What to consider when buying these 3-bathroom accessories

You’ve probably heard the term ‘bathroom accessories’ a lot, especially if you’ve already started planning your own designer bathroom. It can be fairly vague, so it’s worth us clarifying that for the purposes of this post, it’s an umbrella term, encompassing both accessories (like shower caddies) and hardware (like towel rails).

Now, the accessories we’re talking about today are all fairly essential for any style of bathroom, so they’ll almost certainly all be accounted for in your plans for your own designer bathroom. And if any of them are amongst the things you’ve still got yet to buy, here are a couple of considerations it’s worth bearing in mind!

Bathroom mirror

Besides your actual fixtures, such as your sink and your toilet, the bathroom mirror is one of the most central features of your bathroom, so it demands a lot of careful consideration. You’ll have to think about the placement of it, and the available space you’ve got to work with, and any extra practicalities or functions you want it to perform.

For example, lots of modern bathroom mirrors feature their own lighting. It’s a relatively minor addition that can make a major difference, not just to the practicality of the mirror itself (allowing you to see better to do your makeup, for example), but also to the ambience of the room at large. If that kind of idea appeals, it’s worth thinking about when you’re considering whether you’d like bright surrounding lights, or dimmer and warmer lighting that has an even more influential effect on the mood of your bathroom.

Depending on how many people there are in your household, and when they’ll need to use the bathroom each day, you may also find yourself needing to think about more specialised mirrors like shaving mirrors or cupboard mirrors.

You might also want to think about the shape and form of your mirror, and whether or not you’d like a specific frame for it (make sure it’s suitable for bathroom use though!). A well-chosen mirror can have an unrivalled effect on the overall style you’ve envisioned for your bathroom – whether that’s bright and clean, vibrant and colourful, or cool and sophisticated. Those are just a couple of examples!

Towel rack

A towel rack is a fairly straightforward addition to your bathroom, but you’ll have to think about placement. Ideally it should be as close to the sink as possible, rather than (for example) on the opposite wall – that way you won’t have people crossing the room with wet hands and flicking water everywhere in the process. And let’s be honest, it’s very disconcerting to step into any kind of puddle when you walk straight into a bathroom – especially if you’re a parent.

The number of actual rails on this piece of hardware is also worth considering. The single towel rail is obviously the most common, but there are also multi-rail options, so that you can hang several towels out to dry at once. Very handy if you’ve got multiple people trying to get themselves ready just before the school run!

Of course, it’s primarily a practical functional addition, but if you’re spending a lot of time and effort cultivating a certain look for your bathroom, then the style is often worth considering too. Most people prefer to keep theirs simple, but it’s possible to find surprisingly ornate towel rails, just as it’s possible to find clean and simple versions too.

Shower caddy

This one is definitely more practical in nature. Essentially, it’s a shelf to keep your shampoos, conditioners and other toiletries on when you’re in the shower. It certainly beats keeping them on the lip of the bath, as they’re liable to get knocked over a lot.

Just like the other entries on this short list, usage isn’t terribly complicated (put things in, take things out) so your main consideration will probably be its placement. Lots of people automatically put it in the corner of the shower, which makes sense, given that puts it in easy reach of anyone actually using the shower. However, there are also options that can be hung over the shower door – which can be really useful for cleaning under it without having to move anything.

You’ll also have to think about how large it’ll be, and what you intend to keep in it. If you’ve got several adults using the bathroom for example, each with their own toiletries to keep within easy reach, then that’ll be something you’ll all need to negotiate amongst yourselves!

Of course, these are all just a couple of ideas to get those creative gears whirring! If you’ve got any specific queries, or you need any help or advice on how best to implement a specific feature into your own designer bathroom, that’s exactly where we can help here at NPM Bathrooms. We’ve been creating beautiful customer bathrooms for our clients since 1982, so you can trust us to be able to help you with answers in as much or as little detail as you need. Why not give us a call on 01282 697717, or pay us a visit in our bathroom showroom near Bolton? We’re always happy to see you!