give us some real drama

I am a Block fan but really, the master bathroom reveals this week were bland, boring, blah. The materials, with the exception of Dan & Carleen, were bland at best, but it was the layouts that I thought really lacked any imagination, especially in such huge rooms.  

I am not even sharing the reveal pics here, I would much rather share the fabulous space below.  So I started playing "what if it were me" & decided to share (scroll down for more).
Top of my agenda: create some visual drama & hide the toilet.
The contestants were all guilty of placing the bathroom items all around the edges.  A classic mistake that you most often see in living rooms where all the furniture is pressed up against the wall. 

With so much space I was surprised nobody changed the shape of the room.  I thought it was screaming for a dividing wall to hide the shower and loo behind, creating a backdrop for the bath. How gorgeous does this design look above.

Don't mistake size for luxury
I thought all of the contestant's could have considered making the bathrooms a little bit smaller and giving some space back to the walk in robe.  Ben & Andy did exactly that and the size of their bathroom was fine even if the finishes were bland.  I am not convinced that a cavernous bathroom is that desirable, I would much rather have an extra room or walk in robe space.
Plus a large bathroom is super expensive to build, so much more space to tile, far more underfloor heating required which is costly to install and to run.

Now I don't have exact room measurements, and I know the contestants battle against time constraints, but this is what I would have done.

Option 1: center entrance, bath against feature wall, hidden shower & toilet
  • The entrance did not have to stay tucked against the side of the room.  Centering the door would have been a super easy way to create a gorgeous view walking into the bathroom.
  • Build a center feature wall: a wall for the bath to stand against, and create privacy screens for the shower and toilet.
  • The wall doesn't have to go all the way to the ceiling, just high enough to screen the shower & loo.  Placing the shower on the window side would ensure it is plenty light enough.  
  • The toilet is neatly screened, so not a luxe item to look at.
  • The bath against the wall creates a fabulous feature, this is the type of drama I like.  A fab place for a really luxe tile or gorgeous mirror.
  • His & hers basins to left and right of centered door.  

Option 2: separate toilet & storage at entrance, super long vanity, bath with shower behind
This one does depend on the room being wide enough, but I think it could have worked in the spaces they had.
  • Toilet in separate cubicle at entrance
  • Built in linen or storage cupboard opposite toilet door
  • Position bath as focal point through entrance
  • Glass screen behind bath separates bath from shower
  • Super long vanity against right hand wall

Option 3: separate toilet & storage at entrance, super long vanity, shower at end
A variation on option 2, leave out the bath altogether and create a super generous shower, maybe even a steam room.  Create space for a makeup or dressing table, a real luxury.

I know it is really easy to be an armchair critic but these bathrooms were a disappointment and I wouldn't pay premium prices for any of them.  Lets hope they are full of good ideas next week.  Less drama drama, more interior drama.


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