Bathroom accessories: types, choice, prices (48 photos)

The final touch in the design of the bathroom is the choice of shelves, cups, towel holders and everything else that creates comfort, makes the use of the room convenient. All these “things” are called “bathroom accessories” and choosing them is not an easy task. 

Bathroom accessories: what you need

The bathroom takes on its final form and becomes comfortable in use only after all the necessary little things are installed in it. Little things are little things, but you need a lot of them. And the “little things” of good quality cost, at times, not much less than the same ceramic tiles on the walls. So the choice of accessories in the bathroom should be approached carefully. Here’s what you might need to equip your bathroom:

• Washbasin accessories:
  • soap bar for bar soap or liquid soap pump;
  • glass / holder for toothbrushes;
  • hanger for hand towels.
    

    

• Shower or bath accessories:
  • shelves for detergents (often use corner ones);
  • a bar for attaching a shower head;
  • towel holder;
  • hanging shelf on the bath;
  • inflatable pillow under the head;
  • anti-slip bath or shower mat.
• Toilet accessories;
  • toilet paper holder;
  • toilet brush.
    

    

• Wall hangers for clothes and towels.
• Shelves for storing clean towels.
• Basket for dirty linen.
• Foot mats.
• Bath mat.

The bathroom space is usually small, and a lot of bathroom accessories are required. Some of them can be mounted on the wall, others can stand on the countertop, on the sink, in a cabinet or on shelves. Another small group is placed on the floor. And all this number of “stuff” needs to find a place, and choose so that they all fit together.

Material selection

Bathroom accessories can be made of plastic, glass, metal, wood, or a combination of these materials. In terms of styles and appearance, there is now a very large selection. So big that the problem is not in order to find what you need, but in order to choose one thing. Often the material and / or price helps determine the choice.

Plastic – inexpensive, but not always elegant

The cheapest bathroom accessories are plastic. Plastic cups for brushes, soap pumps, etc. are practical. There are also plastic shelves – linear or angular, a variety of hooks. The cheapest ones are not very elegant, they quickly fail. This is a good option “for a while” – if the funds are over, and you need to use the bathroom now. Then inexpensive plastic hooks, shelves and other gizmos will come in handy.

There are more expensive plastic bathroom sets that are narrower and more interesting. Their plus is that there are very bright and cute products that can please both the shape and color. Minus – in order for the plastic to look good, it needs appropriate care. And because of the characteristics of the material, the shelves are made either generally solid with several holes or from thick slats on which soap deposits, salt, and dirt accumulate. In general, laundering plastic bathroom accessories is not the fastest and most enjoyable task.

Let me give you some advice: if you decide to buy plastic shelves “for a while”, buy those models that are on suction cups. Yes, they do not withstand significant loads, but they do not need to make holes in the walls. After all, when buying a new shelf, or a soap holder, you will have to drill new holes, since they very rarely match. What to do with extra holes? How to close them? No one has come up with a proper answer yet. Someone installs hooks in these holes – just so that it is not visible, someone tries to cover them with some decorative elements – stickers, etc.

Another tip: don’t buy plastic with a shiny nickel finish. This coating lasts for a couple of months at most, then it begins to peel off with ugly flakes, under it there is a completely unattractive plastic color. Better white, gray, black colored plastic. It will remain so, as it is colored in mass.

Glass — impractical

If we talk about glass accessories for the kitchen, these are usually glasses, cups and other containers. They certainly look more elegant than plastic ones, but they also cost much more and beat more often. If you want, you can also try glass, but few people stop at it – they beat too often on the tiled floor.

Another point: it is perhaps even more difficult to take care of glass accessories – you need to rub it thoroughly, otherwise stains and stains remain.

Metal bathroom accessories: expensive or cheap

The main “battle” begins with the purchase of metal bathroom accessories. The price range is very wide: there are very inexpensive products with a price tag of around five dollars for a wire soap dish, and there is a very similar product, but with a price ten times higher – about $50.

How to choose? In fact, everything is clear to everyone. If you buy a “thing” for $ 5, after about half a year it will begin to rust, the protective (usually chrome) coating will fall off in pieces. As a result, you will have to buy and mount a new one. And it’s good if the distance for fasteners turns out to be the same … If you buy the same thing, but branded, for $ 50 or more, nothing happens to it for years. And many have felt it. And almost everyone understands that this is exactly what will happen. But such “things” require about a dozen, with a price not lower, and often much higher than $ 50, then a considerable amount is required to purchase bathroom accessories. This is where the main problem lies. It is very difficult to give more than a solid amount for a set of cups / holders / shelves.

There is a way out: immediately buy high-quality (read – expensive) one or two things, the rest – from the budget series (plastic or cheap metal – you decide). Gradually, planned or as needed, replace cheap things with expensive ones. So spending will be stretched over time, which is more acceptable for many. But this option has a drawback: after a while, the desired collection may simply not be on sale. That is, there is a risk that you will have to buy bathroom accessories from different manufacturers, slightly different in appearance. If this possibility does not scare you, you can try it.

Wooden

It would seem that wood is not the best material for high humidity in bathrooms, but accessories are also made from it. Moreover, in contrast with the tile, such products look very, very good. The good news is that wooden bathroom shelves can be made with your own hands, even with not very much experience in carpentry. It is the “simple” style models that give an interesting effect. And in order for high humidity not to harm the wood, there are varnishes, oil-based impregnations, and paints. Moreover, paints are used infrequently – the point of wooden bathroom accessories is precisely to preserve and emphasize the natural texture and color. It is this combination with tiles (especially light colors) that is more attractive.

Everyone knows what wood varnishes look like. There are matte and semi-matte finishes, glossy and semi-gloss finishes. It is only necessary to take those compounds that are designed for direct contact with water. They are often called “yacht” varnish, but there are others.

Less well known are wood impregnations based on organic and synthetic oils. They often come with pigment. Color – the most different – from various shades of brown, white, grayish, to bright. Unlike varnish, oil-based impregnation for wood does not create a film on the surface, but penetrates to a certain depth into the wood fibers, simply clogging the pores and blocking access to water in any form. Oiled boards can lie on the street for years, in the open air, and not lose their appearance, so this type of coating is also suitable for the bathroom. The only thing that is necessary is to periodically, once a year or two, renew the coating. The old one does not need to be deleted. On clean, dry wood, another layer of oil impregnation is applied.

Bathroom rugs

Bathroom accessories include rugs and shower curtains. If not everyone needs curtains in the shower, then rugs in the bath or toilet are required. It is better to choose them with an anti-slip base: with rubberized threads woven into the base or rubber “pimples” applied to the base. Such rugs, even on smooth tiles or porcelain stoneware, will not go under your foot. The length of the pile, its color is already your choice, but the base with rubber elements is an indispensable element.

There may still be questions about the type of fiber: what material is better to use. In this case, synthetics are best, but one that absorbs water and is pleasant to the touch. One of the most popular materials is microfiber. This is a hygroscopic, soft fiber that does not lose color and shape for a long time, quickly absorbs water and also gives it away well (dries quickly). A good option is acrylic. Also a synthetic fiber with good characteristics. Microfiber just absorbs water faster.

There are also rubber mats in the bath and PVC. They are usually placed in the bath, in the shower tray – so that they do not slip in the smooth and slippery acrylic bath. This is especially true for children and the elderly, although those who are “in their prime” may slip in the bathroom.

The choice of color

Choosing what color bathroom accessories should be based on the rules for matching colors in the interior (read about the tables of matching colors and the rules for their use here). There are two possibilities. The first is to use the main color. This one, which in the design of “many”. But then the color accents should be placed in the same tile, etc. This option is good if the design of the bathroom walls is not monotonous, and there are already enough different colors in the interior.

The second possibility is to use one of the possible accent colors. They may not be in the design of walls and floors / ceilings at all. It is accessories that can set the tone, create the mood.

If your preferences often change, you like to change the environment, this is one of the best options. Choose a beautiful, but neutral tile for walls and floors, make the ceiling standard – white, and set the color with a trifle – accessories and textiles. If you use plastic bathroom accessories, it will not be very expensive.

Photo ideas, interesting collections in different styles