languishing on.
- Fit dimmer switches (outside the bathroom) and give yourself the option of bright
light for applying make-up or shaving and soft, subdued light for relaxing in
the bath.
- Consider building a tiled or wooden ledge around the bath to provide space for
cups of tea (or glasses of champagne).
- Make a feature of a window by fitting it with glass shelves and using them to
hold potted plants or colored glass bottles.
- Buy a glass bowl or tank and give a few goldfish a new home.
- Invest in a collection of inexpensive straw baskets in different shapes and
sizes and use them to store towels, soaps, and cosmetics.
- A book shelf or magazine rack is a must for many who like to linger in the bathroom.
-If there are moments when you like company in the bathroom, be sure there is
a place for your guest to sit. Be a good host and have a place for tea or coffee
cups.
© Daniel Rogov
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