If there was just one thing that you could add to a bathroom which may have just had the essential sanitary ware replaced, we consider that the bathroom cabinet with a mirror would be essential.

The mirrored bathroom cabinet enables you to store all the essential items that are needed every day, such as shaving items, make up, and toiletries. A bathroom should be free from general clutter and the bathroom cabinet is the ideal place to ensure it is tidy. But, it can do more, such as having a mirror on the front for personal grooming. It also can have the function of being illuminated which means that you can see to shave or adjust make up and it also has the dual function of providing subtle lighting for the bathroom.

HIB has one of the largest and most exciting ranges of bathroom cabinets and the lighting that they offer many forms of lighting, down lighters, back lit and LED, the range is all embracing. The HIB Austin LED Illuminated Cabinet is just one from the range of 171 cabinets and mirrors that we display at our web pages. The Austin has modern back lit LED lighting which ensures low electricity consumption, whilst at the same time being very bright. The cabinet features soft closed doors and has good storage capacity being 630mm high, 500mm wide and a good 165 deep. Another advantage that we are offering on the HIB cabinet is free delivery, this on the top of our discounted price, which is 25% less than the recommended retail figure.

En suites provide a private area to wash and groom away from the main bathroom and are great for busy families and lifestyles. In this article we’ll show you some of our favourite products for creating the perfect modern en suite, that won’t break the bank.

Shower Enclosure

Simpsons Design View Inward Opening Quadrant Shower
The Simpsons Design View Shower Enclosure is sleek and stylish, and built to last. It’s clean lines and durable 8mm toughened glass make it ideal for an en suite, and it also features a reversible door making installation and positioning easy.

Measuring 1400mm x 900mm and 1950mm high, the Simpsons Design View Shower Enclosure makes a perfect focal point for any modern en suite. It also features a lifetime guarantee for peace of mind and is finished with a silver frame.

Shower

Crosswater Solo Fixed Shower Head 200mm

To finish off your shower design, you can’t go far wrong with the Crosswater Solo Fixed Shower Head.

Elegance by Crosswater: a mix of traditional design and contemporary styling making the most of your new bathroom. Wall or ceiling mounted, this elegant shower head provides the best showering experience thanks to its integrated air-fusion system.

This quality shower head is engineered and manufactured to exacting standards, and comes complete with a 15 year manufacturer guarantee.

Basin

Ideal Standard Concept Cube 40cm Handrinse Basin
The Ideal Standard Concept Cube Basin is perfect for any en suite and can be fitted with an optional full or semi-pedestal and has a choice of 1 or 2 tap holes. Available in gloss white, this basin was designed by award winning designer Robin Levien and comes with a lifetime guarantee.

Offering outstanding value for money, the Ideal Standard Concept Cube Basin is perfect for small bathrooms and en suites alike.

Basin Tap

Phoenix CA Series Basin Mixer Tap

Another great statement piece, the Phoenix CA Series Basin Mixer Tap is the pinnacle of style and design. Ideal for both high and low pressure systems, this mixer taps unique design and waterfall effect adds to the visual appeal of your en suite.

This tap is also eco-friendly and comes equipped with an Enviro-Click cartridge, which can save you up to 50% of your water. It is also backed by a 10 year manufacturer’s guarantee for peace of mind.

Toilet

Ideal Standard Concept Cube Close Coupled WC Suite

To match in with the basin design, we have chosen the Ideal Standard Concept Cube toilet. Its compact design makes it a great addition to any en suite and comes complete with everything needed to install it straight away.

Designed by the legendary Robin Levien, this stylish toilet has a soft close seat and push button flush to save you water. This toilet features a lifetime guarantee on the pottery so you can be sure of many years of service.

Bathroom Cabinet

Noble Primo Aluminium Illuminated Mirror Cabinet

The Noble Primo Aluminium Illuminated Mirror Cabinet is lightweight and easy to install. It features a low voltage overhead light for better visibility and an inner shaving socket. It’s compact, yet stylish design is great for small bathrooms and en suites, and is perfectly suited for other Noble Furniture products such as wall units, vanity’s and freestanding units.

We went back to the Woodbridge build last night, the story began six years ago when Lucie Fairweather and Nat McBride set out to build an affordable eco home for their family. However before the project got off the ground the couple discovered that Nat had cancer and within a few months had passed away.

However not discouraged by the loss of her husband, Lucie decided to carry on with the project with the support of family and friends and build the dream home the couple had envisioned. There were huge demands on widow Lucie who was now a single working mum who not only had to support her family but also work on the new home.

They set out to disprove misconceptions of eco houses at the time, with a modern and contemporary build which also has to fit into the tight planning restrictions of the area. The home had to be multipurpose for the family to live and work in, making the most out of the small site. The home was designed to be quite open planned and light as well as being functional for their two children.

For many people delays and problems come from building issues, not the death of your spouse, however with Lucie choosing to carry on shows, the determination which she had throughout the build process. There were some changes from the original design, to fit the new reduced budget, however Lucie did still manage to salvage a lot of the eco designs and keep costs down.

When revisiting this modern and eco build, we find that Lucie still loves the overall look of the home. The home shows how functional it is with the rooms changing use over the years to fit the families changing needs. However the heart of the home is still used the same.

The modern and light bathroom, featured a simple and seamless design with white tilling, interlaced with coloured lines from the walls and down the side of the bath and across the floor. Villeroy and Bock stock a fantastic range of brightly coloured tile which you can use to re-create a similar look, with colours of your choice.

Simple toilet, bath and sink in white. If you like the tilled bath idea, fit a Roca Contesa ECO Steel bath 1700 x 700mm bath with cladding around which you can tile. We also stock, beautiful and simple Grohe taps which offer the same great style found in this bathroom. For more ideas, seen in the show and others, please check out our Grand Designs page.

 For more Grand Designs Inspiration, check out our Pinterest Featured on: Grand Designs board.

When designing their dream bathroom many people forget about the lighting, but for us it is one of the most important decisions. The correct lighting can have a dramatic effect on a bathroom, turning it from a surgical and almost operation room like feel into an ambient, relaxing and colourful environment that you can enjoy time after time.

Here are some of our favourite lighting options for the bathroom:

Roper Rhodes Porto Illuminated LED Front Bath Panel

This illuminated front bath panel from Roper Rhodes takes LED technology to a new level. Featuring 5 cool glow LED lights flush mounted into a high quality panel, these are perfect for creating a relaxing environment perfect for a night time soak. Available in gloss white and walnut finishes, the Roper Rhodes Illuminated bath panel is ideal for those looking to create their own bespoke bathroom.

As well as the front panel, there is also an option to have back and side panels along with matching corner posts making these products suitable for flush to wall or freestanding baths depending on your design.

Ideal Standard Moments Rectangular Designer Bath

For those who want to add a modern touch to their bathroom, the Ideal Standard Moments Designer Bath creates a great statement. Available in a range of configurations including front and back illuminated panels, and side storage units this bath looks great and is practical too.

The Ideal Standard Moments Designer Bath can be mounted flush to the wall or positioned in the centre of the room to create a freestanding fixture.

Unique Lighting Motion Sensor LED Light

If your one of those people who get up in the night or have children that do then these handy motion sensor lights are a great way to not disturb people by turning the main lights on. These thin profile LED lights are easy to install and can be positioned just about anywhere.

The Unique Lighting Motion Sensor LED Light is activated when it senses movement and automatically turns itself off to save battery life. The waterproof design means that these lights are perfect for the bathroom and can even be used outdoors if required. Each light takes 4 AA batteries which can provide power to the device for up to a year before needing replacing.

The Unique Lighting Motion Sensor LED Light is available as a single unit or in a pack of three.

Grohe Nova LED Dual Flush Button

German company Grohe has long been associated with cutting edge technology and fantastic design and have done it again with the Grohe Nova LED Dual Flush Button. This contemporary piece features a dual flush module combined with a coloured LED ring perfect for illuminating your bathroom in the dark.

Choose the colour of the LED ring to match your bathroom or your mood, or pick a constantly changing spectrum it’s up to you. There is also a handy timer so that you can program the device when to come on and switch off to save energy.

Geberit Sigma 80 Touchless Dual Flush Plate

Like something from a Sci-Fi movie, the Geberit Sigma 80 Touchless Dual Flush Plate is a marvel of technology and design. No longer just a feature reserved for high-end hotels and restaurants, this space age device can now feature in your own ultra-modern bathroom.

Using just the wave of a hand you can control whether you want a big flush or a small flush, and because you are not directly touching the device it ensures a hygienic and clean environment. This module is fully customisable with five different colours to choose from and you can also adjust the sensitivity to prevent accidental flushing.

This product requires mains power and the Geberit Sigma 80 Transformer to operate.

In a leafy suburb of London, young couple Ben and Rachel Hammond and their two children come across an ugly, inefficient and uninspiring red brick property whilst looking for the perfect plot of land. However instead of tearing it down, they decide to completely re-design it.

Retrofitting and re building the home instead of starting a fresh, which is a much harder job, than building a new home on the land. The couple look to change the whole concept of the home whilst keeping part of its structure, well three and a half walls. They are adding a double extension which wraps around the body of the home.

The inside of the home will be open plan with crisp and modern fixtures and fittings. Including modern technologies, creating an eco-friendly property. They are hoping to move into their new home in 8 months whilst they are renting. However projects never run smoothly or finish on time, will this weeks be any different.

The simplicity of the design follows into many of the rooms including the bathroom. With wonderful views out across the park behind the house, the bathroom, is a sleek and modern room. Featuring a soft moulded Royce Morgan Onyx Freestanding Bath and simple taps. The bathroom has a very fresh and light feel. These wonderful free standing baths are available on our website and are perfect if you’re looking at adding a touch of luxury to your bathroom. More items as seen in the show can be found on our Grand Designs page, and others from previous episodes.

For more Grand Designs Inspiration, check out our Pinterest Featured on: Grand Designs board.

Tamayo Hussey, moved to the UK with her husband Nigel, however since she moved here she has missed Japan very much. The changes and culture shock inspired the couple to build a Japanese inspired home to ward off her home sickness. In the Wye Valley they bought a house which came on a nice plot of land. The house wasn’t very good, so they say goodbye to that to build their dream house by altering it completely.

Houses in Japan are built from light materials, and only last around 20 years, however this is due to the risk of earthquakes, so it is safer and easier. Hoping to improve the current house, by making blend into the surroundings better than brick, with Japanese larch wood. Inside, room plans will be open plan and free flowing featuring a number of Japanese influences with tatami room and sliding paper walls and roof bath.

Like many home builders, the couple are doing as much of the project themselves to save money as well as not having an architect on site or anyone to project manage the build. They estimate the project will take 9 months, but that never works. So can the couple beat all the hurdles they come across?

Like much of the house, the bathroom features sleek and simple fixtures and fittings which flowed throughout the whole space. It included a simple counter top wash bowl sat atop a wooden unit with a simple mixer tap. For the simplicity, the Bauhaus Countertop Washbowl fits the bill along with the wonderfully designed Adamez Eclipse i Double Ended inset Bath. All these wonderful pieces can be found on our Grand Designs Page, if you are looking for inspiration.

For more Grand Designs Inspiration, check out our Pinterest Featured on: Grand Designs board.

If you would like to move away from the standard square edged bathroom cabinet to something which has softer lines, you will find a wide choice at the bathroom cabinets’ pages on our web site. We can offer a huge range of cabinets, with or without lighting and built in shaver sockets, to circular styles and recessed models, one, two and three door cabinets standard or corner fittings. There is a model to suit your needs.

One example is the Gelson Loire soft close single door mirror cabinet which features an elegantly arched mirrored door and gorgeous brushed metal and frosted glass overhanging light fitment, the Loire will be the star feature in any bathroom. The soft close door, shaver socket and fixed shelf deliver the definitive storage option, and it looks good too!

The modern bathroom cabinet of today is light years away from its p predecessors in every sense of the word. The lighting in modern bathroom cabinets is low energy often LED which is green on energy consumption but giving outstanding illumination. The Gelson Danube is a larger version of the popular Seine cabinet and comprises three mirrored doors, three down-lighters and one shaver socket combine with adjustable shelves to create the ultimate in bathroom storage!

The generous cabinet is 100mm wide 800mm high and has a depth of 170mm although the canopy which houses the LED lighting extends a further 270mm. Not only will your bathroom be enhanced by the addition of this classy bathroom cabinet, but you will be able to store all those essentials neatly behind those mirrored doors.

As many busy people know keeping a bathroom or shower area tidy can be a challenge, more so if the room is small and putting large storage unit on the wall or using freestanding can be difficult or even impossible. The answer can lie with the Showerlux Stowaway unit which is a cleverly designed corner unit.

With a size of 175(w) X 125(d) X 700(h) mm’s in white finish with two shelves sideways sliding doors, designed to help your bathing area free of clutter. The unit is ideal for use for soaps, gels and shampoos, is economical on wall space and makes a perfect companion for an over bath shower. This is only one of the many units which are available to help with keeping your bath or shower rooms tidy.

Lighting in a bathroom is almost as important as some of the fittings and accessories which most of us seem to favour. Changing your bathroom lighting can make a huge difference to the overall look of your bathroom, by simply changing the light fixtures your bathroom can appear modern and new.

Mirrors and lights work for bathrooms, just having a mirrored light in your bathroom is a superb way of transforming your bathroom for low cost. The mirrors will not only open up your bathroom but the lighting on the mirror can change the appearance of your bathroom and mirror lights are an excellent way to light the room. The Gelson Danube three door mirror cabinet not only gives you lighting from three down-lighters, there is a shaver socket and the shelving is adjustable for the ultimate in bathroom storage facilities and lighting finished in cool white.