Beds In Bathrooms

Celebrating the emerging interior design trend of putting baths in bedrooms.

Some traditionalists might venture that to put a bath in one’s bedroom is a little outré, but around the world an increasing number of hip and happening homeowners are transforming their home experiences by splashing out on baths for their bedrooms.

Packaging moods and experiences

The idea of placing a bath in your bedroom fits snugly with the emerging philosophy that its psychologically healthy and conducive to a happy life to package different aspects of our home lives in separate spaces. For example: a kitchen is for cooking in, a dining room for family dinners, bedrooms strictly for rest (never work) and utility rooms for, well, household utility.

This is nothing groundbreaking of course, but it’s worth considering how baths can fit into this model. Bathing is not only functional like showering, it’s also pleasurable and relaxing. By that token, it’s a better fit for a bedroom than a bathroom, where showers, sinks, toilets and the like are all purely functional.

Here is a bath we restored fitted in our clients bedroom. You can get your own bath restored by us or buy from our extensive range of original antique French and English baths.

A beautiful pink bath in a bedroom setting.

Practical considerations

Much the same as in the process of installing a feature in a bathroom, installing a bath in a bedroom brings a great deal of practical considerations. Obviously, finding the right bed to match your bath is key – see here for some of the many options on the market.

The use of flagstone flooring or other tiling (under-heated, if you’re feeling decadent) in the area directly beneath and around the bath is essential – using a mosaic effect featuring colours used elsewhere in the bedroom will foster a sense of continuity between the bathing area and other parts of the room. You’ll need to consult with a plumber to ensure the necessary system can be installed, and we also advise making sure that your curtains or blinds are in good working order.

Fitting awkward house layouts

For those with moderately large bedrooms and small bathrooms which only accommodate a shower at best, placing a bath in the bedroom is a means of enjoying the luxury of bathing where it would otherwise prove impossible.

The Man From U.N.C.L.E

Here is a fun job we ended up getting.

A chap called about an Art Deco Double Ended bath we had for sale. It is a lovely bath. He asked if we had more items such as a basin etc and fortunately we did have. So he decided he should buy the whole suite and then told us it was for a Film Set.

The Man From U.N.C.L.E caption.

As you can imagine the girls in the office got quite excited. Particularly when he told us it was for a set on the up coming movie “The Man From U.N.C.L.E”. Quick google searches ensued and gasps of “OMG David Beckham, Guy Ritchie” etc were heard. There was also the occasional scream.

So watch this space. The team at The Bath Business are all going to see the movie once it is released and we will be looking out for our re enamelled Art Deco Bathroom suite.

SALVO FAIR

We were sorry to hear that this year there is no SALVO FAIR. After a run of 13 years straight helping reclamation and restoration company’s show their wares the company has decided to take a year off. Well they do deserve the well earned rest. We shall miss the experience never-the-less.

A typical day at the SALVO FAIR

The FAIR is fantastic for anyone who loves good quality antique and reclaimed items. Rummaging through miscellaneous treasures, especially in the rain , is just a lot of fun. Sometimes you even see Celebrities doing exactly the same. Last year we saw Will Young. You can pick out some amazing bargains. You can find anything from original Victorian bathroom tiles to stained glass. Actually if you can think of it SALVO normally will have it on display at their fair. The fair is a great day out.

All is not lost. There is an great website yOu can check out called SALVO WEB You can find what you want from roof tiles to chandeliers. We have even advertised a few of our reclaimed and resurfaced baths on the site. So if you want to sell these guys are there to help and if you are looking to buy quality reclaimed items or resurfaced baths try SALVO WEB.

How to make the most of a small bathroom

For most of us our bathroom is the smallest room in our home and with houses now shrinking in size, bathrooms are getting even smaller. However, most of us dream of having one of those celebrity style bathrooms where space is not an issue and you can enjoy the ultimate bathroom experience. For most of us this dream is far out of reach and so we have to make do with our relatively small bathrooms. However, there are some useful tips you can try and follow to help maximise your bathroom space and create the illusion of space. We have put together a few tips which have been tried and tested and used in many small bathrooms.

• Colours – If you have a small bathroom space then the colour scheme you choose can either help to maximise or minimise the space. Dark colours are not ideal in a small bathroom as they will make it feel very closed in and will emphasise the limited space. Try to use natural and neutral colours as they will encourage a light and airy atmosphere and help to reflect any natural light within your bathroom making it appear more spacious.
• Lighting – Lighting is an important tool to use to create the illusion of space. If your bathroom has very little natural light then it is important to maximise the lack of light with artificial lighting. Spot lights in the ceiling are a great way to light a bathroom and give the impression of natural light and space. Correctly positioned, spot lighting can help to create a spacious feeling.
• Furniture – Bathroom suites vary in size but there is pretty much a bathroom suite to fit even the smallest of spaces. The key with a small bathroom is to be sensible. Don’t buy a suite that takes up all of your space, there are specialist bathroom suites available for small bathrooms. With modern shower and bath combinations as well as compact toilets and sinks that now come in a range of shapes and sizes. By choosing a compact bathroom suite you will increase the floor space available and make your bathroom seem far larger than it is in reality.
• Mirrors and glass – Using mirrors and glass in your bathroom will help reflect natural light and increase the spacious feeling. Try not to use a conventional shower curtain as this will automatically block space and create a divide. Use a glass shower divide and this will allow light to flow through the room and make it feel far more open and spacious. Mirrors are also a great way to enhance light and space within your bathroom but don’t go too crazy with the mirrors.

These useful tips can help you to make more of your bathroom and leave you with a more functional and useable space.

Five tips to enjoying a relaxing bath

Baths are a great way to help relax your tired and stressed body. A perfect bath can relieve you stresses and leave you feeling calm and mellow. Most may think that it is obvious how to take a bath and if you’re bathing simply to clean then I suppose it is. However, not all of us know how to create that perfect bath, that bath that takes you to another place, a place of serenity and relaxation. We have put together five handy tips to help you achieve the ultimate relaxing bathing experience. Follow these handy tips and you could find yourself taking baths more often!

Cleanliness

No matter how much of a clean freak you may be, it is always a good idea to give your bath a clean before you start to run it. Nothing can be less relaxing than lying in a bath with grime, dirt, fluff, hair or the worst case a spider! Stepping into a perfectly clean bath will help you to relax and feel at ease whilst you bathe.

Temperature

Many people often get the temperature of their bath completely wrong. Most of us either run a bath that is far too hot or is barely warm. Neither of these are going to be enjoyable never mind relaxing. If you’ve always thought you’ve hated having baths then temperature could be the issue. If the bath is too hot then it could leave you feeling nauseous, dizzy and weak but if it is too cold then it could leave you dithering and feeling like you can’t get warm. It is recommended that you get into your bath at a medium temperature. Test it with your forearm and if it burns then it is too hot. It is best to get into a warm bath and add more hot water if it is needed.

Bath scents & oils

Bath scents & oils can be a great way to help you relax. There are various aromatherapy oils and scents available such as lavender, chamomile, sandalwood, cedarwood, ylang ylang and rose, all of which can create relaxing scents in your bath to help calm and de-stress you. They can also be good for relaxing strained muscles or just everyday aches and pains.

Atmosphere

Creating a relaxing atmosphere is key to the perfect bath. It’s not going to be relaxing if the kids are running around or someone is nagging at you to quickly vacate the bathroom. Plan your relaxing bath for a time when nobody is around or make sure everyone understands you are not to be disturbed.

Try lowering the lighting or possibly using candles dotted around the room to give the feeling of a spa like experience. Candles or lower lighting is a great way to soothe tired eyes and will help you relax into your bath.

Why not pop your favourite cd or playlist on the i-pod player, something calming, slow and chilled. Chillout albums are great for listening to in a relaxing bath. They will remind you of a spa or being on a tropical beach somewhere.

Bath comforts

Buy yourself some typical bath comforts to aid you relaxation. No bath is complete without plenty of bubbles but not so much that they become an irritation. There are various bubble bath products now on the market that are aimed at relaxing and soothing you. Whether it’s aching muscles, stress relief or wanting to sleep better, there is a bubble bath to aid it. Finally to add to your comfort, buy yourself a bath pillow, these make relaxing so much easier and stop you from having to rest your head against a cold bath.