To give your bathroom a cohesive look, fittings should match and lend a nice flow to the feel of your décor. Nothing should jar the eye or stand out for the wrong reasons. However, there will always be some practical needs that have to be accommodated, so in order to achieve that flow you will need to know what they are in advance and plan accordingly. It would be a tragedy to have to compromise the look of your bathroom because of these issues, so think ahead!
Picking your bathroom taps
When selecting your bathroom taps, be aware that many holes for taps will already be incorporated into the design of the product you’re using it for, especially with regards to baths. If a bath has holes available for mounting taps then it will be best to utilise these, but many bath designs today do not have them. You may need to think of an alternate solution, such as having freestanding taps or wall mounted ones. There is currently a similar situation in the vanity market, given the popularity of the vessel type sink arrangement, so know what you need before you get your heart set on a particular style.
Electrical fittings in the bathroom
Electrical fittings will be required by law to be a certain distance away from your plumbing, so knowing where these will be going in advance will help with placing other things such as the towel rail or the mirror. They will need to be convenient to the vanity and/or the mirror to be used effectively as this is where you will be plugging in all your bathroom appliances. Such appliances typically have shorter cords than regular appliances, so bear this in mind too.
Drainage systems
Make sure there is adequate access to drains where possible. If you get a blockage or a leak in a basin drain, having to tear apart the whole bathroom vanity unit each time you need to fix something is going to get tiresome very quickly. Make sure taps have clearance to allow for tools to tighten and loosen them whether they are deck mounted or wall mounted.
Bathroom tips and tricks
Towel rails should allow plenty of clearance from the floor for towels to be draped across. It can be very annoying to hang up a fresh new towel only to have it trailing in the dust on the floor - or worse, in the water over a full bath.
Position soap dishes away from direct water streams such as the shower or you will soon find that your soap disintegrates into mush over time. Keep it convenient to use though - if it is wall mounted, simply mount it higher on the wall, and if it is freestanding, reserve a space for it just far enough from the shower while still keeping it within reach.
