Homeowners decide to stay put and spend their money on updating their bathroom

(29/12/2009)

We all know that staying in is the new going out - a long soak in a hot bath is seen as the ideal way to enjoy an indulgent night in whilst pampering yourself without the price tag.

So it's not surprising to learn that sales of bathrooms themselves have increased, as homeowners decide to stay put and spend their money on updating their bathroom retreats. In many ways it's the easiest room in the house to renovate – as well as the ultimate result of a fabulous new bathroom designed to your individual tastes and needs, new bathrooms cost less to install overall than new kitchens and they help sell homes more quickly.

Two main fashions in bathroom design seem to be driving the bathroom sales at the moment. One is the 'state-of-the-art' modern minimalistic look featuring high gloss cabinets, white and tiles, lots of chrome fittings and sleek shower enclosures; where everything is stripped down to basics, yet very on trend. But in the backlash against the emotional repercussions of the economic downturn, opulence is back in vogue in a big way. Expect to see modern retakes on old fashioned luxury, like deep, curvaceous claw foot baths, bathroom sinks with brass and gold fittings, all teamed with bold warm colours, floral patterned textiles and statement pendant lighting.

"We've seen our sales rise this year, and are currently expanding our markets and customer services to ensure we can respond to homeowners' requirements," reports Graeme Borchard of UK Bathrooms, an online retailer of everything to do with bathrooms. "Plus we are reviewing the ways we can make the whole buying process easier and smoother for our customers. Recently we added the option of using PayPal to our website, and due to the rising number of sales we have seen coming from Europe, we now offer live currency conversions and delivery services to countries in Europe. In the past few months alone, our sales to European based customers have gone up almost 6%, which is amazing considering the world-wide recession."

Related categories:  Bathroom Suites   Residential applications