The most challenging room in a house
All about our experience designing bathrooms
Lately, we've been a bit quiet in the online universe, and it's true that until you stop, you don't realize how much you need it. Does this happen to you too? But January is already over (for us, it was a strangely long month), and we have gradually returned to the normal rhythm of things.
LET'S TALK ABOUT BATHROOMS
If we ask you to picture yourself in your dream home, surely the first thing that comes to mind is a living room, perhaps bright with high ceilings, or a beautiful kitchen, or even a bedroom exuding tranquility.
How many of you have thought about a bathroom?
Because, typically, they are the great forgotten despite all the time we spend in them (just think about it for a few seconds). That's why, at Himera, we believe it's essential to treat them like any other room. Devote the same care to them as to a living room or a kitchen and design them so they integrate with the rest of the spaces, not seeming like they've landed from another galaxy.
Here are some things about bathrooms that we have learned over the years:
1 Preliminary planning is everything
If you could follow only one piece of advice from this list, you should choose this one. Planning in advance is crucial if you want the process to be smooth with the least possible setbacks. Have a clear idea before starting of what you're going to do, how you're going to do it, and who is going to do it so that the result meets expectations.
2 Colors and finishes matter
This point might create some debate, but we couldn't leave it out: we believe it's basic for bathrooms to have the same character as the rest of the home (even if we have 12!). A home tells a story, and it's beautiful if this story is consistent, so that when you discover the space, everything is related, everything makes sense.
Therefore, in our projects, we try to repeat the color palette of the house in the bathrooms as well. Our favorite finishes are microcements for walls and natural stones, but we also often opt for wooden elements to add warmth.
3 Accessories matter too
Basic: don't forget a place for towels. If it helps, a trick we often use is not to place the sink cabinets against the walls to hide the towel rack in that space. A pair (rack-towel) that, if it can go unnoticed, is even better. At least in small spaces.
Returning to accessories, most of the time, we don't need as many as they try to sell us, and remember, they don't have to match either: toilet paper holder, brush, hand towel holder, large towel holder, various hooks, soap dispensers, and so on. Success lies in moderation.
4 The shower niche
Unless you are a natural minimalist who only needs one bottle, it doesn't hurt to have a space, even a small one, to organize all the shower products. Placed in a corner on the floor, they create disorder :’)
5 Something to dry towels
Towel radiators are very practical elements that can also be beautiful and contribute to the bathroom's composition. Few things are more comforting after a shower than drying off with a warm towel, but few things are more unpleasant than the smell of a damp towel. And with a towel warmer, we solve both issues.
If you live in a humid climate like us, you'll especially appreciate it, but it's never a bad idea, if you have space, to reserve a spot -electric ones are especially useful because you can turn them on any time of the year. We are obsessed with this model because it looks like a sculpture, but we also love this other one for more classic bathrooms.
6 Say no to oversized glass shower enclosures
We continue with the shower, because we have a lot to say about it. Glass shower enclosures are difficult to clean, get dirty very quickly, and no one likes to, after showering, be mindful of splashes to keep the bathroom impeccable. Moreover, they usually have silicone joints that age poorly.
So, whenever you can, try to make them small. Built-in showers are a perfect option that solves this problem.
7 Storage: more is more
In a bathroom, you can end up storing a thousand things (beauty products, first aid kits, towels, dirty laundry...) so if you think carefully about how much storage you need before remodeling, it will be easier to keep it organized afterward. Here are some ideas we've included in our projects:
- Flush-mounted mirrors on the wall that hide storage behind
- Vanities with a built-in laundry basket (and hidden!)
- Cabinets for white linens in large spaces
- In one of our recent projects, we created a niche with shelves where we "hid" the towel radiator
Just make sure that storage solutions in the bathroom are decisive and integrated into the space, because overusing small elements can create a lot of noise.
A WINTER GETAWAY
As many of you know, in January, we took a few days to escape to Milan to start the year on the right foot, and it turned out to be one of the best decisions. Neither the cold nor the rain spoiled our trip. We had the Duomo Square to ourselves (well, to be fair, we shared it with some pigeons), and we could stroll and enjoy its architecture calmly, without crowds and without stress. But also, enjoy the food and the shops (because you can't go to Milan and overlook this).
We didn't take the trip too seriously because we wanted to improvise and discover places on the go. So don't ask us for book recommendations, because we don't have them. Although our appointment at Berberè is never missing when we step foot in Italy.
Happy month,
Ana & Edgar