Every well designed bathroom has a centrepiece – a focus of appeal and attraction that draws the eye as soon as you enter the room. Usually this feature is the bath and, as it sets the tone for the overall style and atmosphere of the bathroom, you need to make your choice very carefully.

Essentially there are three approaches that can be taken when it comes to the overall design of a bathroom: traditional, contemporary and transitional. A thoroughly traditional approach will rely entirely on proven and trusted Victorian or Edwardian designs, whereas a contemporary approach swaps these for clean lines, modern materials and innovations such as ‘waterfall’ style taps.

Transitional bathrooms borrow elements of both these styles to create a unique, quirky and fresh design. Leading bathroom experts Victoria Plumb look at the top two bath designs for this highly specific design style.

The Transitional Bathroom

Combining aspects of both old and new to come up with an eclectic and original approach that is unique, the transitional bathroom design allows for a strong traditional or modern centrepiece that compliments your bathroom’s design without having to follow the strictures of a formal theme. The wide range of style that Victoria Plumb offers is perfect for mixing and matching your own take on the concept.

Here are two top bath options for creating the perfect transitional bathroom.

1. Top Contemporary Bath

Whether traditional or modern, most bathtubs have large curved forms. The Manhattan Roll Top Bath is a modern, contemporary double ended roll top bath that simply oozes luxury and is perfect for anyone wishing to create a spa experience in their own home.

By being able to hold a relatively large capacity of water, this tub offers the potential for true relaxation from a long, deep soak. Built around extremely modern curved shapes and smooth finished edges, theManhattancan be perfectly matched with modern and traditional accessories so you can build your own unique design.

If you do choose modern designs which offer practical solutions to space issues along with sleek design aesthetics, there are a number of ultra-modern ‘open’ tap designs to choose from. These give ‘waterfall’ effects when in use and are perfect for maintaining the spa vibe in your bathroom.

2. Top Traditional Bath

The idea of a transitional approach to bathroom design works both ways and the iconic Liberty Roll Top Slipper Bath mixes modern appeal with tried and tested classic style for the perfect duo. This bath was featured in the top ten baths on HousetoHome.co.uk.

By making a traditional roll top slipper bath the focal point of your bathroom, you can enjoy the ultimate in luxury bathing. A modern bathroom needs to fulfil its function in a straightforward way, but many people find that the older styles have an in-built sensuous appeal.

A totally contemporary bathroom suite in a period home can seem quite harsh and out of place but by using a transitional approach you can have the best of both worlds.

Whether it is using chrome ball and claw or dragon feet to add finishing touches to your bath, or incorporating a modern basin in a slim line vanity unit, the choices you can make using the transitional idea are only limited by your own imagination when working with Victoria Plumb.

***This guest post is from Victoria Plumb***

Bathroom furniture, banished to the wilderness during the last ten years whilst minimalism was the dominant force in bathroom design, is back, and it’s better than ever.

There are now more cupboards and cabinets available than ever before, and in just about every conceivable variation of size, shape and finish. But with such a huge range of products, choosing the perfect furniture for your bathroom can start to feel like a daunting prospect.

We all have different requirements, tastes and differently sized bathrooms, so let’s look at a few of the key variables to consider, making sure that you achieve the best possible results.

There are three types of storage unit that consistently out-sell all the others, giving us a fairly clear idea of how effective and useful these models are.

Firstly, there is the fitted vanity unit, which will allow you to keep your basin area clear from clutter, as we do all tend to accumulate far more toiletries and cosmetics than we really need, and this area of the bathroom tends to be where they end up. As a fitted unit, it will help to streamline your bathroom, concealing the pipes that are connected to your basin and taps, for a less functional appearance.

The arrangement of drawers and doors is entirely up to you, but these units are a great way to keep all of your assorted bathroom products neatly organised and discreetly out of sight, whilst remaining within easy reach.

A vanity unit will also provide you with a generous amount of surface area, so you can spread out when you need to.

Wall-mounted cabinets are always popular, as in Britain we don’t tend to have very large bathrooms, and this way, one doesn’t have to sacrifice floor space in order to gain storage capacity.

In shared or family bathrooms, giving each bathroom user their own cabinet, or section of a cabinet, can be a great way to keep things straight forward and efficient. For families with younger children, wall-mounted cabinets can be a great way to store any medicines or supplements safely out of the reach of curious young hands.

Finally, we have the tall, narrow freestanding unit known as the Tallboy. These units are so popular largely due to the fact that they would seem perfectly natural in any room in the home, thus helping the make bathroom feel less like a purely functional space and more like a natural extension of the rest of your décor.

As for finish, well, natural wooden tones or veneers are the most popular choice, bringing tactile appeal and a real warmth to your bathroom aesthetic, the perfect way to counteract to the slightly cold and sterile nature of an all-white bathroom suite.

Lighter woods, such as oak and pine, will keep the room feeling light and fresh, whilst darker tones, such as walnut and wenge, will create a dramatic, opulent look – a real style statement.

There are also metallic units crafted from stainless steel and brushed aluminium, as well as all manner of coloured lacquers, and even patterned designs.

The point is that with such a wide array of furniture options available, you will be able to find the perfect units for your bathroom. So take some time to have a click about and discover your ideal furniture. Good luck!

This is a guest post by Helen Davies, a senior content writer for Better Bathrooms, who sell good looking contemporary and traditional bathroom furniture at a realistic prices.