The house we lived in at Taihape was a large farmhouse, with a small bathroom, containing a large bath, hand basin and a locked inbuilt medicine cupboard on the wall.
Funny, but I seem to think it was just a hand basin with no cabinet below and I can't remember there being a mirror above the hand basin. There was a door that led off the passage from the bedrooms and a glass door that led on to the veranda and out to the toilet. The toilet was always a dash on frosty mornings. The bathroom, although small, serviced a family of seven, with us kids sharing water for baths.
How times have changed. Kids would think they were really hard done by if they had to share bath water now, let alone only have a bath. But we were on tank water so water was precious and it was just the done thing.
The next house we lived in was on a huge sheep station up the Whangaehu River. It was a funny house as in a previous life it had been the cookhouse for the station, feeding the hordes of young men who worked either permanently or seasonally on the station over the years.
The cook would have lived on the premises and cooked in the kitchen, serving up meals to the men in the dining room. So cook's lounge became a bedroom, the dining room became a lounge and so on.
Walls were painted, matched lining in many of the rooms, carpet in some but the majority of the "common" rooms had Marmoleum on the floor. Great for skidding on with your socks as it was seamless, waxed and polished.
On entering the house at the back door there was a tank stand outside, then an outside toilet. Once inside the door to the left was the bathroom, to the right the kitchen and further down the passage was a huge washhouse. The bathroom wall was clad in match lining on the passage side to match the rest of the house. The stud in this house would have been about 10ft, the bathroom wall was about six-and-a-half feet and above the wall was the ventilation area.
Once inside the bathroom the outside walls were matched lining, but on the passage side it was framework. This allowed us to climb the walls and look over the top of the bathroom and into the passage on the other side.
The bathroom itself was again very simple - a large bath, taps at the end, a window to the outside that let in the morning sun, a hand basin with no cabinet, a mirror. It was quite an empty space from memory.
I think mum also added a set of drawers for storage. And from memory many of the walls in that house were a very definite green, practical and calming.
We used to have so much fun with that bathroom and its short walls.
Many bathrooms are still practical and this is often due to size and budget. For a family it is a working room and needs to work well and be easy to clean.
There is often an ensuite and dressing room adjoining the main bedroom that can be more elaborate and luxurious as these rooms have become a place to relax and escape from the rest of the household.
Ensuites are now more his and hers, with separate bespoke vanities and basins and in some cases vanities on different walls. Mirrors are often recessed, back lit or with elaborate frames.
His and hers bespoke double showers with glass walls and no doors are often built along an end wall allowing plenty of room to move. Alcove-shelving is becoming popular so that shelves and contents don't protrude into the shower space or shampoo bottles, razors, etc, don't end up being stored on the floor. Large his and hers baths are often used in this space as well as a more standard bath in the main bathroom.
Space for candles and wine is often a must-have.
Lighting is wired on separate circuits to allow for good general lighting when required with the flick of a switch to softer mood lighting for bathing. Surround sound is also a feature that is being incorporated into the ensuite. Under-floor heating with tiles is a must.
It is easy to install even if you never use it, but a mission to install at a later date once the bathroom is finished. And once you have used heated tiles you will probably never go back to them unheated.
Finishes can be simple or elaborate. The trend is still for floor to ceiling and wall to wall tiling but that does depend on the height of the ceiling and the shape of the room and the style you want to achieve.
Tiles have become more elaborate with pearlized finishes, patterns or images and in some cases beading. They can look stunning as feature areas in bathrooms. Wallpaper is being used more often as well, but ventilation still needs to be very good when using wallpaper. We no doubt have all seen those rooms where the wallpaper is peeling off due to too much moisture. Paint is always a good option if budget doesn't allow.
Tapware comes in such a huge variety and is not all created equal. Good tapware comes with good warranties. Ensure you know what you are purchasing.
Bathrooms can be expensive rooms in the house, especially if you are looking at that "over-the-top" bathroom. Look is important, but so is maintenance if something needs to be repaired.
There are so many gorgeous fixtures and fittings on the market it's often hard to know where to start. When choosing taps make sure you buy for your water pressure. Many homes I work on are still on low pressure and much of the gorgeous taps are designed for mains pressure only.
Windows in bathrooms are always interesting and what should be done with them. In most cases there needs to be something on the windows. Sometimes frosting is a good option as the view is not to die for because of limitations on space and boundaries.
But there are many other treatments that can be used for privacy when required. It may be that the outside needs attention rather than the inside.
I recently viewed a "his and hers" bathroom where there was a passage behind a short wall which acted as the headboard to the bed.
There were two floor to ceiling glass frosted doors behind the wall and a solid wall between the two doors.
Through the door you walked into a long narrow bathroom, very feminine and absolutely gorgeous, with a mirror along the length of the wall above the full-length vanity. On the other side of the wall was a mirror image of 'her' bathroom for 'him'. The positioning of everything was the same but the décor was heavy and masculine.
At the end of both these rooms was the shower hidden behind a part height tiled wall which linked to the two areas. There was also a separate toilet off each ensuite, total privacy but showering together.
A great concept if you have the space to keep the areas separate.
There is so much scope in bathrooms from the practical to the more luxurious in creating good working spaces within a small or large area.
If you have any questions about issues discussed or product supply give me a call on 0276023298 or drop me a line on terry@terrylobb.com
July is ideal for winter pruning to maximise fruit production.