How to Make Your Bathroom a Sanctuary

Sanctuary Bathroom

Is your bathroom a place where you indulge your senses, relax, unwind and breathe in the pleasant aroma of flowers and oils? If not then you are missing out on the divine pleasure that comes with having a beautiful bathroom sanctuary.

Here are a few easy tips that will have your bathroom looking, feeling and smelling like an expensive spa in no time. Here are a few easy tips that will have your bathroom looking, feeling and smelling like an expensive spa in no time.

Clean Up

The first step on the way to bathroom heaven is to clean it. That’s right people. If it’s not clean, no amount of paint and accessories will help. Grab a bottle of bleach and scrub that grout, pull that clump of hair out of the plug hole and hold your breath while you scour the toilet bowl until it sparkles. Cleaning the bathroom may absolutely be the worst job in the world but it will be worth it in the end. You’ll see. 

Paint

A new coat of paint is an easy way to give your bathroom a make-over. If you are going for a relaxing spa vibe then choose a warm earthy tone or a muted turquoise, depending on the existing tile colour. Sheens are good for the bathroom as they can take the steam and make sure you have thoroughly cleaned the walls before starting. Never paint over mould.

Flowers

Nothing says luxury like a beautiful bouquet of fresh flowers in the bathroom. Roses, Lavender, Orchids or anything with a scent will add an instant touch of class to your bathroom. Pictures of flowers on the wall will make the room seem more spa-like and inspire joy and happiness in people. Stick-on wall decal can also make an impression. Go for images of Lotus Flowers, Blossoms or Orchids they have all become universal symbols of peace and tranquillity.

Candles

Pillar candles cost as little as a few dollars these days and the great thing is they look fancy. You can’t tell the difference between an expensive, scented candle and a cheap one until you light it. Arrange clusters of them around the bath and along window ledges then put a few special scented ones in the mix. Who wants to smell five different scented candles at once anyway?

Bottles and Jars

Do away with the ugly containers that your body-wash and shampoo from the supermarket come packaged in and invest in some pretty glass jars, bottles and soap dispensers. They make your cheaper products look spa worthy and things like bath crystals and bombs appear good enough to eat when displayed in a glass jar. You can buy them or make them out of coffee jars and honey pots. You can even use old pasta jars and grandmas special dishes for holding cotton balls or bath crystals. 

Towels

Bigger is better when it comes to towels and fluffy, warm, big towels are even better than that. They don’t have to be the finest Egyptian cotton however a huge, fresh and fluffy towel is one of the most comforting things you will ever see when stepping out of a hot bath or shower. Choose peaches and cream colours or honey tones to add subtle hints of colour or play it safe with white. For the finishing touch - roll them up, you’ll think you have just walked into a spa.

Aromatherapy

Keep essential oils in the bathroom to either drop in the bath or to use in a pretty oil burner. Certain oils such as eucalyptus, tea tree and lavender have many useful medicinal purposes too. Lavender in the bath smells delicious and has anti-bacterial properties. Tea tree in the bath can help skin rashes, itches and infections as it has powerful anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties. Eucalyptus has excellent decongestant properties and opens the airways up, burn or put a few drops in the bath if you are having sinus trouble. Aroma sticks that are soaked in floral or citrus oils make excellent air fresheners for the toilet. They last for ages and smell better than most aerosol air fresheners.

Top 4 Tips for upgrading properties and air conditioning issues

Upgrading and renovating a property can provide some unusual problems for any type of air conditioning. This is particularly the case in older properties, where a range of structural and other issues may affect internal environmental management. If you're thinking of installing any modern air conditioning, even the most basic reverse cycle air conditioner, there are a few issues which aren't obvious and will need to be managed. Air conditioning can't work at its best in a building environment which is already compromised by deterioration. To get the best out of your air conditioning, it's necessary to do a full upgrade of the premises.

Property upgrades, issues and problems

There are a variety of potentially major problems with older buildings in relation to installing air conditioning. The most common problems for developers when upgrading are:
Poorly sealed rooms and windows. The lack of proper seals naturally affects the entire building’s climate management and reduces the efficiency of air conditioning.

• Antiquated wiring and fuse boxes. Old wiring is a fundamental safety hazard. It's definitely necessary to remove old electrical fittings when installing modern air conditioning, particularly in the "smart house" types of design, where totally different types of technology can be put at risk by these old types of wiring and electrical boards.

• Floors and ceilings. Many types of flooring, particularly floating (raised) floors, deteriorate over time and become dust traps affecting the internal environment and atmosphere. Ceiling gaps can produce dust and sometimes quite large temperature variations.

• Mould. Mould and mould spores can be prolific in the atmosphere, and are dangerous to buildings as they are to people. Moulds can produce enormous quantities of airborne spores, which can be a serious health hazard to some people, particularly asthmatics.

In terms of air conditioning, each of these issues needs to be systematically addressed.

1. Seals – Best practice is to replace all building seals on the premises. This ensures environmental integrity and will also locate any structural weak spots that may be vulnerable to moisture or other threats.
2. Wiring and fuse boxes – Most electricians will tell you to replace the old wiring and fittings "on principle", with good reason. These old fittings become unstable over time, often suffering from corrosion or buildup of dust. In either case, wiring becomes an instant fire hazard, perfectly capable of destroying the building and damaging equipment. It's simply not worth the risk.
3. Floors and ceilings – Generally speaking the most common repairs simply involve resealing and replacement of damaged areas of these surfaces. The safest approach is to ensure that there are no holes or gaps leading directly outside.
4. Mould – The one and only good thing about mould is that it shows you where the problems are. A thorough building inspection should be carried out prior to conducting any upgrade work.

Installing your air conditioning

After these works have been carried out, installation of air conditioning can now proceed. If you're thinking of installing a ducted air conditioner or the new generation of highly advanced air conditioning units, you'll soon appreciate why the meticulous attention to detail was required. These extremely efficient systems work best in a sealed environment. Your hard work will be worth it.