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 time 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.
Sourcing Bathroom Design Ideas: This Stage is Very Addictive!
The research stage is by far the most fun part of the renovation process (besides the demolition stage of course!). It’s the time when you can literally go crazy and create your ultimate wishlist of design ideas without touching the bank account.
There are a couple of sites that I suggest you start looking to get bathroom design ideas and inspiration – here are my three top picks:
1. Houzz
They in multiple countries worldwide including:
- Australia – http://www.houzz.com.au
- USA – http://www.houzz.com
- UK – http://www.houzz.co.uk
In case you haven’t heard of Houzz before, here’s some info:
- It’s a platform for home renovation and design.
- Brings together the homeowner and home professionals in a uniquely visual community.
- Browse and save beautiful home photos.
- Find the right design and construction professionals.
- Connect with others who have been there too.
- Houzz started as a side project but has become a community of more than 40 million.
2. Pinterest
• Main website – www.pinterest.com
• Most people 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.
• If you’re a newbie to Pinterest check out the help section – All About Pinterest Guide
3. HiPages
- Known as Home Improvement Pages.
- Australia’s most visited building and renovation website.
- Platform for taking your building or renovation project from concept to completion.
- Connecting Australians with local trade professionals and home services for over 13 years.
- Has thousands of inspirational photos to get your creative juices going.
Other Places to Look for Ideas & Inspiration
Below is a list of some more places you can look.
Online
- Use Google/Bing for keyword searches
Magazines
- Great for making ‘mood boards’ the old fashioned way (i.e. cutouts).
- Also check out their website & social media for ideas.
Home décor retail outlets
- Great place to see complete room makeovers – IKEA does this really well.
Specialist bathroom showrooms
- Another great place to see finished bathrooms as well as touch/feel the fittings etc.
Fairs/Events open to the public
- Great for finding the latest trends, ‘must-haves’, and up-and-coming designers
Interior designer
- For those with deep pockets, you could hire an interior designer to do all the legwork for you.
Keeping On Top of All Your Information
The next step is to start making a list of all the websites/places you’ve visited for ideas so that you don’t forget where you found something that you liked.
Here are a few options on how to collate/organise everything:
1. Create a simple word document that lists all your finds in one area.
2. You can use online note taking software that allows you to save all your links into it.
A good one is Evernote – https://evernote.com. There are hundreds of other note taking apps on the market, but Evernote is good because you can use it on various platforms like your PC, mobile phone and tablet, and they all sync to each other so you can see your notes anywhere.
I’ll be doing a follow-up article on the best ways to collate and organise your bathroom design ideas which will cover more options.
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 ☺
So that covers the first part of Stage 1: Research – finding bathroom design ideas. In the second part, I’ll go through how to create a filing structure and some online/offline apps and tools to make your life easier when collating the info.
To recap, the 5 Stage Renovation Process will guide you through the exact steps I use as a professional builder when working on home improvement projects.
If you have any questions let me know – I’m always happy to help!
Enjoy your renovation.
All the best,
James Mason
CHECK OUT THIS BLOG POST FOR MORE: How to Renovate a Bathroom: The 5 Stage Process
