Awash with change
For most parts of the home, most of us wouldn’t mind being a little old-fashioned. Your bedroom may have your grandma’s four-poster bed. Your living room might display Limoges figurines. You’ll add cast-iron pans and the family pestle to your kitchen. But when it comes to bathrooms, no one wants to compromise on comfort – the more modern, the better.
“Today bathroom decor trends are largely guided by the ‘wellness space’ kind of design mantra, which oscillates between earthy to sophisticated,” says Ajay Hemmady, director and principal architect at NA Designs. “People are welltravelled and a wellness destination visited becomes the inspiration for the decor. Social media has also brought in a chic and sophisticated edge to design.”
Ashish Bahal, lead of the architect programme and experience design at Signify Innovations, says that bathrooms have moved from being merely functional to becoming a style statement. “Designs can oscillate between classic and modern, depending on the customer’s taste.” It needn’t be complicated or expensive. You can do some of the transformations yourself.
SIMPLE SUBSTITUTIONS
The quickest way to turn a small, dull space into an interesting area is by playing with light, colour, and bathroom accessories and adding in some art pieces and plants. Hide dull bathroom walls by hanging a selection of art prints on them, continue the theme on one section of the counter with objects-d’art. “Even wall papers with different themes like forest, flora and fauna, geometrical patterns, vintage motifs and cartoons can give it a refreshing and interesting look” say architects Ashish Patil and Prachi Chavarkar, co-founders of Archilab Designs.
Potted plants that thrive in dampness and low sunlight will add freshness and purify the air too. Even your laundry storage can get a modern upgrade in a beautiful bamboo basket with colourful towels displayed artistically. And get your mirror to reflect the upgrade.
“A simple look contrasted by a heavy baroque framed mirror can look classy,” says Hemmady. Mirrors also add depth to small spaces say Patil and Chavarkar.
Undoubtedly, lighting plays an important role and a lighting plan should meet your functional and aesthetic needs. So apart from general ceiling lights, add on separate fixtures in dim corners, accent lights for your plants and art or task lighting above the vanity mirror for shaving or make-up.“your bathroom lighting should adapt to changing situations through the day” says Bahal.
“While ceiling lights provide general lighting, wall lights can set special accents and open up room space. For a cozy atmosphere, consider mood lights that change colour, which can be adapted to suit the bathroom design and users’ mood. The bathroom mirror should be lit from the top and both sides so that it lights up your face evenly.”
KEEP IT SAFE
A good bathroom is a safe one, more so due to presence of moisture. “Check IP rating (Ingress Protection) of all your electrical equipment – it determines if a device’s exterior case will protect the working parts from water, dust or solid object intrusion” Bahal says. He recommends a minimum rating of IP23, IP44 or IP65 for bathroom lights.
Ventilation is equally crucial as dampness can lead to musty smell, mould growth and cause health issues. So keep your windows open whenever possible. Alternately, get a good exhaust fan. Take precautions to prevent accidents with grab bars or rails, slip-resistant mats, and keep the floor dry.
To ensure that the design flows seamlessly, choose a bathroom theme that matches the home’s general décor. Praphul Sudarshan, a resident of Crescent Bay, Parel, consulted NA designs to redecorate their bathroom. “Our house has a collection of eclectic materials, which we had accumulated over the years - right from my mother’s brass vessels to antiques from China,” she says. The design firm incorporated them into the family home’s six washrooms, while ensuring that each one reflected the individual taste.
“My father-in-law has a wooden-look counter to go with the antique furniture in his room. The guest bathroom was given a dramatic look with black and a green ceiling made with artificial plants,” says Sudarshan.