7 bathroom design mistakes you’re probably making

Bathrooms are often the last place we think of when decorating our homes, but they are, in fact, very important spaces.

Here are seven things you are probably doing wrong in yours:

1. Taking short cuts

Never take short cuts on correctly installing fixtures such as plumbing and electricity. Aside from the safety aspect, you’ll save money in the long run by doing it properly the first time (because if it isn’t done properly, it will have to be done again: trust us).

2. Classic basics

Bathrooms can look outdated quickly. Rather than wanting to redo yours every five years, stick to neutral and classic designs for tiles, baths, toilets, taps, and so on.

Add trendy elements and accessorise with fashionable items (think plants, shelves, storage and candles) that you can change up every now and again.

3. Clutter

Bathrooms are small spaces and having too much stuff will make them feel even smaller. Decide what is truly necessary and only keep that around.

4. Too little storage

Too little storage is often a problem and can be the cause of the clutter. If your bathroom is small, think of clever ways to introduce more storage space. Floating shelves on empty wall space, unused areas under sinks and hooks on doors are good places to start.

5. Poor lighting

If you are lucky, your bathroom might have nice natural light, but in general most bathrooms receive little natural light. Not having bright enough light in the bathroom can be frustrating and makes them looker small and dingy.

Install brighter light bulbs and consider a back lit mirror – you’ll be amazed at the difference it makes. A statement light on a wall might also be just the thing needed to add a touch of drama to an otherwise boring space.

6. Poor ventilation

Bathrooms often have poor ventilation. This means two things: There is not enough fresh air, and the place stays constantly damp.

Make sure you have windows that can open, or keep the door open so that air can circulate. Installing an extractor fan is well worth it, especially in a very small bathroom.

7. Environmentally unfriendly

Large parts of our country are experiencing drought and issues with access to water. On top of that, we are becoming more aware of our impact on the environment. Create a water-wise bathroom by installing water-saving products and using a grey water flush system if you can.

For a more “low-tech” version of this, there are plenty of hacks to save water: flush with gray water from your bath or shower, install a water-saving shower head and taps and place a brick in the toilet cistern to use less water.

Also consider the products that you flush down your drain – many of these products are harsh chemicals and can be replaced with more environmentally friendly products.

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