With more and more people choosing to improve their existing home rather than moving to another, comfort and safety are features homeowners are prioritizing. Bathroom safety is important for the entire family but even more so the older we get.
As statistically the most dangerous room in the home, a safe bathroom is essential, not just for today but for years to come. Thankfully, a safe bathroom can also be aesthetically beautiful.
To ensure this important space provides the highest levels of comfort, luxury, beauty, safety, and ease of access for all ages and mobility needs, it is vital to plan carefully and to get expert advice.
Investments made now will improve your family’s quality of living for the future and, when the time to sell does come, make your house a desirable proposition for buyers.
To get you started prior to a bathroom remodel, we have provided some essential guidance on fundamental safety design features to follow.
Choose a Bathroom Layout That Maximizes Space
Safe bathrooms are spacious. Maximizing the available space makes it easier to move around more freely. Freedom of movement also ensures seniors or individuals with mobility problems can safely maneuver with a wheelchair or walker.
Constricted spaces may not be an issue right now, but one day they may well be. Even young people have accidents or need to recover from a major operation.
A well-planned bathroom layout includes good storage options. Safe bathroom storage should be positioned at a level convenient to easy access, ensuring less bending and reaching. Intelligent storage also helps keep floors clear and surfaces clutter-free.
Ensure Your Shower is Safe for Everyone
A popular trend in bathroom design is the increasing demand for beautiful spa-like showers with state-of-the-art amenities. Steam showers in particular provide numerous health benefits including relaxation, increased circulation, and joint pain relief.
Digital control options mean shower temperature and water flow rate can be controlled via an in-shower touch panel. You can even install a second panel outside the shower, thereby providing more security and control for different family members.
Zero threshold showers – where the bathroom floor is flush with the shower floor – is another popular bathroom remodeling feature. The absence of a ledge makes it safer for both non-disabled and disabled users. They also make a bathroom interior look more spacious.
Inside the shower area itself, features such as hand-held showerheads allow for greater showering control. Combined with built-in shower benches, grab rails, and toiletry niches, everyone, not just the frail and infirm, can enjoy a more relaxing and supportive experience.
Make Bathtubs Soothing and Accessible
When it comes to bathtubs, safety, accessibility, and attractiveness are no less important.
A good rule of thumb is to place the bath controls within easy reach of the tub’s access route. Stretching to turn handles or straining to press buttons, especially when surfaces are damp, is a hazard, particularly for those with mobility issues.
Grab bars are an essential feature for any age group and can be integrated directly into the bathtub. Thankfully, such bars nowadays are less industrial in appearance and come in a wide variety of beautiful designs to blend with towel bars and other nearby fixtures.
Different bathtub design options offer several accessibility and safety benefits for the whole family. Raised bathtub platforms, for example, give you the ability to sit securely on the edge of the bath and gently swing your legs in. This ease of access is ideal for people not as agile as they once were.
Another option is a walk-in tub. These secure bathtubs feature inbuilt seats and doors, allowing you to sit upright as you enjoy a relaxing soak.
They come with an array of different options and accessories that can give your tub a beautiful high-end look and feel.
Check Cabinets and Fixtures Are Comfortable to Use
A beautiful bathroom is a tidy one with plenty of cabinet storage space. It’s important everyone can access what they need, so consider varying heights for vanities and cupboards.
Rounded edges for countertops are also a sensible option and prevent painful cuts and bruises. Contrasting color edges help those in your household with diminishing eyesight.
When choosing handles for faucets, drawers, and doors, think about how easy they are to grip and use. The best handles look good and can be worked with little effort even when hands are wet.
Invest in Non-Slip Flooring Options
Slipping on the floor is the primary cause of injuries within the bathroom. In a naturally moist environment, it’s essential to select the safest bathroom flooring.
Anti-slip floor tiles are a must. The more textured the tile, the less slippery it becomes. When at all possible, select tiling with a dynamic coefficient of friction 0.42 or higher.
Larger slip-resistant tiles also reduce the number of grout lines. Large-format tiles are easier to clean and feature fewer transitions that may wear and fail over time and eventually catch unfortunate toes.
Slip-resistant rugs give you further decorative options for the bathroom floor, especially next to the bath or shower. Consult with your designer on the safest options available.
Enhance Lighting for Improved Safety and Visual Ambiance
A safe bathroom is a light bathroom. Natural and artificial illumination sources play a large role in improving safety and aesthetic charm in this much-used room.
Increased daylight in an interior enhances wellbeing. Where possible, it’s advisable to expand the size of windows and even add skylights. Using daylight to its full potential not only boosts mood but also saves energy.
Intelligent use of artificial lighting ensures your bathroom remains safe and beautiful regardless of the time of day or season. Using a strategy known as light layering, you can use different lighting types for different task-orientated areas.
Smart lighting controls allow you to pre-program settings, while motion sensor lighting negates the need to fumble for switches in the dark.
Lighting choices such as mirror sconces reduce glare and downlighters are an increasingly popular choice for walls. Soft lighting inside cabinets and under sinks and vanities elevates the bathroom’s ambiance and level of safety.
Treat Yourself to Home Spa and Therapeutic Amenities
As we spend more and more time at home, features we typically associate with health spas and luxury hotels are becoming popular additions to our bathrooms. These features are not only physically therapeutic but also bring benefits to our emotional wellbeing.
Modern bathtubs feature various spa-like options, including hydrotherapy jets for muscle relaxation, chromotherapy to enhance mood and deepen relaxation, and heated backrests for added comfort in the colder months.
Similarly, showers come with body spray jets for an all-body massage and rain head showerheads for a hands-free soothing wash. These can be a pleasure for family members of all ages and abilities.
Shower areas with built-in steam functions, together with fog-free mirrors and glass doors, bring the benefits of a sauna safely into the home.
Voice-controlled in-ceiling or in-shower smart speakers mean you can enjoy music or podcasts without fear of damage or injury. With so many options for further home bathroom enhancement, such as heated towel racks, hygienic bidets, built-in TVs, and even fireplaces, your next luxury hotel stay might leave you somewhat unimpressed.
Make Sure Your Bathroom is Easy to Keep Clean
Cleanliness is imperative for a bathroom. It needs to be easy to clean.
Grout lines are a haven for bacteria. As previously mentioned, larger floor tiles and fewer grouting lines make floors and walls easier to clean. When it comes to countertops and shower walls, solid surfaces such as granite or marble are simple to wipe down quickly.
Hand-held shower heads are a versatile shower fixture to be included where possible. They allow you to clean the shower area after use and are perfect for cleaning any mucky four-legged friends in your household.
Other bathroom cleanliness options to consider include proper venting to reduce mold build-up and the inclusion of self-cleaning toilets.
Safety-Focused Bathroom Remodeling for the Future
With so many options for increasing safety in the bathroom, now and for the long-term, it’s essential to work with experienced, creative, and safety-conscious designers.
The design-build remodeling team here at Blackline Renovations in Dallas specializes in creating bathrooms the whole family will enjoy for many years to come.
We offer friendly and expert in-home consultations where we discuss your specific needs and provide you with the optimal design solutions to meet them.
Call us today at 214-827-3747 or schedule a consultation.