A large bathroom, or one which is an odd shape, offers almost unlimited scope for creating an unusual atmosphere. But even a small, rectangular bathroom can, with a little ingenuity, be turned into something out of the ordinary. And an unexciting bathroom suite can be totally transformed if it is imaginatively combined with out-of-the- ordinary patterns and materials.
The fittings, too, can transform a bathroom. The traditional materials for baths – cast iron and steel – are rigid, stable and durable as well as cold to the touch and extremely heavy. Modern materials are not only lighter in weight and warmer to the touch, they are also easily moulded – making it possible to incorporate backrests, seats and even inset soap trays. Hence the modern generation of baths, many of which are a far cry from standard traditional rectangular shapes.
Corner baths, round baths, and sit-in baths all look, and feel, distinctive. Whirlpool baths have the added bonus of providing gentle underwater massage in addition to a warm soak. Baths which reproduce the elegance of the Victorian and Edwardian eras are increasingly widely available. Finally, of course, you may want to choose a non-standard bath for practical as well as decorative reasons – to fit into a small space or make use of an odd angle, perhaps.
