The benefit of planning a bathroom from scratch is that you have ultimate control over all aspects of the design, allowing you to create the space you've always craved. So make each decision count. Here are several ideas to consider.

Increasing Privacy

Frosted screens around shower areas increase privacy while maintaining light flow—you can similarly enhance the toilet area. Set the toilet in a room corner or against the wall and provide a touch of seclusion with fixed frosted partitions. These panels can be on one or two sides, with a half screen in front, creating a separate enclosure. Select between various translucency levels for the glazing to create the desired privacy. You could add decorative detail to the frosting in the form of patterns and filigrees. 

Seamless Basins 

Under counter basins, which are popular in kitchen areas, create a seamless minimalist look by eliminating the joins where the bowl meets the countertop. There's no need to let the kitchen monopolise this smooth trend—you can channel it in the bathroom also. Alternatively, install an inset basin within the counter, which eliminates transition lines in another way. 

Calming Materials

To create a soothing, calming space, incorporate organic and natural surfaces rather than clinical and cold ones. Stone counters and tiles are available in a wide range of greys, creams, pinks and fawns, with their veining and textures adding visual interest and contrast. Choose organic rounded shapes for basins and baths to further generate a sense of rest and contemplation, and harmonise these shapes with warming timber cabinetry in blonds and tans.

Design With Tiles 

Rather than covering all surfaces with neutrals, however, you could incorporate a hint of colour with blue or teal tiles, for instance, enlivened with green plants. To make a statement, vary the tile size and design across different areas. To add a sense of dimension, cover a wall with irregular tiles that reflect light in various directions. Alternatively, in a room filled with cream coloured wall tiles, make a statement with a contrasting area of soft, dusky pink tiles behind a light grey vanity.

Walk-In Showers

If you don't like a closed-in feeling when showering, one option to consider during bathroom renovations is a walk-in model with fixed glass screens defining the enclosure. Just make sure, however, that the floor angles towards the drain in the correct manner so that water doesn't flow through the bathroom into unwanted areas.