We tell you how to choose a sink cabinet, storage system, and mirror in accordance with modern trends and extend the life of the furniture.
We will tell you how to choose bathroom furniture to make the room comfortable and beautiful. Let’s start with an overview of materials that are suitable for this environment.
Materials
Splashes, temperature changes, and steam will impact your cabinets every day—especially if the space is small and doesn’t have good ventilation. Therefore, the surface of the facades, the body, and the edge must be moisture-resistant. Several materials meet this requirement.
Housing materials
- MDF, HDSP. Durable slabs can withstand heavy weight. This is an aesthetic, budget material.
- Metal. Most often, metal inserts are combined with MDF, HDSP, or glass. They are durable and decorative but have heavyweight and a high price. Metal is not suitable for every interior.
- Plastic weighs little and is inexpensive. However it will not withstand heavy objects and has a small margin of safety; plastic furnishings cannot be placed next to a heat source and cannot be cleaned with abrasive agents, so it is not suitable for all interiors.
- Strained glass. More often found in individual elements of the headset. For example, on a tabletop. Tempered glass will not break and is difficult to scratch. But it is difficult to care for such a surface.
MDF and HDSP are the most popular materials.
Finish coating
To prevent pressed panels from deteriorating from exposure to water, they are treated with resins, primers, and other coatings. Let’s list them.
- PVC film. This is a water-repellent, fairly durable self-adhesive. There are always many shades on sale. Contrary to popular belief, the film does not peel off from the surface for a long time.
- Enamel (varnish). The painted surface can be glossy or matte. The enamel is resistant to steam and moisture and looks beautiful.
- Melamine, acrylic, HPL plastic. The coating may resemble translucent or colored glass. The first option is the most economical solution. But often such plastic is not resistant to mechanical stress, easily splits, scratches, and absorbs dirt. HPL and acrylic are resistant, but their cost is higher.
The ends are the Achilles heel of facades. There are several technologies for finishing them. Inexpensive sets with HDSP facades use edge banding technology. The edges ensure the solidity and moisture resistance of the facades. To reduce the cost of the kits, they use PVC edges, which can peel off over time in conditions of high humidity. A more reliable end protection is considered to be a plastic edge, in the manufacture of which polyurethane glue or laser welding was used (depending on the scale of production). The ends of the MDF + enamel facades are finished in the same way as the facades, that is, they are primed and painted layer by layer. This technology provides high moisture resistance.
Durable and at the same time economical materials – MDF and HDSP panels coated with PVC film. Beautiful, wear-resistant, but more expensive headsets are made of glass, metal, or treated with acrylic plastic, paint, and varnish.
As for the massif, some rocks only become stronger with high air humidity. For example, alder, oak, wenge. However, the wood must first be thoroughly dried and covered with several stages of protective layers of primers, drying oils, paints, varnishes, waxes, and oils.
More common are sets made from veneered laminated wood, pressed from several layers of wood (lamellas), which are fixed with a special adhesive. But products made from wood, solid or glued, can only be afforded by owners of spacious, well-ventilated rooms.
Accessories and fastenings
We’ve sorted out the materials. It remains to learn some nuances about how to choose waterproof furniture for the bathroom.
Tips for choosing accessories
- Often, extra holes are made in cases so that shelves can be installed at different heights. Check to see if these holes are plugged. They protect the material from moisture penetration inside.
- The main material of fittings for wet rooms is chrome-plated metal. It is important that there is metal underneath the chrome layer. The plastic will peel off after a few months of use. The most durable handles are made of stainless steel.
What fasteners are needed for installation?
It is necessary to attach not only hanging elements to the walls but also floor elements with legs. European manufacturers supply fasteners for all foundation walls complete with furniture. If the wall is less durable: made of slotted brick, foam concrete, or hollow slabs, special metal anchors and dowels are used.
If you plan to cover the foundation walls with plasterboard, you need to secure embedded elements under the gypsum plasterboard. They are often made from pine timber with a thickness of 40 cm. Anchors are used for fastening.
It happens that the repairs have already been completed, but mortgages are not provided. In this case, metal anchors 10-15 cm long will help out. In this case, one requirement must be taken into account – the distance between the main wall and the gypsum plasterboard panel should not be more than 50-60 mm. Otherwise, most of the anchor will bend over time, as it will be suspended. In a spacious shower room, a gypsum board partition is often installed up to the ceiling to zone the space. Before installing a wall cabinet on it, provide vertical mortgages for the entire height. They are needed to securely mount the headset.
Furniture and accessories
Now we’ll tell you what furniture to choose for the bathroom. First, we will give some tips on planning the interior as a whole, and then we will look at each zone separately.
General recommendations
- Try not to clutter all the walls and floor with things. Determine the minimum set of items. Usually, this is a cabinet with a sink, a mirrored cabinet, open shelves, and a laundry basket. In some cases – a pencil case.
- A small room will visually expand if you install hanging furniture. For example, a closed set with a mirror or a cabinet with space for a washing machine or basket.
- Wall-mounted modules are also relevant for heated floors.
- If you choose floor-standing cabinets, it is better that they have legs rather than a solid panel. This will make cleaning easier.
- You can buy large items in the spacious shower room. In small – small.
Wash basin
Often at the beginning of a renovation, when you need to select and install plumbing fixtures, you don’t think about the rest of the interior. There will be no problems with hanging elements in such a situation. It’s easy to fit them into the interior. For example, organize the space above a front-loading washing machine. But it is better to choose a base for the wash area at the renovation stage. You need to understand what size the cabinet will be, what you will keep in it, and which siphon is best to install.
At the stage of rough work, we advise you to think about the placement of furniture even if you are planning a mirrored cabinet with lighting, a socket, or a switch. Open electrical wiring in a damp room is not permitted.
Washbasin base
- Open. On the shelves, all contents are visible and easy to reach. There is no door that can become a hindrance when open. The only problem is that things are not protected from splashes, steam, and dust.
- Closed. Such a cabinet usually holds more items, and the facades reliably protect them from water.
The most convenient option is an underframe with fully retractable drawers, divided into compartments with inserted organizer containers. Or a cabinet with empty space and a compact siphon.
Storage systems
- Drawers are more convenient than shelves – even with a smaller volume, it is easier to maintain order and find the things you need.
- Choose closed shelves. With the same dimensions, they will hold more than open ones. An intermediate option is shelves with sides or combined cabinets with open and closed sections.
- Models equipped with legs can be mounted on a plasterboard wall. They will remove some of the load from the wall.
- A floor cabinet with drawers under the sink no more than 50 cm wide and a wall-mounted mirror without a cabinet is another solution for a small bathroom. Under the mirror, make a shelf for toothbrushes and hygiene items.
- If there is enough space, you can put a pencil case with a width of 30 cm. It will include household chemicals, towels, and bath accessories. A laundry basket will fit under the hanging pencil case.
- Beveled cabinets and corner units also help preserve free space.
- A transparent cabinet with glass shelves does not overload the space and is suitable for niches. It is not destroyed by water – it can be mounted above the bathtub, shower gels, or shampoos.
The spacious bathroom has the opportunity to install several cabinets or cabinets for storing things. In this case, next to the sink, you can limit yourself to a large mirror with a glass shelf or a long tabletop. In a cramped space, functional, shallow, spacious mirrored cabinets are more relevant. They have shelves, compartments, drawers, built-in sockets, and lighting with a switch located on one of their walls. There are many options for such cabinets.
Mirror
- A large mirror is a plus for a small bathroom, as it visually expands the space. But there are no restrictions and the size of the model depends on your taste and the style in which the shower is decorated.
- The approximate distance from the sink is 35-45 cm. These parameters must be adjusted depending on the height of all family members.
Accessories relieve space on shelves and help keep everything within reach. Glasses for toothbrushes, towel holders, and soap dispensers are attached to the wall, are easy to clean, and can completely replace a wall cabinet.
Built-in lighting
- Choose a backlight that is closest in color to natural light (color rendering index CRI is not lower than 80, but better than 85) – this way your eyes are less tired and the color gamut of the reflection is not distorted. A lamp that is too bright or dim will reduce the fidelity of the reflection. The first will glare, and the second will darken.
- Install lampshades with frosted glass – they will provide diffused lighting.
- Working lighting in a small room up to 5 m² is not necessary. Basic lighting or decorative lighting is sufficient.
Modern trends in bathroom furniture
Modular furniture
The essence of the principle is to create a set consisting of individual elements (modules) of different widths, heights, depths, and purposes that can be easily combined with each other. At the same time, a small set may include three or four items, each of which is presented in two or three standard sizes, or more.
Extended kits are especially common among leading European manufacturers. In this case, buyers are offered several options for facades, shelf layouts, and door-opening methods.
Single style
The modern shower room is becoming more and more like a living room. Often, places for storing bath accessories and all kinds of accessories cannot be distinguished stylistically from a chest of drawers or a dressing table in the bedroom. This allows you to include the bathroom in a single space of the house, for example, a bedroom, which, by the way, is very important.
Simplicity
The trend is for hanging elements, simple geometric shapes, and sophisticated fronts. Their design “echoes” high-tech plumbing fixtures, which are also distinguished by an exquisitely simple design with increased functionality.
In small spaces, minimalist furniture is preferable, especially in combination with wall units. Note: the undoubted trend of recent years is the almost complete abandonment of protruding fittings and unnecessary decorations of facades. Smoothness and simplicity are perhaps the main decor today.
Natural materials
Surfaces finished with noble natural wood veneer, or coatings imitating wood, c. fashion. All this makes the space even more harmonious and warm. Also relevant are countertops made of natural stone, concrete, solid wood, or materials that imitate them. For example, cast countertops made of artificial stone – in this case, the sink simply becomes part of them.
High-quality interior filling of cabinets
We advise you to pay attention not only to the design, size, and color but also to the organization of the internal space of storage systems. Wide, fully retractable drawers with closers and cabinets that open by pressing the front (Touch system) are complemented by internal organizer dividers and trays, which will provide order and more space for storing accessories, cosmetics, napkins, combs, brushes, and other necessary little things. Storage boxes for hair dryers and electric shavers are often equipped with built-in sockets.
Natural colors
Popular tones are green, sand, earth, and blue sky. As a result, beige is still in the range of fashionable colors. It is good both on its own and in combination with other natural shades. Under the close attention of designers, warm, rich colors: soft caramel, mocha, cinnamon, and creme brulee. Warm, light gray tones are also relevant today: French gray, melange, monsoon, stone, soft graphite (earthy).
Minimalist mirrors
Mirrors with open glass shelves gave way to stylish rectangular ones in thin frames and minimalist shallow mirror cabinets equipped with spacious shelves. Models without a frame are especially popular – simple and at the same time effective designs with lighting. A new solution is mirrors placed on a shelf. In addition, more expensive models are equipped with an anti-fogging system (a heating element located on the reverse side ensures the transparency of the mirror surface) and even a “mirror-TV” function.
Which manufacturer’s furniture should you choose for your bathroom?
The list includes companies that produce stylish, high-quality cabinets, cabinets, and accessories.
- Aqwella
- “Aquatone”.
- Roca
- Vigo
- Triton
- Keramag
- Jacob Delafon
- Burgbad
- Villeroy & Boch
Bonus: how to increase the lifespan of furniture
First of all, take care of forced ventilation of the room, because a window in the bathroom is very rare. Despite the “moisture resistant” label, any surface requires careful treatment. It is advisable not to leave splashes of water on its surface. To care for objects made of veneer and natural wood, you should use specialized polishes (with the exception of wax), which create a protective film, clean the surfaces, and give them a beautiful shine.
Before laying a heated floor, take measurements, taking into account the location of the cabinets in the bathroom and the distances from the walls and corners – there is no point in heating these areas, and besides, some interior items are harmful to the “hot climate”.
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