Heritage BathroomsSea Themed Bathrooms
Sea Themed Bathrooms
Imagine it: glittering sunshine on an aquamarine sea, a refreshing breeze on a hot summer’s day, an invigorating dip in crystal clear waters. There is, quite simply, nothing quite like a coastal retreat to bring a sense of tranquility and rejuvenation.
At Heritage, we believe that it’s possible to bring that sense of ocean-inspired calm into your home. Fresh, invigorating and defined by clean lines, the Mediterranean aesthetic is the perfect look for a sea-themed bathroom.
Whether you’re looking for summer bathroom ideas or simply love design inspired by a seemingly endless stretch of sparkling ocean, we’re here to help you create a bathroom reminiscent of tranquil days under the hot summer sun.
A fresh aesthetic for your sea-themed bathroom
Your colour palette:
For many, the starting point for any new bathroom design is choosing a colour palette. If you’d love to create a coastal bathroom inspired by the sea, the right hues are absolutely key in creating a tranquil space. Shades of blue, teal and aquamarine mirror the ever-changing colours of the ocean – and look particularly striking when balanced with bright whites. If you prefer, use darker and lighter shades of your chosen colour on different walls to create depth and interest. Click here for Paint.
Choosing wallpaper:
Statement wallpaper can be an eye-catching way to transport your bathroom to hotter climes too. Palm leaf prints in cool tones can create an exquisite focal point for your space and are a great way to bring in a fresh and on-trend feel to your sea-themed bathroom.
Statement-making tiles
Tiles, while practical, can also transform your space to create a real sense of beauty. To make a high impact statement, run tiles across the floor and up onto the walls. Alternatively, invoke an authentic feel by alternating patterned tiles and plain tiles to give a gloriously hop-scotch effect, reminiscent of Mediterranean village squares. If you’re looking for something a little different, try choosing scalloped-edge tiles. These unique tiles look exquisite and give a real sense of the sea. Whichever ocean-hued shades you choose, the key to the Mediterranean aesthetic is fresh tones, clean lines and refreshing design.
A hint of Mediterranean flair in your furnishings
Once you’ve chosen your colour palette, it’s time to decide on furnishings. The focal point of any bathroom, your bathroom suite has a significant impact on the overall look and feel of your sea-themed space.
Put bathing at the forefront:
When thinking through your summer bathroom ideas, imagine immersing yourself in a shimmering plunge pool. The key is to recreate this sense of refreshing calm when choosing your bathroom furnishings. To do just that, a statement bath is the perfect choice. By placing your bath at the front and centre of your overall design, water becomes central to your coastal bathroom aesthetic.
If you have the space, freestanding baths make a striking statement. Mirror the diamond-like sparkle of sunshine on the sea with a metallic-effect bath, like Heritage’s Hylton Freestanding Acrylic Double Ended Bath in gold, or give your space a clean and sleek look with our Penhallam Freestanding Acrylic Double Ended Slipper Bath. Alternatively, choose one of our exquisite cast iron baths and paint with cool tones to create a stunning feature.
Creating beautiful sea-themed décor is more than possible with a fitted bath too. Choose a piece with clean and simple lines, like the stylish Blenheim Acrylic Double Ended Fitted Bath, and complement with a fitted bath panel that works well with the colour palette you choose.
Finishing your bathroom suite:
When it comes to basins and WCs, complement your suite with a design that works with your chosen bath. Heritage offer a range of bathroom furnishings that create cohesion, meaning that creating your perfect Mediterranean-themed bathroom is easier than you might think.
For taps and showers, contemporary designs work well with sea-themed décor. Think about creating contrast with clean chrome lines, for example with the Gracechurch range of angular and endlessly stylish taps. The Gracechurch shower complements the contemporary design of these taps beautifully.
Accessorise with ocean bathroom décor
The finishing touches are the perfect way to add extra flair to your sea-themed bathroom. Dress your space with accessories that add to the tranquility and restfulness of your design.
Bring nature indoors
Bring to mind the memory of sun-drenched landscapes with purposefully chosen indoor plants. Plants add a wonderful sense of nature to your space and help to create that feeling of calm. Cacti and succulent plants are a great choice when creating your Mediterranean bathroom and can look even more striking when potted in patterned or glass tumblers.
Choose coloured glass
When choosing your ocean bathroom décor, mirror the look of sunlight shimmering on water by choosing coloured glass tumblers, vases and ornaments. Think about placing your coloured glass on windowsills when dressing your bathroom. Here, they’ll catch the light beautifully and create stunning reflections across your room.
Add natural ornamentation
The Mediterranean aesthetic is all about bringing the beauty of hotter climes into your home. To help you create a fresh-yet-natural look in your bathroom, consider adding hints of natural ornamentation to your space. Different textures, like interesting pebbles or shells, can help to add depth and ocean inspiration to your bathroom.
Get the Mediterranean look with Heritage @ BJ Mullen
fabulous furniture
FABULOUS FURNITURE FOR YOUR NEXT BATHROOM PROJECT
Need storage for your bathroom renovation? Read about our fabulous furniture for different spaces to give you some inspiration.
When you consider your next bathroom project, your first thought might be about the bath, perfect for an indulgent soak, or the bathroom suite, the keystone of any bathroom design; but have you thought about furniture?
Bathroom furniture is fast-becoming one of the most important items to create a beautiful, clutter-free and relaxing space. From a small bathroom cabinet through to a full wall of stylish fitted furniture, you are sure to find the perfect piece to meet your needs.
Storage under the sink
Bathroom storage in the sink area is incredibly useful. An easy and stylish way to achieve this is through a freestanding vanity unit that sits below your basin where your pedestal would normally be. This creates storage without taking up any additional floor space and allows you to coordinate with as much or as little of the rest of the room as you like.
Storage in small bathrooms
In smaller spaces, a wall hung vanity unit provides handy bathroom storage and makes the space appear larger thanks to the gap between the floor and the unit. And, a boldly coloured unit on the end wall of a narrow bathroom will draw your eye to the far end, tricking you and your guests into thinking the space is larger.
You might also consider superbly slim fitted furniture for a compact storage solution. These units are available to combine in any configuration you like, and in a small bathroom or cloakroom a fitted vanity unit with a semi-recessed basin works brilliantly teamed with a drawer unit to make the most of whatever space you have available.
Storage in bigger bathrooms
A large bathroom storage unit is a welcome way to store those essential toiletries and towels neatly out of sight. A tall boy is also an easy way to add a block of colour, whether it is in a more neutral shade like Oyster or Dove Grey, or the brooding Graphite grey. Or, if one of these is too imposing in your space, a short boy is a great alternative that still provides much-needed storage and creates another surface to display your designer toiletries and trinkets.
If you want to make the most of the space available there is also the option to have a larger, or even wall-filling, run of fitted furniture incorporating a countertop basin and toilet with floor and wall mounted cabinets for all the storage you could ever need.
For Distinctively Individual spaces
Furniture is also a great way to do something different with your bathroom. A mix of different fitted units to suit a particular size space, or combining shades and handles that complement each other, can be a great way to really make it your own. Complete the look with either a matching mirrored wall cabinet or make a statement with an ornate bathroom mirror for the perfect finishing touch.
You can find the full range of heritage furniture, suites, baths and mirrors here at BJ Mullen. Call in and let our friendly expert staff help you design or update your bathroom.
Bathroom Pitfalls
Creating a new bathroom from scratch can be pretty daunting and overwhelming – especially as there is such a wide range of products available. If you’re building an extension or a new home, you’ll have a blank canvas from which to work – so you really have got so much potential to get it spot on, or it could go the other way if you don’t do your homework right. Gerry Ryan, the showroom manager at SONAS Bathrooms, talks about the biggest bathroom pitfalls that he’s come across over his many years of giving expert advice.
- A lack of communication. This is the biggest pitfall. Not talking to your architect about what you want and just letting him or her proceed with designing the bathroom without taking your needs into consideration. You need to sit down with them properly at the initial design stage and communicate to them exactly what you want and need in your home. Who’s going to be using the bathroom? What’s the age profile of the family members? All this will help decide the best approach to take. Are you a busy family that plays a lot of sport, for example? Are there teenagers coming and going throughout the day who need showers after football practice etc? Are you the type who likes to relax in a bubble bath in the evening? Talk to your architect. Tell them what you want and tell them about your lifestyle.
- Talk to your plumber/installer. You may be surprised at just how soon you need to decide things like whether you’re having a wall mounted toilet or a floor standing unit. Whatever you choose will dictate the type of vanity unit, basin, toilet etc that you can have. Gerry said: “I’ve had people come into the showroom to pick items just as their bathrooms are ready to be fitted and they might fall in love with a particular type of vanity or like the wall mounted toilet range. But then they discover that their plumber has already laid the pipes for conventional toilets and it’s simply too late to move things around. It can be very disappointing for people. Talking to your plumber early on is essential.”
- Trying to fit too much in. Know the space you’re working with. It might be hard to visualise it, especially if it’s not built yet. So get your measuring tape out and check the dimensions of the space you’re working with. Talk to our experts and your plumber/installer about what would work well. You might have your heart set on a big walk in shower and a luxurious freestanding bath and double vanity unit. But you might not be able to squeeze those in. Having products that don’t fit into your bathroom will make it impractical, cramped and not aesthetically pleasing.
- Not getting products to suit what’s available to you. A common mistake people make when getting a new shower is not ensuring they have enough water pressure. A powerful shower will have a minimum operating pressure. Gerry explains: “Any new build should have a pressurised system but you need to be sure that you have the minimum requirements for the products you choose.”
- Another issue is having a really powerful shower and not having the hot water cylinder large enough. Gerry said: “People really want a great shower with plenty of pressure but they might not have the hot water capacity if their cylinder isn’t suitable.” A quick recovery cylinder will heat up water again within 20 minutes, whereas a traditional cylinder takes around 50 minutes. You also need to consider how many people will be showering at the same time. If you come from a busy household where more than one person will be showering at the same time in the morning, a three bar pump will means more than one shower can operate at once.
So the bottom line is: planning, planning and more planning. Communication is key – from the moment you sit down with your architect to speaking to your plumber and your SONAS Bathrooms retailer – BJ Mullen. Our Bathroom experts will be on hand to advise at every step of your project. Call in to our extensive showroom for inspiration and great advice.
Child Friendly Bathrooms
Visit BJ Mullen for Child Friendly Bathrooms. The smartest and most desirable bathrooms can still be child-friendly
It’s very tempting to be rather selfish and adult-orientated when planning a new bathroom. But … even if you don’t have children, or maybe having kids is still a vague future plan, it’s still possible to future-proof your main bathroom so it can still be suitable and practical to use when kids arrive (or come to visit.)
This cleverly-planned bathroom is Symmetry in Teal and Midnight-Grey Gloss by Utopia
One of the vital components of a children’s bathroom is floor space … it won’t just be one person in there, it will be little ones plus at least one or two supervising adults, so elbow room is essential! A bath really should be included, don’t think you can get away with a shower alone, having an easy-access bath is a great way of ensuring at least half an hour a day of contained playtime for little ones.
This gorgeous grown-up bathroom, Geo furniture in Parchment Gloss and Aragon Flint, adapts seamlessly to the practical needs of a child-friendly household
Storage, storage, storage … cupboard or drawer space is vital, not just for the children’s bubble bath, but for all the other bits and bobs. It’s nice to be able to tidy away the bath toys and pop them in a drawer or cupboard. A net bag is useful, put everything in the bag in the bath to drain and transfer to the drawer later – line the drawer or cupboard with a guest towel to soak up drips. We’re also keen on a double basin layout for the kids … great for teaching proper teeth-brushing and face-washing techniques!
Halo modular furniture in Eton Oak is teamed up here with the new Miro sit-on basin for a cosy and practical family bathroom
If children have the run of the bathroom it’s quite likely that you’ll be thinking about re-painting every couple of years or so … choosing a neutral colour or finish for your cabinetry allows you to keep the options open regarding paint colours. If you’re fed up with this rather tasteful blue-grey in a couple of years, go for a deeper, indigo blue or perhaps a rusty shade of ginger-brown to co-ordinate with the tiles. Just be sure to choose an emulsion that’s suitable for bathroom (or kitchen) use; it will be more hardwearing than standard emulsions and also have more resistance to mould, which can be a potential problem if the walls get splashed a lot. However, a properly ventilated bathroom with an extractor and regularly opened windows shouldn’t suffer from condensation and associated problems.
From the latest furniture range, Roseberry … this is Utopia’s modular freestanding bathroom in London Grey
A double-ended bath (this is the Sensuelle freestanding bath) is a good choice for a family bathroom – it means a two-for-the-price-of-one bathtime with no moaning as to who gets the tap end, plus a central position makes it easier to attend to little ones. We love the extra-wide basin – it means that there’s plenty of room for mum or dad to supervise, and the idea of using plain door panels on the wall is rather special too. As far as colour schemes go, London Grey is another flexible choice, it could work just as well with a selection of brighter shades in the future.
A cloakroom is an essential addition to your home, if space and budget allows. This is Roseberry from Utopia in London Grey.
Creating a gorgeous family bathroom is very enjoyable and satisfying … but realistically, you don’t want everyone trooping up and down the stairs whenever there’s a play date for the kids. A cloakroom avoids other children’s sticky hands trailing up and down the bannisters. The ground floor cloakroom is also the perfect space for a cupboard that can be used for first aid kit and cleaning stuff.
For the full range of Utopia Bathroom Furniture, call in to our showroom where our staff will be happy to help.
Colourful Bathrooms
Colourful Bathrooms @ BJ Mullen.
An all white, flat surfaced, super shiny white bathroom can seem a little bit clinical. For a bathroom that’s full of character and personality yet fulfils all the practical needs of such a room, look no further than the images below for your inspiration.
What catches your eye first? The fabulous, period style of the furniture? Sumptuous-looking bath that you just want to get in to? The dark budgie and butterfly walls? All of the above? The reason this bathroom works so well is that all the elements are balanced – strong colours, big furniture, glamorous finishing touches that sit together all equal in the overall scheme.
This is a bathroom which is not overwhelmingly bathroom-y, instead it has an identity and proud stance that’s usually reserved for living areas in a home. The big storage piece has the look of a dresser more usually seen in a dining room or kitchen so that immediately gives the room the edge. And think how much storage you have in there with cupboards at the bottom and top to keep all toiletries, loo rolls and cleaning products secretly hidden away from view, and the glass fronted doors mean you can have gorgeous things on display from perfumes bottles through to vintage glass (always be on the look out in charity shops and car boot sales).
Yes it’s big but it’s enviably practical too and if your bathroom’s a bit smaller and this would fill a whole wall then that would look amazing too. Don’t assume you can’t have a wall of furniture in a bathroom because you can and it can look wonderful.
The shape of this bath is both modern and traditional. Charcoal grey is warm and classic and proud – more so than neutral tones and makes this the statement piece that it deserves to be.
Don’t be afraid to use colour and pattern in a bathroom. It’s not done that much (which will make you stand out from the crowd) but the deep colours make pale furniture and fittings stand out beautifully and it adds a cosy feel without being dominant. Avoid hanging wallpaper where it will get splashed and wet constantly as this will damage it, but use it as a backdrop to add immediate charm.
This deep coloured paper lets the large pale units be eye-catching – if the walls were pale it’d all mush together into a neutral nothingness. Add bold lighting, crystal cupboard handles and luxurious solid countertops and you will be amazed at how the effect makes you smile every day. For advice on all things bathroom, call into BJ Mullen and speak to one of our Bathroom Advisors.
Coastal Style Bathrooms
Coastal Style Bathrooms – Bathrooms are the perfect room for a beach inspired style, whether you will soon be jetting off to a beachside location, or just wish that you were, who wouldn’t want to emulate the feeling of freedom and relaxation in their bathroom?
Colours
The obvious choice for a beach inspired bathroom is blue, from dusky duck egg blue to inky indigo and turquoise, you can mix and match different shades how you please. Neutral shades also work well, try a sandy beige floor tile like Acropolis Sand from the Tileworks collection for a contemporary edge. Mosaics are also brilliant for creating a coastal style, jewelled blue Crystal Mosaics coordinate with sandy hues perfectly. For something a little different try teaming shades of blue with a soft yellow to add the suggestion of natural sunlight.
Textures
It’s a given that certain materials lend themselves to a coastal theme, driftwood, pebbles and weathered shells add a sense of a natural environment. For a real feature wall try Cimento Wave from the Tileworks collection (as pictured above) , the grooves in these tiles work well on walls adding depth and interest. Whilst natural wood looks fantastic it isn’t always suitable for bathrooms, try wood effect tiles instead. They are hardwearing and durable making them great replicas to the real thing – not forgetting that they are much lower maintenance.
Style
Accessories are brilliant for creating any style, if you want to opt for simple white brick tiles from the Winchester collection, you can create a coastal style by introducing simple beach motif accessories. For a subtle touch try a panel of Mother of Pearl Mosaics or a Carthage border (as pictured below), these natural shell tiles add a touch of luxury to a coastal style bathroom.
The Roseberry Collection
The Roseberry Collection
Take a look at the beautiful designs showcased in Utopia’s new Roseberry collection. In the first image, the fitted furniture is Dove Grey. The furniture is teamed with a solid surface worktop in Snowstorm and crisp white solid surface integrated basins. Snowstorm has also been used for the upstand and shower step for a seamless and perfectly co-ordinated look.
The new painted timber range lets the beauty of the wood show. After all, if you’re splashing out a real wood bathroom, it’s worth showing it off. There are six paint colours to choose from; Cotton White, Clotted Cream, Peacock Blue, Blue Lagoon, London Grey and the classic Dove Grey, shown above. This generously-sized bathroom has a double basin unit; but it will translate just as easily to a single basin.
These clever colours are suited to ultra-moden schemes – there’s a huge trend for darker ‘feature’ colours at the moment, but will also work brilliantly with traditional homes. And of course, these classic shades can be used as subtle (or dramatic!) contrast with patterned tiles or wallcoverings. Busy, all-over patterns must be teamed with some element of understatement; here, Vintage Greys tiles are used for shower and floor – giving the room a real ‘wow’ factor.
Geometric motifs are very on-trend at the moment, and these Kameo decorative tiles in Iron look completely at home with the Vintage Greys patchwork-look tiles. A sure-fire way of adding that luxury, boutique-hotel look to your bathroom is to choose wall-mounted taps. These are Salino taps, suitable for both low and high pressure systems, with elegant cross-head handles.gmail
Utopia Bathroom
a place for everything…means a happy Utopia bathroom
From Utopia’s Geo range, Geo Store cabinetry in Aubergine gloss. A clever way of providing interior drawer space, plus some useful surface space as well.
Storage isn’t the first concept that springs to mind when planning a bathroom, but a bathroom without well thought-out storage is like a kitchen without a sink … it may look pretty but it won’t work as a room.
Double-layer drawers keep everything neat and visible at a glance, perfect for bleary-eyed early morning starts. White Linear cabinetry from Utopia’s Halo range.
Aragon Flint double-layer internal drawer system from Utopia’s Halo range
Whether you’re dealing with a standard three-piece suite that comprises a pedestal sink, WC and bath or a simple shower room, there’s nothing more annoying than not having a spot to stand the shower gel or stash the clean, dry towels. Don’t despair if you have a tiny bath or shower room, there is still scope for storage. Just be practical, logical and plan ahead.
Curved drawers can be equally spacious inside; this is the Encurva washbasin unit in Black Linear by Utopia
If you’ve got a creative and capable builder on board, get him to allow some space for recessed shelving. If you’re re-plastering, re-plumbing and re-wiring, there will be plenty of time and opportunity to make the most of interior wall void spaces. If you’re using the services of a professional bathroom design team, insist that storage opportunities are taken into account. After all, there’s little advantage in making the investment in a brand new bathroom if it doesn’t work as smoothly as possible.
Wall hung furniture keeps the practicalities to the forefront, without losing storage. This is Qube furniture in White Gloss, by Utopia.
It’s vital to set some time aside to visit bathroom showrooms … it can’t all be done on-line, and there’s no realistic alternative to walking around a series of well-designed room sets, to get a firm idea of scale, proportion and practicality. Of course, it goes without saying that a visit to BJ Mullen’s showroom will solve any bathroom storage problems that you may think you may have …
The Quantum accessory shelf can be lit and recessed, providing unobtrusive storage and display space
Floating Shelves in Golden Oak by Utopia are perfect for towel-stacking enthusiasts, or add some old-fashioned baskets to get a cool mix of old and new.
Bleached Walnut mirrored storage cabinet from the Halo range by Utopia
A slim, mirrored wall cabinet can streamline the smallest bathroom … This is the 800mm wide Qube mirror in Aragon Flint with overhead light, by Utopia.
Call into BJ Mullens for some inspiration and expert advice.
Latest Blogs
Experience the Ultimate Showering Luxury with Hansgrohe Overhead Drencher ShowersMay 25, 2023 - 9:06 am- The Roseberry RangeMay 24, 2023 - 1:30 pm
- Whiteriver Laminate Wooden FlooringMay 4, 2023 - 9:16 am
