Bathrooms.

What's in a bathroom you may ask?!  Surely its a place to direct a few splashes in the right direction and exit looking and feeling fresh? 

Nope.  Bathrooms are SO much more.  Think SPA.  Think of an inviting retreat with loads of space, jet baths, multiple heads at different angles in a frame-less step-in shower and lots of natural light... 

A must for a master bathroom is a dual basin - she needs her space and actually, so do you.  It gives a new meaning to spending quality time together!  The trend has also shifted slightly to partitioning the toilet or in the case of many new designs, having it completely separate; I can hear the ladies cheering this one! 

Accessories
Towel warmers may not have been top of mind in Durban 6 months ago but with the chilly weather lately, I think it may just become a wanted item.  It's a very popular accessory in homes across the globe despite the weather; it's a lovely feature and makes perfect sense when re-designing an expressive bathroom.

Flooring
While most homeowners think tile in the bathroom, many are now happy to opt for a more modern screed (cement for those pulling the left side of the lip up), the application can either be sealed in its natural colour or it can be stained.  One screed is never the same as the next, they each have an individual look and feel to them which makes this application very unique!  As I mentioned in my post last week; bamboo is becoming very popular.  Now, it looks beautiful but it has a 'sell-by-date', timber flooring needs lots of TLC in the bathroom and with the bathroom being a 'wet' room, it will eventually pull away in areas...  But then again, it will be time for a new look! 

Now, you may sit and scratch your head at the next sentence but hopefully you'll be scratching your head imagining what your bathroom will look like with this application, and not doing so thinking that I'm a bit confused.  Remember the old linoleum?  That nasty looking poorly applied vinyl flooring in the home of the girl from Woodstock, the one that your sister found to be different yet sssoooo cooool?  Yes, THAT flooring - well, its making a BIG comeback in the high-end fashionable homes!

Cath Kidston designs are sought after in this application and if you take a look at the Harvey Maria website, you'll be surprised just how high-end vinoleum is today.  If solid timber like parquet is more your style, to put things in perspective, you could lay a solid floor for the same price as this linoleum!

My passing thought today would be to keep the bathroom bright and open; treat it as another room in your home that has thought and feeling put into the design - it works wonders in rejuvenation!

Ciao Alain