ADD TOUCHES OF NATURAL STYLE TO YOUR BATHROOM – Take a look through a bathroom catalogue and you may find yourself confronted with what appear to be pictures of bathrooms from outer space! Angular taps, mirrored walls, spot lighting and hidden cistern toilets that appear to be held to the wall using magic, not to mention bath tubs that look like they’ve been lifted from the set of Battlestar Galactica.
There’s certainly nothing wrong with pushing the design envelope and minimalist design doesn’t show any signs of becoming less popular, but does being stylish have to mean ultra-modern? After doing more research there does seem to be another way and one that takes inspiration from both tradition and nature. Here are just two suggestions on how you might introduce style into your bathroom, without having to leave the aesthetic atmosphere.
Natural Stone
While polished porcelains, mirrored walls and sparkly faux marble flooring work well in Vodka bars and night clubs, do they really add a level of comfort or relaxation to your bathroom? The same could be said for bulbous glass sinks and baths shaped like kidney beans, interesting to look at certainly but would you take pleasure from using them every day?
Then there are the practical elements to consider. What happens to glass when it’s met with steam or dried toothpaste marks? A stylish environment quickly looks like the aforementioned vodka bar, come the morning after. So what are the viable alternatives? Natural stone is becoming popular, thanks in part to its increasing availability.
Lime stone, marble and travertine are readily available and some quick research highlights that these modern looking stones where even used around the Roman coliseum, so you’re certainly in good company. Travertine tiles in particular work well as both floor and wall tiles and in addition to being a hard wearing surface material, travertine can be shaped into luxurious sinks and even baths. How many bathrooms have you seen where you can wash your face in a basin carved from solid stone?
Wood Not Metal
We forget just how many of the fixtures in our bathrooms are fashioned from metal. Taps, door handles, shower enclosures and towel rails and while many of these are metal through necessity subtle changes can still be made. In particular chrome plated towel rails have become a staple of the modern bathroom and it’s not difficult to see why. They offer a practical solution to an age old problem and mean that our towels no longer have to rest in a crumpled heap. Yet have you ever looked at a chrome towel rail closely? Many will reveal bubbling where the chrome has started to come away from the cheaper alloy underneath due to moisture getting beneath the outer surface. Instead of chrome models why not look at natural rails fashioned from wood including bamboo? Not only is bamboo incredibly hard wearing it won’t corrode like metal.
Using natural elements not only helps create a calming environment it helps you achieve a bathroom design that few are using. Why not try breaking away from the current trends and create a space you can truly enjoy.
