If you're thinking of remodeling your bathroom, consider adding elements of comfort and elegance. Transform your bathroom into your own personal sanctuary. While many home interiors are becoming more simple, bathrooms are getting the royal treatment. Elegance, softness, and sophistication are the keywords for bathroom decor..

In general, bathrooms are getting larger. In many renovations, homeowners are tearing down walls, eliminating small bedrooms, and creating giant bathrooms. combined with dressing areas and walk in robes. Add to that, oversized bathtubs, and double showers, telephones and televisions, a bathroom is becoming the retreat.

Cabinets Custom cabinetry is designed to provide maximum storage, eye-appeal, and convenience. Tall cabinets on either side of the sink area, offers eye-level storage for bathroom necessities. Electric plugs installed inside the cabinets help hide ugly appliance cords. Extra-deep drawers offer out-of-site storage for tall bottles. Even a small bathroom will look larger with mirrored walls or cabinet doors. To add floor space to a narrow room, consider having cabinets cut shallower, and recess the sink area. A bathroom will look more interesting without a long, straight line of cabinets. If your space has room, consider having the countertop installed at two heights. The lowered area can serve as a dressing table. You might even have a whole wall of cabinets built in to store towels, and bathroom necessities.

Tiles While many bathrooms have laminate or solid surface countertops, tiles of all shapes and styles are the choice of the day. For any variety of looks and durability, choose glass, ceramic, stone, or metal tiles. Even in ceramic tiles, there are many painted or embossed styles to choose from. These are especially useful to create a border around an area, or to frame a mirror or cabinet. You can also scatter hand-painted or embossed tiles at intervals on a wall to create texture and color.  
A word of warning if you're decorating on a budget:, decorative tiles are sold by the piece. Before you go shopping, measure the space you're going to tile so that you know how many tiles you'll need. If you're doing a shower enclosure or countertop, the number adds up. And then multiply the number of tiles by the price per piece, and the number gets big quickly. Remember to add in edging pieces, corners, and borders. An extra dollar per tile could mean a lot of dollars extra for the whole room!  Additional labour is required to lay porcelain, marble, granite and unsheeted mosaics, and therefore extra costs incurred.

Basin/Vanity For extra floor space, you might select two elegant pedestal basins in either traditional or contemporary designs. If using pedestal sinks, you must provide extra storage space.  For busy bathrooms, you’ll definitely need two sinks. You can place them next to each other on a long countertop set on top of a beautiful customised cabinet. Each person will be able to use their sink without rubbing elbows. Another look in bathroom basins shows a large bowl mounted on the top of a bathroom counter. or installing the sink in front of a window to take advantage of the natural light. Install a drop-in basin into a marble or solid-surface countertop is a classic look.  To theme your bathroom, you can choose traditional knobs of glass, brass, pewter, or crystal.

Lighting is very important in your bathroom. Both artificial light and natural light should be considered when redesigning your bathroom. There should be plenty of light directed at work areas. Soft lighting is great above a soaking bath & can be achieved with the connection of a  wall dimmer. Be sure to confirm your plans for lighting with an electrician or lighting designer before the ceiling and walls are closed up after remodeling. You'll want to have the wiring all installed behind the walls so no cords or wires show.

Mirrors come in  various styles including polished edge, framed or beveled edge. Mirror shaving cabinets are best for hiding storage ideas, besides giving the room a bigger feel.

Taps Depending on the style of your bathroom,  decorative taps are available in brass, chrome, pewter, or satin chrome. There are many types of taps available, please consider their make, place of manufacture and warranties when you make your choice.  Taps come in sets or mixers. Tap sets include 2 handles whereas Mixers have one handle. Mixer taps are more streamlined and light on the hand.  Should you be considering putting mixers in your bathroom, expect higher installation & component costs.

Accessories  selected especially for a bathroom can help to take away the cold, hard look often found in bathrooms. You might want to select elegant window coverings, artwork, or flowers to add warmth to your space. In place of a simple towel rail, consider a heated towel rack that will have your towels nice and warm. Towel ladders can also be used to fill up a large wall and allow many towels to be hung at once.

Shower screens are available as either a  framed screen (being the most cost effective) to a more elegant perimeter framed, or toughened frameless screen. Shower screens can be ordered in clear, opaque or coloured glass. Installation can only occur after the bathroom has been completely tiled.