Archive for the ‘Help & Advice’ Category

Top Ideas for a Small Bathroom

Tuesday, March 9th, 2010

For a small bathroom, you may have to consider your choice of colour carefully, as this is going to have an impact upon the feeling of space within the room. The natural light that comes into a smaller room is likely to be limited, and so steps will have to be taken to make the room appear bright and spacious. Try using lighter tones and colours to give the appearance of space. Using blinds instead of curtains will increase the light within the room, whilst maintaining your privacy. If using artificial lighting, down lights can be used to give a personal touch to the bathroom, while spotlights will brighten the whole room and make it much brighter, without adding clutter. The use of  mirrors will help make the room appear larger through the reflection of natural light.

Balterley Lagoon Corner Suite

The use of a sleek and compact bathroom suite, where the pipes can be hidden away from sight can make a big difference in a small bathroom. Remember that while ornate fixtures may look good in a showroom, they are probably to be avoided in small bathrooms, as they can be overpowering. Simple patterns will provide clean, crisp lines that will give a spacious feel.

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Top Ideas for a Big Bathroom

Monday, March 8th, 2010

If you are lucky enough to have a big bathroom, it does not mean that any less planning is required. You still need to take into account the position of the plumbing fixtures, whilst maintaining a big enough space around each of your fittings. Keep things in mind such as having a space to store towels near your bath so that you do not have to walk across the bathroom when you get out of the tub. Grouping fixtures together will allow you to use the extra space created for additional relaxation areas, or for space to install fitted cabinets and other storage areas.
When thinking about storage or furniture, you do not have to be bound by the constraints of fitted furniture cabinets, but instead experiment with more unusual ideas. Such as making use of freestanding cupboards for towels, or have a bigger cabinet in which to keep any toiletries. You could even make use of a moveable storage unit, which provides convenience without clutter. Having extra space means there is more scope for extending the use of a big bathroom. Think about installing a dressing table and mirror, or additional relaxation/exercise equipment to truly personalise your space.

Milano Staten Suite

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Thermostatic Bath Taps

Saturday, January 16th, 2010

home-of-ultra-thermostatic-bath-shower-mixer-tmv2

Thermostatic bath taps, or some other version of thermostatic water control for the filling of domestic baths may well become law during 2010. Every year many people (mainly young children) are severely scalded by hot bath water. In the UK we have a particularly bad habit of filling the bath with hot water then topping up the bath with cold water until the bath reaches a comfortable temperature. This habit can lead to injury if a child gets into the bath before the cold water is added. In order to safeguard your family against accidental scalding you may want to fit a thermostatic bath tap, or an under bath thermostatic valve (TMV).

These products are designed and manufactured to carefully control the temperature of the water as you fill your bath. The water control cartridges allow hot and cold water to be blended to a safe yet comfortable temperature and will protect against scalding even if the cold water supply fails. Fit thermostatic bath taps, or showers to ensure safe, comfortable bathing and showering for all the family.

Cloakroom Bathroom Suites

Thursday, January 14th, 2010

Cloakroom suites are a fantastic and relatively inexpensive way to spruce up your home in these hard times. Big Bathroom Shop has a range of cloakroom suites starting from just £139 and this price includes the toilet, sink, taps and even a chrome bottle trap to go under the cloakroom  sink!

milano-bermuda-two-tap-hole-cloakroom

The Cloakroom suites offered by bathroom retailers are becoming more sophisticated, with a growing number including some element of cloakroom furniture. The furniture included with cloakroom suites should be specifically for smaller spaces and it will usually include an integrated basin and some degree of storage.

Even taps are being specially made for cloakrooms now with more compact dimensions and more practical features such as sprung wastes in place of pop up wastes, which can prove awkward in the confined space of a cloakroom or en-suite. A cloakroom basin tap will offer the perfect finishing touch to your new cloakroom suite.

Top Tips for a Trendy Bathroom

Sunday, August 30th, 2009

There are many new trends surging across the bathroom industry. This article will highlight the new and stylish trends that may add sophistication and uniqueness to your bathroom. The key to adding a personal touch to your bathroom is to ensure the style you choose is perfect for you and not just a picture you saw in a magazine.

That having been said here are bigbathroomshops suggestions towards having a fashionable bathroom:

Lighten Up: The ambience in the bathroom is now seen in a completely new light, quite literally, LED lighting has been designed in a fashion around showers heads and throughout the bathroom, to create the perfect atmosphere for the users mood. They are a low cost lighting source, safe, easy to use and virtually maintenance free.

Spa-fect: The perfect solution to relaxing within you home is to create an in-house spa. An increasingly popular trend, due to stressful jobs and more time at home being devoted to relaxing. The best way to create this effect is to use pastel colours that aren’t overbearing. The best way to create a tranquil atmosphere, however, is to have a luxurious oversized bath or a whirlpool bath. Another effective way to create this style within your home is to have an extravagant showering area, through a walk-in shower or an entire wet-room.

Beautiful Baths: An effective device to increase the attrctiveness and charm of your bathroom, attempt to make the bath the focal point. The way to do this, if you have the luxury of a large bathroom is to think carefully about the positioning of the bath. A free-standing bath maybe the most striking option to choose or perhaps an inset bath with a plinth around it. and will be utilised opposite the door, so that it will be the first thing that people see as they walk in, or if you have a generous window place it underneath, therefore making a show-piece of the bath.

Sensible Storage: Vanity units are ideal as they can make a feature of your basin, as well as increase storage space within the bathroom decreasing the amount of clutter within the bathroom, ensuring the bathroom always look tidy and fresh.

Basic, Beautiful and Bizarre Basins

Friday, August 28th, 2009

Basins are no longer a place to wash your hands and face, but have instead become the secondary feature to bathrooms, perhaps even the most prominent.

Basins have forever been perceived as a back to wall, two tap hole, rectangular shape with a pedestal. Although they are simple and lack pizazz they can still be very stylish in this design. Contemporary and traditional designs are both very fashionable and will remain so, as they are unlikely to appear dated.

Basins have since come away from the traditional façade, and have instead become something of a statement of a persons bathroom. Many striking basins now exist in all shapes and sizes, whether for their beauty or their peculiarity. Wall hung basins and vanity units have become increasing popular due to their low cost, panache and great use of space within the bathroom. Cameo, semi-inset and fully inset basins give a wide variety of option to create the perfect feeling within your bathroom.

Freestanding basins have quickly become the height of sophistication within the bathroom however these basins are expensive and can be extremely wrong if they are not suited to bathroom appropriately.

Add Value to Your Home with an En Suite Bathroom

Wednesday, August 19th, 2009

En Suite Bathrooms are no longer found in just the most luxurious of homes, but are now becoming a standard introduction into modern homes.

Generally to speed up the process of ready in the mornings, by adding an additional showering room. En suites also have an advantage financially as they add a lot of value to homes.

The difficult part of introducing an en suite, or second bathroom, to a home is it may be hard to find a room or space big enough to accommodate for all the appropriate pottery. The best , and generally cheapest, options are to convert a small unused bedroom or adapt a large L-shaped bedroom.

Whichever choice is made, utilisation of space saving sanitaryware and furniture maximise the use of the room and prevent it being cramped and uncomfortable. Corner basins and toilets are ideal, as demonstrated in the picture above.

Best Baths to Buy

Tuesday, August 18th, 2009

Bathing should be relaxing, cleansing and comfortable therefore ensure you choose the right bath to suit your bathroom.

To begin with there are many types of baths, in all shapes and sizes. Straight baths, corner baths, freestanding baths, bowed-end baths as well as spa and whirlpool baths.

Straight Baths; These are the most popular baths, as they are simple and easy to fit. Becoming increasingly popular are the double-ended designs, which have taps in the middle to prevent being uncomforted whilst relaxing. These baths often prove to be the cheapest also.

Corner Baths; Generally are chosen for awkward-shaped bathrooms, however be aware that they may take up more floor space and need a lot of water to fill. In addition, they are wider and shorter, meaning that they are not ideal for taller users.

Freestanding Baths; The symbol of sophistication within bathrooms, both traditional Victorian roll-tops and modern free-standing versions scream luxury. However as with all deluxe products they can prove very expensive. Furthermore due to the amount of water that they take to fill it means that hot water systems may not cope, and the weight may not be supported by weaker floors.

Bow Front Baths; Ideal for bathrooms having a shower and bath together, because, as the name suggests, one end is bowed. This therefore creates more showering space, as well as the bath usually being available with a curved screen to fit.

Whirlpool & Spa Baths; The most relaxing of all the choices, available in many shapes generally. The down side is the installation cost on top of the extra cost for the bath in the first place. However the experience is worth the extra indulgence.

They’re all the different types of baths, however now which material to choose?

Acrylic; This is the standard, and therefore cheapest material. It does retain the water temperature and is easy to clean, definitely the simplest option and most hassle free.

Enamelled Cast Iron; An exceedingly strong material, creating a very heavy bath however. Therefore floors need to be checked to ensure they can take the weight. An expensive option, at first glance, but they will last and can be re-enamelled for a fraction of the price of a new bath.

Porcelain-coated Steel; Lighter and Cheaper then the aforementioned enamelled cast iron option. However they are less durable and can be damaged on impact, with chipped areas liable to rust.

Solid Surface; this is a mix of stone and resin. Its easily moulded and the surface retains its orginal colour regardless of wear, however it is a very expensive option.

Bathroom Showers

Monday, June 8th, 2009

There are a number of Bathroom Shower styles that you can choose for your new bathroom. Here is a short article explaining the difference between the various bathroom showers available.

Exposed Shower
With an Exposed shower (sometimes called Surface Mounted, or Exposed Valve; EV). The water supply pipework is usually buried in the wall, in some cases it may be on the surface, if this is the case, the pipes will normally be chrome plated to match the shower.
The Shower valve is mounted on the surface of the wall it is fitted to. This type of shower is easier to fit than a Built in Shower and is often used for mounting on solid walls, but it can be fitted in almost all situations, providing a secure fixing can be made.

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Roca Bathrooms

Thursday, May 28th, 2009

Roca bathrooms started in 1917. The business was started by four brothers in Spain. Compania Roca Radiadores began by producing radiators, they added cast iron baths to their range in 1925 with toilets and basins added in 1936.
Drawing on over 75 years experience, Roca now manufactures on a global basis and operating in more than fifty countries around the world. Roca is an international company for whom product design and quality are paramount.

Roca Laura Suite

Roca Laura Suite

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