electric towel rails

Bathroom Design 101

White gordon electric towel warmer on slate wall

If a bathroom renovation is on the cards for you in the near future, it’s a great idea to give some thought to bathroom design. While it’s likely you’ll need to get professional help to complete your renovation, it makes sense to know about the basics so you can add value to the project and make the most of your investment.

So, here are Eskimo Heat’s key bathroom design 101 ideas and details that you’ll need. It includes everything from the bathroom sink and vanity, to the heated towel warmer.

Blue bathroom scene styled with gordon heated towel warmer

Key details required for any good bathroom design

Before we take a look at some design ideas, it’s important to get some key details down on paper.

For starters, how much money do you have to spend on your bathroom renovation? According to hipages, a bathroom renovation can cost anywhere from $10,000 to $30,000 and even more. This depends on the size, the materials you choose, fittings and of course labour costs. $17,000 is the average cost.

Next, create a list of what you want to see included in your bathroom. A good starting point for this exercise is to visit a bathroom store or take a look online for inspiration. List the fittings you want to include in your bathroom, such as a bath (if you have the space), shower screens, toilet, vanity and heated towel warmer.

Then, do a basic layout of your new bathroom. If you’re renovating, rather than starting from scratch with a new build, remember that it will be cheaper to items like your toilet, vanity, shower and bath roughly where they are now. This will reduce the plumbing work required and therefore the costs. However, if the current layout doesn’t work, spend the extra money to fix the issues. For the sake of perhaps a few hundred dollars, it’s money well spent.

Armed with a better idea on the budget, a basic plan and layout, and with good knowledge of the fittings you want, you can then start thinking about design.

Bathroom sink organic style

Bathroom design ideas
  • You probably can’t extend the space in your bathroom but you can make it look larger and a key to this is lighting. When you are renovating your bathroom, it’s a perfect time to improve the lighting. This can include practical lighting (such as having the right amount of light over the mirror) and aesthetic lighting, such as strip lights that are so popular now.
  • Another popular trend is a shower niche to store your soaps and shampoos. They’re extremely handy and look a whole lot better than alternative storage options.
  • If you don’t quite have the space for a separate bath and shower, you might be able to combine them in a wet space. This involves combining the shower and bath behind a shower screen. It looks great and is also practical.
  • Your new bathroom needs to be practical, but that doesn’t mean you should skimp on luxury. A bathroom renovation is the perfect time to add a heated towel warmer so that you’ll have warm towels to wrap yourself in when you get out of your bath or shower.
  • Choose a shower screen that will suit your space. For example, while they are a little more expensive, a frameless shower screen will make your space seem bigger and lighter. A walk in shower adds a touch of luxury. And a sliding door shower screen is great in areas where a pivoting door would bump into other items or get in the way.
  • Carefully consider the colours you choose, particularly the paint for the walls and ceiling, and the tiles for the walls and floor. Lighter colours are often best in smaller spaces, as are simpler tiles (avoid busy patterns).

Double Gordon heated towel rail

Don’t forget the heated towel warmer

As we’ve mentioned above, adding luxury to your bathroom is important. This can be with a walk in shower, a wet space and strip lighting, but don’t forget the heated towel warmer!

For a heated towel warmer that looks as good as it performs, consider Eskimo’s Gordon range.

To say Gordon looks different is something of an understatement. Instead of the horizontal rails that most towel warmers feature, Gordon has vertical fins that towels are draped over. These vertical fins don’t just make Gordon look different, it makes it more practical. While most horizontal towel warmers struggle to dry one or two towels, Gordon can dry four large towels or bath mats at the same time. With the double Gordon, it’s eight!

That’s just the start of the benefits of Gordon:

  • As well as towels and bath mats, Gordon can be used to dry clothes and other fabrics.
  • Our heated towel warmer will add some additional heat to your bathroom, unlike most other models.
  • Gordon is more efficient than most towel warmers and, compared with other models, can warm up quicker and dry towels in a shorter time.
  • Gordon is available in four colours. It’s finished in a textured powder coat to ensure a non-slip finish.

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