Bathrooms have not always been the hub of pampering that we know them to be today. In fact, they used to be rather unpleasant – think about the likes of out-houses and long drops. Bathroom designs have come a long way since then. Nowadays, most homeowners make quite an effort to have their bathrooms look and feel beautiful, emulating spas and luxury health facilities.
Every room in the home should be designed to inspire feelings of comfort and beauty,yet when looking at the art of Feng Shui, bathrooms continue to get a bad rap.
Feng Shui focuses on inviting in chi (energy) into your home and encouraging its circulation through all areas of the house. Drains and pipes are openings which allow chi to escape, making bathrooms a difficult room to apply the traditional Feng Shui ideal to.
Here are four bathroom designs that allow for a flowing Feng Shui feeling in this part of your home:
Plug up the drains.
When considering different bathroom designs, choosing fixtures and fittings can be the best part. Choose fixtures and fittings that keep drains and all openings closed to prevent the chi from escaping. Chrome plugs that work on a spring mechanism that simply pop up to allow the water to drain are best as they are easily popped closed once the water has drained. Make it a habit to keep your drains closed with the plugs, toilet lid closed and look to using a drain cover in your shower.
Balance the water element with the earth element.
The term Feng Shui is Chinese and means wind (Feng) water (Shui). They represent movement and flow in the natural elements. Bathrooms obviously have a lot of water, and mirrors are usually representative of water in the Feng Shui theory. Bathroom designs that make use of earthy elements or colours will balance the water element with the earth element. When choosing paint colours, towels, mats and tiles look at earthy colours such as gold or yellow or choose terra-cotta tiles. Furthermore, bathroom designs that make use of a dimmer switch for the lighting allow you to create an ambience. Incandescent lighting gives off an earthy hue which will further balance the water element with the earth element.
Consider using crystals to direct the chi.
Feng Shui design enjoys the use of crystals as they are said to be able to bring about balance. If your bathroom design leans towards a holistic look and feel, then hanging a Feng Shui candle from the ceiling won’t seem out of place and will encourage the chi to flow upwards. This counteracts the chi’snatural desire to escape through the drains.
Clear out the clutter.
The best bathroom designs enjoy an uncluttered space where everything has a place. Feng Shui design is no different, as clutter stops flow. Ideally, only have on display those beautiful items that you enjoy looking at – for instance, a beautiful plant or luxury soaps. Your essentials should be stored away, if this is not possible then they should be contained in tray-like holders or beautiful baskets. If you have a specific décor style in mind when planning your bathroom design, consider frosted vinyl decals (see Window Art’s gallery of designs) on your mirrors and windows. This will create a flow of unified design and forgo the need for blinds and curtains – which can clutter up the bathroom.
For more tips on bathroom designs please see our free downloadable Home Renovation Tips and Ideas Handbook. In this handbook we have dedicated an entire chapter to the bathroom, filled with ideas to consider when renovating this vital room in your home.
