Nancy Radiator, 1450mm x 600mm, from BathEmpire

If you were thinking of purchasing a radiator, then you may like some more information that would allow you to narrow down the styles and choices available to you. A good place to start would be the BathEmpire Radiator Buying Guide, which outlines the range we offer and also introduces information on electric and thermostatic radiators.

In the first part of this e-series, we cover one of the most common theories surrounding the placement of radiators in the home.

The Theory:

“Radiators are placed under the windows to ensure that cold air from the outside is warmed before entering the house.”

The Believers’ Camp 1:

“Radiators set up a cycle of air. We have deliberately fitted them under the windows of our house to warm up the cold air entering the rooms. The cold air helps convect the hot air into and around the room, and as it cools, it goes back toward the radiator, and the cycle is in motion.”

The Cynics Camp 2:

“A total myth. This is just a great way of heating the outdoors.”

The Verdict:*

The actual solution to this actually quite logical, given that a radiator sets up a convection current. Consider the following two scenarios:

In the first scenario, consider the radiator on one wall, and the glazed window opposite. The hot air will rise from the window, and move in a circular fashion towards and past the window, reach the floor and go back in towards the centre. The cool air will therefore be brought into the centre of the room.
In the second scenario, consider the radiator sitting beneath the glazed window. The hot air will rise past the window, reach the ceiling, go across and down and back in towards the centre of the room. This way, the cooler air from the window will have had the chance to be warmed before affecting comfort levels in the room.

* Sourced from the Energy Savings Trust.

However, as double glazing is one of the most common window fittings in the UK, the possibility of a cold draught will be reduced. And if you need other ways of reducing your central heating bill, then read our previous post on the issue.

Did you have any further questions about radiators that you couldn’t find the answer to? Get in touch, and we will try to get to the bottom of the problem for you!

Newlands White Bathroom Furniture, from BathEmpire

As size of the average bathroom we are accustomed to is getting smaller, the pressure to keep them clean, organised and looking contemporary can become more of a challenge. There are plenty of ways that you can create a clutter free personal sanctuary, and in this post, we cover some of the simplest ways of achieving this.

Wall Mounted Furniture

A tall, wall cupboard is great for providing you with additional storage, especially when there is limited space in the room itself. Most cabinets are slim and are designed to stretch from floor to mid-way up the wall, and so provide ample storage opportunity that’s easy to access.

Mirrors

Combine the best of both worlds, and get an essential mirror in addition to essential storage. A mirrored bathroom cabinet can keep items within easy reach, whilst also making the room appear larger.

Top Tip: Varnish the bottom of cans, such as deodorant, with nail varnish. This will prevent the bottom getting rusty, and causing the shelving within the unit to deteriorate.

LED mirrors provide another option, especially for those with wider spaces, as they offer essential illumination while also providing a bottom shelf for storing frequently used items.

Counter Top Basin Furniture
Install a counter top basin furniture cabinet, and utilise the space beneath the basin. These will allow adequate storage, and combine stylishly with an LED mirror (especially in smaller spaces).

Corner vanity units are available for smaller bathrooms. Choose one with an in-built basin to knock two birds with one stone.

Towel Radiators
Lastly, try not to keep your wet towels on the floor after a bath or shower. A smart solution is to install a heated towel rail on any feature wall, or even if space is tight, choose to install one behind the door. These will offer plenty of horizontal rails to keep your towels warm, dry and safely stored.

And as surfaces around your shower tray can become easily cluttered with shampoo and shower gel bottles, make sure you keep your shower tidy with non-essential toiletries sorted safely out of the way.

Newlands Floor Standing Counter Top Bathroom Sink, from BathEmpire

The humble bathroom can be designed with any variety of colours. But it is also a good idea to consider the way the choice of colour will impact the eventual atmosphere of the room.

Taking a few steps in a design consultant’s shoes allows you to learn from their expertise, and can help focus your choices. For North facing rooms, cooler shades of blue or green will complement. However, for larger spaces, or south facing rooms, consider varieties of orange or yellow.

Other professionals shape their advice solely on the use of the room. Lighter shades can be associated with a more feminine bathroom; beiges, pinks and peaches can all mirror the skin tone, but must be met with effective lighting, especially at the bathroom mirror.

In contrast, cleaner, bolder shades convey a more masculine feel. Take this design shown on the British Institute of Design website (BIID). Although natural themes are currently quite fashionable, the clean, dark colours still continue to present a sophisticated and classy finish. The oval LED lighting behind the mirror creates a “moody, dramatic space”.

But, if you are unsure about the design direction you would like to take, opt for white coloured furniture. You can then stamp your personality onto such a neutral canvas. Paint is one of the easiest methods to use as it can be changed at any time. Alternatively, any array of accessories can be added, and should circumstances or situations change, the whole bathroom can be revitalised with minimal fuss.

“38% of the homeowners surveyed believe that renovating their bathroom (main/ en-suite) will add the most financial value to their property.”

(Source: West End Home Week Magazine)

Indeed, it is a room that has really taken off lately. As one of the most frequented rooms in the home, buyers are looking for something stylish, yet functional.

But the secret here is to keep things simple. Here are a few tips that you can implement to add value if you are looking to sell and want to appeal to some buyers:

‘Keep it fully functional’
The most pressing concerns will include the ability to move in immediately, and so most people want a fully functional bathroom. A lot does not have to be done with the existing room, as it is all about the features that are installed. Keep the toilet and bath, but consider adding a glass shower screen with chrome towel rail. A set of new taps, a heated chrome towel rail, a stylish new shower head are three items that you can purchase to add a new spin to the room, and may only cost up to a couple of hundred pounds. Finally, re-grout the tiles to keep the room looking fresh.

‘Increase the area’
Another way to add value is to increase the area of the house. This could take the form of a conservatory, a downstairs extension, or even a loft bedroom with en-suite bathroom. Phil Spencer, from the property television show, believes that:

Glass Shower Screen with Towel Rail (1400mm), by BathEmpire

“a new bathroom puts 2.88 per cent onto the house value”

(Source: The Telegraph).

‘Keep it all white’
Instead of spending tens of thousands of pounds on a revamp, most potential owners would want to stamp on their own mark, should they choose to move in. Dated beige or coloured suites, and lino floor coverings are out, while any contemporary design would update the feel of a whole property, and provide a better return on investment. As Susan Bletchley, the Buying Manager for BHS, commented for the West End Home Week, “Add colourful cushions and towels to a…white bathroom – a low budget makeover with instant style”.

P Shaped Shower Bath, from BathEmpire

Regardless of the actual size of your bathroom, all modern bathroom furniture has been designed not only for a practical implementation, but also to provide stylish options to suit all spaces.

Space is a key issue when planning a new bathroom and it is especially important to maximise the storage room by purchasing the right bathroom furniture. Although this may seem like a daunting task, the first thing to apply some thought, initially, is which pieces would best suit your current lifestyle.

Scenario 1:

Lifestyle: Family.
Bathroom Size: Medium.
Bathroom Units and Design: One tiled P-Shaped Shower Bath; white painted walls.

If you are constantly on the go, and go and have a bustling family commitments, it would be handy for your bathroom to accommodate all the essentials. The P-Shaped or L-Shaped shower baths are great, versatile pieces. Not only can they accommodate an adult 5 minute shower, they are great for the kids as well. Next to this, any basin furniture unit would be ideal. BathEmpire stock a range of counter top basin units, either as cabinets or drawers. The internal shelving provides ample space to stock the essentials. Above the sink, you could also opt for a tall, wall hanging cabinet. To complete the contemporary look, you could also install a back to wall toilet unit, instead of a close coupled toilet.

Scenario 2:

Lifestyle: Urban.
Bathroom Size: Small.
Bathroom Units and Design: One 800mm Quadrant Shower Enclosure; magnolia walls.

As space is limited in most urban developments, it makes sense to opt for a Combined Vanity Furniture. These units combine the basin and toilet into one seamless unit, and provide the best blend of practicality and storage. As the units and walls are of a plain tone, add some personality with the bathroom towels and other decorative items.

Scenario 3:

Lifestyle: Country.
Bathroom Size: Medium.
Bathroom Units and Design: One contemporary freestanding bath; white painted walls and tiled black floor.

Quadrant Shower Enclosure, with centre opening, from BathEmpire

Even though the bath takes most of the space here, it would not suit the style to add any combined vanity units. Along with the bath, it makes sense to add a stylish, modern close coupled toilet and pedestal basin. As there would only be exposed storage here, wall hanging cabinets could be added to store the essentials. Alternatively, consider a stainless steel mirror cabinet, for added functionality.

The same styling can be adapted for traditionally roll top baths. Traditional baths can also combine well with pieces of period styled furniture. Stools and wicker storage baskets come instantly to mind, that can be sourced easily and cheaply, and can transform the look of a room.

Millions around the world will be celebrating the Chinese New Year, and 2012 represents the year of the dragon. What better way to get in tune with this than to add an Asian influence to your bathroom? Below, we cover some tips on how to decorate your Asian inspired bathroom.

Inspired by Nature

Getting an Asian influence ultimately depends on introducing a natural theme to your bathroom. A great way is to introduce green colours into the bathroom, and what better way to do this than via leaves? Use a stencil to paint an array of leaves onto the wall, or choose a fitting (such as a window blind or wall photo) in rich green or blue.

The year of the Dragon is inspired by elegant and mysterious black, dark blue and rich blue green tones. So don’t limit yourself, as the stencil can also be used to decorate the wall with Asian symbols. Remember, when adding symbols, dark colours are best suited, so ensure to keep all walls and tiles in pale tone.

Bamboo

Any exposed wood fittings also fit well with an Asian theme. Raw bamboo shoots can be added to any bathroom accessory. You can also get creative, and hang long bamboo from the ceiling to make a distinction between the shower area and the basin and toilet, or to cover an area of storage.
On wooden furniture, avoid any lacquered finishes and steer towards fittings which have a deep wood grain; to highlight the grain, paint all fittings with a good quality varnish.

Plants

All plants are essential to complete the theme, and a few soothing orchids perched above the basin would provide a complimentary finishing touch.

Khana Counter Top Basin, from BathEmpire

Don’t avoid the modern!

The Zen influence isn’t really conveyed through contemporary, ultra-chic units and shiny chrome – although including a few of these pieces in the final bathroom will not spoil the theme. The Khana counter top basin (left) from BathEmpire is ideal.

Counter top basins feature heavily in any Asian inspired bathroom, and you should always opt for a curved design and avoid harsh edges. There is no reason why you cannot add a chrome basin mixer tap to complement this bathroom basin, as long as all the essential design principles discussed are maintained.

Photo Credit: Nikisublime, Flickr.

I stumbled upon this article on hometohome.co.uk about traditional white bathrooms, and it reminded me that some of the very best bathrooms are incredibly simple, with a white suite and light walls and window dressings.

Whether you want to go for a roll top bath, or a built-in suite, if you’ve got a relatively small room in which to create your dream bathroom, then choosing white is often the very best option.

But how can you make sure it’s not boring. After all, a plain white room with no quirkiness or style isn’t going to make it into the pages of an interiors magazine.

Some clever ideas that will make all-white work really well include:

Inspirational white bathroom design from housetohome.co.uk

Adding drama

You’ll be amazed the impact an oversized ornate mirror can have in an all-white scheme. As you’ll see in this brilliant photo from housetohome.co.uk, placing candles in front of the mirror can make the whole room seem very grand indeed.

Adding texture

You could think about cladding the walls in tongue and groove, or pick tiles that have an interesting surface rather than the standard glossy smooth. Fabrics and textiles can also add texture – perhaps choose curtains with a self-stripe, or bath mats and towels with waffle or ridged textures.

Light the space well

Highlight the most attractive features of the room – whether that’s interesting architecture, or a particularly amazing bath. This will help draw the eye to the best bits and break up the monotony on the white.

Newlands floor-standing bathroom sink counter top from BathEmpire

Avoid clutter

For all white to work well, the mess has to be hidden. Install some bathroom cabinets like these sleek ones from BathEmpire, and make sure the only things that are on display are beautiful and white – or at least pastel shades. Display them on a glass shelf  if possible.

Make it ridiculously glamorous

All-white rooms an synonymous with glamour, so make sure you take the concept all the way. We’re thinking a chandelier, clear glass mosaic tiles on the walls, marble floor… the whole celebrity treatment!

Hopefully this post has inspired you to see all-white bathrooms in a new light.

Saving Time and Money

The glass used in our new range of enclosures has been specially treated. Not only does the glass encourage droplets to drain away quickly upon impact, but it also cleans the glass.

The coating on the glass also breaks down organic dirt, meaning there is less for you to do!

EasyClean Shower Enclosures

EasyClean Sliding Shower Enclosure

EasyClean Sliding Shower Enclosure

EasyClean Wet Room Glass

EasyClean Quadrant Shower Enclosure

The enclosures are backed by a leading 10 year warranty for your peace of mind.

With competitive prices starting from £199, why not treat yourself to a little luxury.

The starting point is choosing a bath with wow-factor.

Choose a gorgeous free-standing bath – either a roll-top or a more modern, simple shape –and position it in the middle of the bathroom. If you like you can even tile the floor in a different colour tile underneath the bath, or embed spotlights in the floor around the bath.

If space is a little too tight to put the bath in the middle of the room then put it against a wall and tile the wall behind the bath in a different type of tile from the ones being used in the rest of the room. For a luxurious look you could go for iridescent or metallic tiles  – so it looks like the bath is a cherished item that needs to be ‘framed’.

Iridescent can very effectively make a bath look special

We love the way this bath has been set back from the bathroom and the space edged with this fabulous metallic tile from Villeroy & Boch, for example.

Putting your bath on a pedestal is also an effective way to showcase it. This works really well if you have a recess to put the bath in, having it elevated will draw the eye to the bath and when you’re bathing in it, you’ll feel pretty special. Tile or clad the side of the bath in quality treated wood to finish the look.

Wherever you’re positioning your bath in the room, you can use lighting to make the bath the centre of attention – you could consider embedding spotlights in the ceiling, or hanging a bathroom-safe chandelier over the bath which will draw the eye to that area of the room.

Ball foot bath in black from BathEmpire

A final idea is simply to choose a stunning bath that is naturally going to steal all the attention in the bathroom – for example, a vintage-style roll-top bath with a beautiful black tub on white claw feet, just like the one we sell at BathEmpire. This bath would make a real statement in an all-white bathroom.

The interiors experts know the colour secrets, but we can let you in on them so you’ll be able to achieve a result that’s just as professional looking yourself.

The colour wheel with lighter shades of each colour

So, going right back to the beginning, you need to know that there are primary, secondary and tertiary colours.

The primary colours are red, blue and yellow – they’re the purest colours in that they cannot be made from any other colour.

Mix together equal amounts of any two of the primary colours and you end up with the secondary colours: purple, green and orange. Red and yellow make orange, red and blue make purple and blue and yellow make green.

Finally, the tertiary colours. These are made by mixing a primary with a secondary – for instance, mix blue with green and you get turquoise.

Now that you know the roots of the colours, you need to know how to combine them. The colour wheel comes in very handy for explaining this.

If you look at a colour wheel you’ll see all 12 of the primary, secondary and tertiary hues and it will become clearer how they relate to each other.

More complex colour wheels will also show different densities of each colour, which can de useful, as colours of the same density often work best together.

So, how to combine the colours…

Go for perfect harmony

Colours that sit right next to each other, or close to each other, on the wheel are known as harmonious.

For example: purple, lilac and blue used together make for a harmonious colour scheme. To get this look just right, it’s best to choose colours of similar densities for a balanced look so neither overpowers the other.

If you include a primary colour in the mix then the overall effect will be all the more striking – for example pairing red with hot pink.

Tone up

Even more limited, but equally impressive are tonal schemes or monochromatic scheme means you use just one colour but in varying tones.

An example would be to go for a bright yellow, a lemon and a yellow-tinted cream.

To stop this kind of scheme looking boring, you can use texture and pattern, either on walls or on soft furnishings like blinds and towels.

A tip, which interior designers tend to stick to, is to use the deepest of the shades nearest the floor and the lightest on the ceiling – this helps to give an illusion of space.

Go complementary

Complementary colours are ones that are opposite to one another on the colour wheel, and for some reason perfectly balance each other.

Even in nature, these colours are often found paired with each other in objects we consider to be beautiful – the purple and yellow of an iris, or the red and green of a holly branch, for example.. These colours are naturally made to ‘go’ with one another – think of the red and green of an apple, or the purple and yellow of an iris.

Complimentary schemes are usually more dramatic than harmonious schemes, and can take some care to make sure they work – choose the wrong tones of a colour and you can create a messy look.

Interior designers will often combine a complementary scheme with harmonious or tonal scheme, so they may team navy and pale blue with yellow and lemon, for example.

Yellow and red would make a cool combination in a bathroom

Clashing colours

To use clashing colours scares some people, but as long as they’re used carefully, then they can look bold and fabulously fashionable.

The key is to choose colours that are of equal tonal strength – if one is pastel and one is vibrant then you’ll end up with a bathroom that looks rather a mess.

A little light relief

When you’re thinking about your colour scheme don’t forget neutrals!

You won’t find them on the colour wheel, but they can be really useful in giving a colour scheme some ‘breathing space’ and making the strong colours you have chosen look even better together.

Opt for black, grey, stone, cream, white or anything else that doesn’t have any discernible colour.

They go together and will look good with most colours you choose (which make them good for ‘basics’ such as your bathroom suite and wall and floor tiles – if you change your mind about the colour scheme in a few years then the neutrals can stay!

That’s it, we hope you’re feeling more confident about decorating your bathroom now. Good luck with creating a beautiful colour scheme.