When you make a splash in bathroom it had better be right one

Bathrooms need their own personality and a touch of flair. PHOTO/SUPPLIED

Bathrooms are such an important part of any home. They need to be well planned, practical and easy care for cleaning.

I also feel they need to have personality and a little flair, depending on budget, and the look and feel you want for the bathroom.

Bathrooms often take a pounding, especially in a family home with everyone jostling to get a place to start their day, and they are often left damp and shut up all day once everyone heads to work or school.

So what makes a good bathroom? What should you be looking out for when creating that personal space?

You need to consider who is using the bathroom, how many at a time and their requirements.

Family bathrooms can be extremely different for a home that only has a couple or a single person. Some people like to indulge and pamper so the space becomes quite different from that of a practical family bathroom and sometimes the two need to be combined.

I prefer a separate toilet with a hand basin to one in the bathroom but if there is enough room in the bathroom, consider including a toilet. It certainly makes life easier in a busy household.

Choose your flooring wisely. So many options for flooring are available, from ceramic tiles to timber, cork and vinyl and, within each of these, different textures and colours to work with. I tend to prefer bright, cheerful family bathrooms, more calming bathrooms for the retreat life feel and neutral for a home that is looking at being sold within a short while.

This is where a good colour on the floor can make a difference and set the tone for the room's theme. You need to be aware of how slippery a floor can be. I often get people saying they won't use tiles because they are too slippery but water on a smooth vinyl or a polished timber floor can be just as treacherous.

Ceramic tiles come in textures from highly polished to more matt finishes to a nonslip. How easy is it to clean? Natural timber and cork gives instant visual warmth to a bathroom. Vinyl and cork are warmer underfoot and tend to absorb noise, whereas timber and tiled floors can be noisier. Comfort underfoot should be considered, so if you want under-floor heating choose the appropriate flooring.

Lighting is often forgotten or an afterthought in a bathroom. And good lighting, effective lighting, is so important. You need to consider what the bathroom gets used for and the different areas that need to be illuminated and if there is any natural light that can be used.

Good general lighting illuminates the bathroom well enough to be safe but needs to be used in conjunction with other lighting. Mirror lights are important and to work successfully need to illuminate the face and mirror. The best form of mirror lighting for bathrooms is the "Hollywood dressing room" lighting but in a home bathroom that is a little over the top.

Lighting that illuminates out and across, placed on either side of the mirror, or a good lamp over the mirror, are the best options. I prefer blade-type fittings to individual spots.

Use lighting that is designed for wet areas - there is reason lighting is designed for bathrooms. Mirrors are a good form of bouncing light around a bathroom. I always feel the bigger the better, especially in small bathrooms as it helps make the room appear larger.

Ventilation is an important factor, natural and artificial. It can come in the form of heat lamps and extractors combined. The bathrooms can be vented separately as well. The less ducting the more efficient the unit will be. Remember, if it is drawing air out it needs to come from somewhere. Often under a door is enough to draw air in.

Shower domes are a great way to contain shower steam and are worth it. I have had clients reject them because they felt they didn't look right, but when it comes to protecting walls from constant streaming water, I know what I would prefer. As they are seen more in homes they will become part of the bathroom planning.

Bathroom "furniture" includes the toilet, showers, baths and vanities. If vanities and toilets are wall hung it gives the illusion of space and makes the area beneath easier to clean. Bathroom scales can be slipped under wall-hung vanities instead of left in the open. Double hand-basins, I have found, often are too close to be used together, especially by adults. Plastic basins tend to look shabby more quickly than a porcelain basin. There is a lot of scope for vanities, if custom designed, to get exactly what you want. Basins can sit on the bench, semi-recessed or be under-mounted. Moulded basin and bench tops are often easier to keep clean, but it does depend on the look you are trying to achieve.

Baths come many shapes and sizes and can be built-in or freestanding, depending on the size and preference in your bathroom. If you are putting in a freestanding bath, ensure it is easy to clean around. I have seen many that aren't and just become a hindrance. As well, when positioning the bath ensure the taps or spout will allow the water to fall into the bath.

I nearly always try to use a swivel tap over a vanity. Vanity taps are usually designed for the water to flow down the plug hole, making the swirl of water around the basin a challenge for cleaning. A swivel tap will allow for it to be put aside and the basin becomes more user-friendly and you are less likely to hit your head on the tap.

The many showers on the market include wet showers, glass framed and recessed, to name a few. Ensure that the door mechanisms are sturdy and easy to clean. If you like to shave your legs in the shower, is there a comfortable foot rest? If not, such shaving becomes harder to do the older you get.

Where will the bottles and soaps go? Is there a sufficient drip overhang or is the show likely to leak? I still visit homes in which showers have been incorrectly installed or poorly designed and they leak. Shower curtains or glass? I often use shower curtains for clients, custom-made to suit their decor. I did have one comment recently about them being a "pain" when they went mouldy. I found that they washed them only once every six months.

How often do you clean your glass or tiled shower? If you left it for six months, imagine the state it would be in. A curtain is no different from a glass door when it comes to cleaning. Bathrooms are such fun spaces to work in, small or large. A well-designed bathroom sets the tone for the beginning of a fantastic day.

Terry Lobb is an interior/kitchen designer and personal colour and style consultant who takes an holistic approach to living with colour, texture and style - email: terry@terrylobb.com; website: http:// terrylobb.com