Lemme start with a disclaimer saying this is not the page filled with amazing bathroom designs. It is the process of finding the best bathroom design ideas, organizing them and putting all of it together to make your dream bathroom on paper. Don’t worry, we won’t bore you. I will keep it precise and to the point.
Simply swiping through pages with loads of images? It is easy to forget and difficult to explain to others. So, sticking to an organized process when you have a bathroom renovation upcoming is necessary.
Don’t worry this is not from an OCD organizer. Just simple steps to get the bathroom design ideas you see over time into a proper plan.
Where to Find Bathroom Design Ideas & Inspiration?
When it comes to finding bathroom design ideas there are literally millions of places you could look for inspiration – both online & offline. And with such a huge range of options, it can get overwhelming when it comes to making decisions about which look and feel to go with.
If you’re unsure of where to start or are feeling stuck then this article will help point you in the right direction.
Most people should have heard about Pinterest (well almost everyone!).
It’s a free social media network that allows users to visually share, and discover new interests by posting (known as ‘pinning’ on Pinterest) images or videos to their own or others’ boards (i.e. a collection of ‘pins,’ usually with a common theme) and browsing what other users have pinned.
Home improvement is only one of the topics you can find on Pinterest – there are loads more catering for all interests.
Places you have been to
Your friends and relatives’ homes are a great source of bathroom renovation ideas. But do not deliberately barge into their bathrooms. When you happen to go or remember someone with an impressive bathroom just click a photo.
Magazines
Great for making ‘mood boards’ the old-fashioned way (i.e. cut-outs).
Also, check out their website & social media for ideas. Or simply click a picture so that it is easy to organize.
Online forums: Houzz, Hipages
Not just limited to Houzz.com or Hipages.com.au there is a lot to explore. You will find thousands of inspirational photos to get your creative juices going.
- Australia – http://www.houzz.com.au
- USA – http://www.houzz.com
- UK – http://www.houzz.co.uk
Follow hashtags on Instagram
The simple yet modern way to keep up with the trends. Follow any hashtag like #bathroomrenovation or #Smallbathroommakeover on Instagram and you will be automatically shown the best ones.
Renovation and bathroom tv-shows
Another great place to see finished bathrooms, as well as the fittings.
Home décor retail outlets
Great place to see complete room makeovers – IKEA does this really well.
Fairs and events
Great for finding the latest trends, ‘must-haves’, and up-and-coming designers
Interior designer profiles
For those with deep pockets, you could hire an interior designer to do all the legwork for you. Others, find the best interior designers on social media or go to their personal website and look for the portfolio.
That’s a lot of sources to have bathroom design ideas. But how do you keep track of them all?
Press save, bookmark, Wishlist, screenshot and click photo anything and everything you like, even if it is just a shower knob.
Word of Warning – Beware of Overwhelm
Be careful of falling into the ‘analysis paralysis’ zone. You know the place where you see so many things you like but are too scared of making a decision in case you choose the wrong one.
One way to overcome this is to make a list of things you absolutely have to have in your new bathroom. This could be a shower and bath combo, lots of storage etc. By narrowing down the field you can focus your attention on what’s really important to you and ditch the stuff that’s not.
If you do fall into the overwhelm trap – try taking a step back, stop looking and go for a walk/leave it for a while.
Sometimes the break can help clear your mind so it has time to mill over the choices in the background (subconsciously). A beer always helps too ☺
How to organize your bathroom renovation ideas?
If you’ve ever done (or at least dreamed of doing) a home improvement project, you’ll know that the first step is research. Scouring the Internet and beyond for great bathroom makeover ideas is a load of fun but all that info needs to be organised in a way that you can easily find it later.
Folder/Filing Structure
Before you start gathering all those great bathroom makeover ideas, work out a system to file the info – much like the folders in your filing cabinet. Believe me – it will save you a heap of time in the long run if you do this upfront.
Below is a list of categories to get the ball rolling but feel free to add more if you like.
- Toilet
- Shower
- Bath
- Sink
- Fixtures/Taps
- Lighting
- Flooring
- Walls
- Tiles
- Storage
- Décor
- Furniture/Cupboards
- Colour scheme
Choose a method that works best for you – it could be the list above, alphabetical, colour coding etc. Everyone has their own way of doing things – so there’s no right or wrong way!
Offline & Online Tools & Apps
There are also some great offline & online tools/apps you can use to collate all your info in one place.
OFFLINE
Word or Excel
A lot of computers nowadays will come bundled with Microsoft Office (both PC and Mac) when purchased. The product suite consists of Word (text editor), Excel (spreadsheet), Powerpoint (presentations) and a number of other useful applications. You can find out more by heading over to the Microsoft site.
But if you want to do it on the cheap then there’s a free alternative called OpenOffice.
Text Editor / Notes
A text editor is like Word but without all the formatting options. Much like Microsoft Office, most computers come with a basic Text Editor. Also many mobile phones now also come with Notes (iPhone) or similar so you can even gather info on the go.
ONLINE
Evernote
Evernote is a great option to organise your bathroom makeover ideas in one central place. As it’s an online software service, you can access your account from any device with Internet connection. They also offer a free account as well as paid for plans.
Google Docs
Google has its own online version of Word called Google Docs, and Excel called Google Sheets. If you have a Gmail account then you’ll be able to access these for free. You can learn more here.
Microsoft OneNote
Microsoft OneNote is a note-taking and personal information management (PIM) application for collecting, organising and sharing digital information. It’s basically Microsoft’s online version of Evernote.
It’s also the only Microsoft Office suite app you can download and use for free without a license to the suite or 365 subscriptions.
Signing Off:
So, that’s how you organize your favourite bathroom renovation ideas into a place and show it to your builder or interior designer.
There is no wrong in tacking multiple references from various sources, just make sure to save it in a retrievable location so that it is available when finalizing on the bathroom design.
Another thing to keep in mind is the budget. You will find a lot of fitting and bathroom design impressive, but make sure to keep an eye on the budget too. See options within your budget to avoid disappointment.
So, what next? Putting it up together.
