Bathroom Design Images
Going Green in the Bathroom Can Be As Simple as Lighting or NOT
While we might dream about the luxury of an Old World style bathroom, grandiose in the amount of space and offering comfort in the most private of rooms, truth be told, our bathroom may be much smaller than our fantasies. However, that should not stop us from renewing our tiny space with some of today's hottest eco-friendly trends in bathroom designs.
Eco-friendly can also be eco-pretty, as you discover ways to get back to nature and save money with energy efficiency throughout your home. Natural elements and lots of color can give you a complete bathroom makeover with very little expense. Let's take advantage of Mother Earth and look at ways to embrace her beauty and going green.
When we say 'going green' we mean literally, as turquoise is absolutely one of the hottest colors of the year. Turquoise is a calming hue and easily makes you feel the warmth and gentle breezes of a tropical paradise. It's easy to blend the colors of ocean seascapes with bamboo, organic cotton towels, and natural botanical skin products.
Create ambiance for a slower pace by accenting your bath countertop with tall glass canisters filled with dried lavender, rosebuds, and other dried flowers. Create warmth by using gem tone colored candles of ocean blue, lush green foliage, and sunset oranges. Enhance your setting, minimize use of your overhead lighting and illuminate your bath with an elegant, energy-saving table lamp.
Bathrooms do not need to be the stark and cold places of our childhood. Use of earthy palettes and textures such as brushed-nickel, leather, stone, and glass, can all add to create a clean and reflective quality to your bath which is both comforting and luxurious and a long distance from ultra-modern styles.
No matter what size of room you have to work with or what style of bathroom you desire, the space does provide a very functional purpose in your home. With that in mind, let's consider the necessity of lighting and things you need to consider, especially relative to the impact of your utility bill. Energy efficiency lighting is now becoming fashionable, as well as functional.
As a rule of thumb, general lighting takes care of 90% of the bathroom lighting needs; that includes ceiling lights, soffits, and wall sconces. Task lighting is needed for the remaining 10% and is required to perform the personal grooming activities. Most importantly, bathroom lighting should provide plenty of even, shadow-free lighting for shaving, grooming, and applying makeup. To ‘face the day', you need the same image in the mirror as you would see in the natural daylight.
In the past, bath designers overwhelmingly chose incandescent bathroom lights over more efficient fluorescent fixtures because they buzzed, flickered, glared, and lacked dimmer options. Responses to energy regulations have led to fluorescent fixtures with dimmable ballasts, accurate color representation, and cool white and full spectrum colors, along with higher quality materials and innovative design styles. This all translates to delivering beautifully lighted rooms while keeping your utility bills lower.
When looking to upgrade your lighting, you should take note of some contemporary and beautifully illuminated bathroom cabinets. In essence, manufacturers have combined bathroom mirrors with lights offering some really cutting edge and sophisticated designs. Again, when space is limited, an option like this is a great functional solution.
If you still cannot find fluorescent lighting to fit your needs, you can also consider efficient halogen lighting options. No matter what, natural lighting is the best and cheapest form of illumination. If you are planning a major bathroom renovation, you can always consider installation of a window or skylight to lessen your dependence on electricity.
When it comes to energy efficiency in your bathroom, you are not limited to just lighting and water conservation. Other strategies for going green in your bathroom could include replacement of the following:
- Cabinets and Vanity Tops made from wheat-board or other low volatile organic compounds (VOCs) materials. Standard cabinets can off-gas potentially harmful VOCs for up to 15 years.
- Ventilation or a vent fan to remove odors, airborne irritants, and moisture needs to be left on for at least 20 minutes after a shower. Consider a timer to ensure for that vent fan or if space and design permits, include a operable window for natural ventilation and daylight.
- Tubs and Showers – Shower surrounds should be made from recycled glass, ceramic or porcelain tile. Recycle an old tub with a professional refinishing, although they are typically more comfortable, as older tubs are wider and deeper, they will also require more water to fill.
- Flooring – Tile and natural linoleum are the best choices to hold up in a bathroom environment. Cork and bamboo flooring may be an option, just ensure it can weather the water exposure.
Going green in your bathroom might just be as simple as changing the color of your bath towels; hopefully we have given you many more ideas for energy efficiency and lighting.
 SHARPER IMAGE IONIC BREEZE AIR FRESHENER List Price: Sale Price: $20.00 See Reviews For This Product DescriptionFOR BATHROOMS AND SMALL PLACES Features
 |
 Sharper Image EC-W130 Indoor/Outdoor Wireless Speaker Sale Price: $69.99  Eligible for free shipping!Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours See Reviews For This Product DescriptionImagine listening to your favorite playlist virtually anywhere. Now you can, thanks to the portable, weather-resistant, wireless speaker system from the Sharper Image. Orchestrate the perfect ambiance inside any room – or easily entertain outdoors on your front patio or backyard. The Sharper Image EC-W130 Indoor / Outdoor Wireless Speaker is the ultimate sound solution that you’ve been searching for. The wireless speaker system transmits your favorite music up to 150 feet from the MP3 docking station. If you have no MP3 or iPod to put in the docking station no problem. There is an external audio jack that allows for you to hook up your favorite music via a CD player or FM radio. The wireless speaker is powered by 4 “D” sized batteries (Not included) or can be plugged in with the included 6V AC adaptor. There is one 4-Inch speaker with 5 watts of powerful, crystal clear sound. The choice is yours! So impress your friends with the new wireless speaker system from the Sharper Image that connects high-tech innovation with design to provide you with years of dependability and enjoyment. Included in the box: 1 EC-W130 Speaker system; 1 MP3 wireless transmitting docking station; 1 AC adaptor for speaker; 1 AC adaptor for the MP3 dock. Features
|
 50 Great Bathrooms by Architects Sale Price: $26.93 See Reviews For This Product DescriptionA companion volume to 50 Great Kitchens by Architects , 50 Great Bathrooms by Architects provides a wealth of ideas for the other, often problematic home essential, the bathroom. With the choices for bathroom design becoming increasingly overwhelming, deciding on bathroom treatments can be a daunting task. This compact volume presents more than 50 superb bathroom designs, and innumerable ideas, from the world's leading architects. Each bathroom is presented with plans, colour photos and quotes from the architects, resulting in a very personal and private glimpse into what is arguably the most important room in the house. |
 Instant Home Design List Price: Sale Price: $1.74 See Reviews For This Product DescriptionFrom wallboard to window treatments upgrading your domestic surroundings just got easier with Instant Home Design.System Requirements:Win 95 or higher Pentium processor or better 32 MB RAM 30 MB HD 2x CD-ROM Drive 640x480 256 colors Mouse sound cardOptional Requirements:Printer Internet AccessFormat: WIN 9598MENT2000XPVISTA Genre: REFERENCE / LIFESTYLE UPC: 781735804421 Manufacturer No: CS-442 Features
|
 (MR-11) Solid Wood On the Wall Bathroom Magazine Rack Plus Toilet Paper Holder, Enamel Finish, or Stain Finish 2.5" Deep. wall or surface mounts with only two screws, accommodates both single and double size rolls Sale Price: $56.27 See Reviews For This Product DescriptionGenerally kept in stock UNFINISHED, we send it to our finisher to have your color selection applied. Though we have stated a handling time of 14 days, it is typically shipped in less time than that. Hand crafted from solid whitewood. Whitewood is a very nice version of pine, free of knots and other defects. You're going to want one of these in every toilet room, especially the guest bathroom. Makes for a fascinating conversation piece. You'll find many magazine racks, but you can't find anything like these in a store or online except at our website. The magazine rack will easily accommodate 8-10 normal size magazines. TP Holder can accommodate both single and double size rolls (pictured with a double size roll installed). Choose whether you want your item finished in satin white enamel, gloss white enamel, gloss black enamel, satin black enamel, ivory satin enamel, pebble satin enamel, almond satin enamel, canyon rock fleckstone finish, or soapstone fleckstone finish. Or you can choose from one of our stain colors: Golden Oak, Early American, Special Walnut, Mahogany (pictured), or Sedona Red. Checkout does not give you a place to select variables such as size, number of shelves, and/or color, we will contact you after the sale for your color selection, so please watch for the email from us! You can choose from any of the color selections in the chart. To see the charts, just click on the "See Larger Image and Other Images" link. Features
|
 Jerdon JP7506CF Wall Mirror List Price: Sale Price: $29.99 You save: $9.96 (25%) Eligible for free shipping!Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours See Reviews For This Product Description5X Wall Mount Mirror - Chrome A sturdy yet highly mobile unit, this wall-mounted mirror from Jerdon lets you see yourself in close detail and from all angles. Perfect for makeup application and in-depth skincare sessions, the mirror swivels 360 degrees on its swing-out arm and revolves 360 degrees around its central axis. It features both regular reflection and 5X magnification and flips easily from one option to the other. Stray lashes and stubborn pores don’t stand a chance. Polished to a reflective gleam, the chrome finish on all the mirror's parts gives it a clean, professional look. It measures 8 inches in diameter and comes equipped with the necessary mounting hardware. Once secured, the mirror extends up to 13-1/2 inches away from the wall. --Emily Bedard Features
|
 100 Great Kitchens & Bathrooms by Architects List Price: Sale Price: $27.24 You save: $12.26 (31%) Eligible for free shipping!Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours See Reviews For This Product DescriptionA guide to some of the world's best designed kitchens and bathrooms |
 Sharper Image Ionic Breeze 2.0 for Bathrooms & Small Spaces See Reviews For This Product |
 JLab Audio Miniblaster Portable Speaker for iPod nano 2G (White) Sale Price: $49.95 Eligible for free shipping!Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days See Reviews For This Product DescriptionSlide your iPod nano Gen 2 (Released Sep 12, 2006) intothe incredible White JLab MiniBlaster and you've got the coolest gadget in the world! If you have the gen 1 nano, pre-Sep 12, just click the JLab Audio link above to see the original MiniBlaster! This ultra portable stereo speaker fits in your pocket, allowing you to enjoy your favorite MP3s anywhere! Grab the MiniBlaster on your way out the door and you'll enjoy crystal clear sound from your iPod nano any time and any place. Use it at the beach, camping, picnicking, hanging with friends, in your bedroom, kitchen, or bathroom, when you travel, in hotel rooms, and everywhere you go. The MiniBlaster allows you to DJ the moments of your life right out of your pocket. You can play the perfect song at the perfect time to provide a soundtrack for special moments. The MiniBlaster includes a switching power adapter and a silicone skin for your iPod nano. Be the one of the first people to have this hot new gadget and amaze your friends! Please note, the MiniBlaster G2 does not fit the original nano Gen 1, but our original MiniBlaster does. Click the "Other Products by JLab Audio" link above. Features
|
 Sharper Image Ionic Breeze® Quadra® Silent Air Purifier (SI637BLK) List Price: See Reviews For This Product DescriptionBRAND NEW! Dark Grey (IU637UK). Ships immediately w/ delivery confirmation + insurance. The unit use a power converter to transform 110V (from wall) to 220V (to appliance), which comes with your air purifier. Features
|