Bathrooms can be on the west or northwest sides of the building, but not on the eastern or northeastern sides. The toilet room should also not be located on the southeast, the southwest, or in the center of the building. The morning sun falling on the body after bathing is good, so windows should be set in the north or east sides of the room.
Ideally, toilets should face south, not east or west (in the direction of the sun). The toilet should be located on the west or northwest side of the room and should be built 30–60cm (1 or 2 feet) above the ground. An attached bathroom should be on the west or northwest side of a room, never on the northeast side.
Sinks should be placed on the northeast, north, or east sides of the room. Bathtubs should be located on the northeast, west, or east sides.
Bathroom walls should be painted white, sky blue, or another light shade. Do not use black or dark red.
Water should leave the bathroom from the east or northeast side. Water should not leave from the southwest or southeast directions. The overhead septic tank should be on the northwest side of the house.
Bathrooms have come a long way from the tiny, dingy little cubicles that our ancestors rushed in and out of as fast as they could. Spending any thought or money on doing up these rooms was considered a sheer waste until very recently. The bathrooms of today are different in quality and style ranging from the practical to luxurious.
Every individual’s idea of luxury differs, as do the features they would like to include in their bathrooms. The possibilities are endless: His and Hers wash-basins, bidets, jacuzzis with underwater lighting and adjustable slide jets with an option of water, heated air or both, sauna, steam bath, whirlpool or a reading nook with bookshelves and two comfy chairs! Then there are bathrooms located in a secluded corner of the house beside a glass wall that brings the outdoors within.
Whereas earlier the sink, WC and bathing area were placed just where they fitted inconveniently,often resulting in the users having to traipse the length of the room to wash their hands, today a lot of thought is given to the placement of each fixture in the bathroom.
Dressing walls in the bathroom is easier, as many materials can be used. A simple look requires just a coat of paint or ceramic tiles. However, water, as well as soap suds, are bound to splash on the walls in the bathing area and if the material is not well-selected, it will leave ugly stains with the passage of the time. Lighting in the bathrooms gives the whole space a well-lit look. Fluorescent tube lights are accepted as a rule, but a couple of bulbs fitted near the mirror would produce a clearer image.
The minimum fixtures in any bathroom are a WC, washbasin and shower/tap. But the tempting variety available today both in design and color offers different combinations. Bathrooms are been given much more attention, particularly in size The budget allocated for decoration of bathrooms has also increased substantially.
New and popular flooring options available today are more in terms of color than any change in material used. Italian marble and ceramic tiles still hold the market, but the changes seen are in the colors and the ways of laying them. Basic earth shades are being mixed and contrasted with bolder shades to draw attention to the floor. Walls can also sport the new look of plain, patterned, embossed or marbled ceramic tiles that are offset by printed borders.
A variety of WC’s are now available in different shapes, flushing styles and the capacity of the flush-which ranges from 5 to 7.5 liters. Wall-mounted WCs Re is available in two options: standard and concealed flushing apparatus.
Washbasins,with pedestals or fitted into a counter, come in a host of shapes- be it the standard one or the triangular shape that fits perfectly into a corner of the bathroom and avoids wastage of space.
Bathroom fixtures available in the market today have sleeker designs and come in a variety of powder-coated colors of deep blue and vibrant red versus the chrome, black, and ivory which were popular years ago. The designer taps may vary from a single tap to options like three tap hole basin mixers with pop-up systems and swivel spout mixers.
Acrylic bath-tubs are now available in many shapes- from standard rectangular to the more unusual triangular, D-shape and the rounded variety. Readymade acrylic bath trays, another new entrant, come in the standard size of 3’X 3′ or 4’x 2.3′ in a square or rectangular shape.
Luxury options like jacuzzis are popular with those who can afford the steep rise, while shower cabinets find very few takers in the market today. Jacuzzis made of acrylic and reinforced with fiberglass is available in designs. Saunas are popular because they help the excess fat in the body to melt away.
Bathroom accessories are color-coordinated with the rest of the like the soap trays, bathroom shelves, towel rails, toilet paper holders, hooks and toothbrush holders.Walk-in wardrobes adjacent to the bathroom is also a common feature. A lot of stress is also laid on the exhaust and fresh air fans.
The color schemes popular today are contrasts between a basic earthy shade like a fawn, beige or black, with a bolder color like a deep maroon or forest green. If bathroom space permits, jacuzzis, and bathtubs find their way in.
Vastu is very prevalent here, and bathrooms are carefully planned accordingly- from where the WC is placed to the wall on which the mirror is hung. According to Vastu, the bigger and better planned the bathroom, the more prosperous you will be.
Current lifestyles often demand that bathrooms offer extra facilities beyond the purely functional. Besides the now mandatory closet storage, make-up table-cum-dresser, washing machine or even a little nook used as a dressing space, you could find a bed or a dance floor in your private retreat next- depending, of course, on the space available.