The most commonly asked bathroom questions with bathroom design specialist Ripples

With over 35 years experience designing bathrooms, the team at Ripples understands that the process can sometimes be daunting. Its designers are experts on all aspects of bathrooms and here, Designer Erin White from the award nominated Ripples showroom in Towcester answers some of the most commonly asked bathroom-related questions.

With Pinterest, Instagram, and other great tools, can’t I just design my bathroom myself? Do I really need a bathroom designer?

Although there are a lot of great tools out there to give you style inspiration these days, there are so many other things to be considered when designing a bathroom. Considerations around plumbing, electrics and room layout are best handled by a professional.

If you are anything like me, you will have a lot of images on your Pinterest boards or magazine collection, encompassing a number of different styles. A Ripples designer can work with you to narrow down your choices, incorporating your inspiration into one cohesive scheme. Designers can also take the stress out of sourcing all of the product for your space, using their specialist knowledge to find the products which will work best for you. This will give you more time to focus on the more fun parts of your project!

What lighting do I need in a bathroom?

The first level of lighting needed for all bathrooms will be either downlights or a central light. This is controlled by one switch and gives you the overall lighting needed for general use and cleaning. The next level of lighting is task lighting. This could include lighting within your mirror or wall lights either side of the mirror. Wherever possible, go for side rather than top lighting to give a good overall lighting with minimal shadows – perfect for getting ready on dark winter mornings. The next level of lighting to consider is mood lighting.

Low level lighting is key in a bathroom especially one with a bath or in an en-suite. This can be incorporated in soft spot lighting or strip lighting on top of recesses, by a bath or underneath a vanity unit. Having this on a separate switch means early mornings, late nights and even any middle-of-the-night trips to the bathroom are not disturbed by bright lights coming on. In a family bathroom, you may also want to consider a PIR (passive infrared) sensor. As children get older, they can then go into the bathroom at night on their own and lights will automatically come on.

What are some quick tips for creating a more eco-friendly bathroom?

Heating: opt for dual fuel heating as this can dramatically reduce energy usage in your home. You can control dual fuel radiators with a timer and use heated towel rails to heat the bathroom, without having to heat the rest of the home.
Lighting: LED spotlights and feature lighting use approximately 85% less energy than traditional bulbs.

Extractor fans: choosing an extractor fan with a built-in timer and/or humidity sensor will use less energy as it switches off when not in use.

Surfaces: glass surfaces are one of the greenest options available as they can keep being recycled again and again.

Cold-start taps: cold-start taps are normal mixer taps which start running cold water first. These are great if you have a combi boiler as they don’t kick in unless you manually change the mixer across to hot.

Visit Ripples Towcester at 2 Roman Corner, Northampton Road, Towcester, NN12 6LD. Head to ripplesbathrooms.com or call 01327 368223 for more information.