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Building Better Bathrooms With Your Own Designs

by: ARA

(ARA) - Is there a traffic jam in your bathroom? Do you find yourself bumping into your family or the walls while brushing your teeth? If so, it may be time to make your bathroom more functional by rethinking how you use the space.

According to Better Homes and Gardens Web site, www.bhg.com, a standard size bathroom is 35 to 80 square feet. A typical master bath is 100 square feet or more. While it may be small compared to other rooms in the house, this standard space can really open up when you combine your personal preferences and style with how you want to use the bathroom.

Assessing Your Bathroom�s Space

When working with homeowners to create a new room plan, I often start out with the big-picture question: �In a perfect world, what would your bathroom feel like?� In the past, answers have been �like the outside brought indoors� or �like a cottage on the lake.� Hidden in both of those answers was a key to a successful room plan -- the concept of space. You can use the same square footage to create an open, shared space or a private, cozy space. The difference is how traffic patterns and designs can work together to result in a completely different feel.

When you�re reassessing your bathroom�s space, ask yourself the following questions to pinpoint a design that is the most functional for you.

* How many people will use this bathroom? Will they use it at the same time?

* Rethink the essentials. Do you need double sinks or a bidet in the guest bath?

* Take out fixtures that do not meet your functionality. If you are adding fixtures, look for adjoining space to add to your bathroom. Closets and fifth bedrooms are great options for more space.

Another great idea to thin out traffic in the bathroom is to add a sink to another room. American Standard came up with the clever idea of adding a round countertop sink in a glass makeup table in the bedroom.

This not only saves space in the bathroom, but it also allows for more privacy by splitting the areas into two rooms. The single-mount faucet is a simple, sleek option that blends with updated traditional and contemporary styles.

How much privacy do you need?

Should the toilet be placed in a separate room? Popular in the �80s and �90s, separate water closets have become a standard in new home design. Many bathroom designs tuck the toilet into a corner or separate space, out of sight from the bathroom�s entrance. If space is still an issue, a half wall or glassed partition can give the feel of more privacy without gobbling up square footage.

What is your bathing routine?

Do you need a shower or a tub or both? If there are multiple bathrooms in your home, there may be the opportunity to simplify function in one or more to open up space. One of my clients wanted a double steam shower instead of a tub for the master bath. This decision created space that they wouldn�t have used with a tub. This client then installed a soaking tub in one of the guest baths for smart space savings and resale value.

How does this bathroom work in the overall house plan?

Do you need to move entrances or change doors? Simply changing a hinged door to a sliding pocket door can convert a tight space into plenty of room. When I worked on the bathroom design and layout with American Standard's 2003 Ugliest Bathroom Contest winner, I encountered a doorway that seemed out of place. We moved a hallway entrance from the master bath into the master bedroom for more privacy. And to save space, we used a pocket door instead of the original hinged door.

In addition to asking yourself these questions, you can assess your bathroom through the National Kitchen and Bath Association�s online questionnaire at www.nkba.com. In particular, the last survey section about room orientation is another tool to help you rethink your bathroom space and function.

Courtesy of ARA Content

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5 Essential Factors Of a Good Bedroom Design
by: Shrinivas Vaidya

Dear friends, successful design is a relative term. What is good or successful for me may not be so from your point of view.

But when it comes to interior design, there are certain factors which are always present no matter what the use of the space is. Let's have a look at the bare minimum design factors a space must have so that it can be called a comfortable and habitable space.

1) Proportions of the room.

The word "proportions" is always used in the design field. Every interior space which is being used by humans must be proportionate. Proportions are extremely important in any design.

Every 3 dimensional object has properties such as length, width and height. When these 3 are in accordance with the proportions of various parts of human body we call it a "proportionate" design.

For example a handle of a wardrobe must have dimensions such that our fingers can hold it properly for effortless and smooth action. or a chair seat must have enough are so that we can sit comfortably. Again the type of seating will change the dimensions of the chair. A chair in waiting lobby of a bank will be different than a sofa.

So proportions play a major role in interior design and furniture in your bedroom must also follow these rules. The dimensions of the double bed, it's height from floor level, height of wardrobe, dimensions of dressing table, etc...all these matter as far as function is concerned.

2) Natural light entering the room.

There is no alternative for naturally lit spaces. Sun being the strongest source of light and also helps to keep the biological balance of the planet Earth, it is very much necessary in the interior spaces.

Study shows that natural light can penetrate in an interior space up to 20 feet (Approx. 7 meters). Using appropriate position for window opening can easily achieve this.

3) Natural Ventilation

A free and unobstructed flow of air can be a great way to keep the atmosphere cool and clean in an interior space. This is possible where bedrooms are located at the corner of the building where 2 sides of the bedrooms have external faces.

Where it is not possible to provide windows on adjacent faces or opposite faces, a ventilator above the window is used. The concept behind the ventilator is simple. The lower half the bedroom height is always used by the habitants. Because of the constant use of this are the air temperature rises and air becomes light weight.

This hot air rises above and must need an escape. At such times ventilators above the window openings play a major role of circulating the flow through the room in an upward direction. When the lower portion of the room becomes empty fresh air from window takes its position, thus maintaining a balance.

4) Clear Movement Patterns.

Every bedroom has certain exit points attached to it. Such as

a) Exit to balcony/ terrace.
b) Exit to toilet block/ walk in closet
c) Exit to backyard (if on ground floor)

If we draw an imaginary line from the entry point to all these exit points, ideally the should not intersect. Since all other areas are already occupied with furniture, keeping the inside circulation space clear, helps to achieve a comfortable space.

5) Good Provision For Inclusion Of Accessories.

Accessories in a bedroom have equal importance. When all other factors mentioned above are fairly met what remains is the use of accessories which can make quite a lot of difference in the comfort level of the habitants.

a) The first and the most important is a good provision of artificial lighting. This includes basic lighting as well as special decorative lighting for decorative purposes.

b) Special provision for upholstery and linen. Small details such as curtain rods, provision for bed canopies can make the room extra decorative.

c) Use materials that are easy to clean and maintain. For example if you are using PVC flooring sheets on top of standard tiled flooring, is it washable? Think of what will happen if your child uses it as a painting canvas.

The discussion above was an attempt to look for some universal factor that can affect the comfort level of the users in a bedroom. Finally the feeling which you get when you use your bedroom is most important and is a good measure to decide the success factor of the design project.

However it is important to note that these are not the only factors that need to be looked upon, but I'm sure these can help as a starting point for further creative thinking.

I hope this article was informative to everyone.

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