Trips to five-star luxury hotels, whether overseas or within much of Australia, are unfortunately out of the question right now for many of us. So, there’s really no better time than now to make your bathroom your own five-star oasis away from the chaos of the world, so that a luxurious bathroom experience can be at your fingertips. Here, we explore some bathroom renovation ideas for a luxury bathroom that will make your bathroom a heavenly haven.

Walk-in showers

A sleek showering experience that’s difficult to forget, a walk-in shower is essentially a shower room and, unlike traditional shower enclosures, has no doors but sometimes a large glass panel.

It’s the ultimate in understated and harmonious elegance for modern, stylish bathrooms, and creates a cohesive façade that unifies the space without distractions. A walk-in shower works well in bathrooms of all sizes – a huge bathroom isn’t a pre-requisite, and they can actually make a bathroom feel larger.

Walk-in showers are also very accessible for people of all ages and levels of mobility, and not having to worry about the door or entrance width is an advantage for those in wheelchairs.

Fewer nooks and crannies to scrub also make walk-in showers easier to clean than a traditional shower enclosure – that means no mould-attracting shower doors and curtains.

An unfortunate drawback is that water splashes are less contained but a rainfall showerhead that jets water straight down is one solution. Slip-resistant flooring that slopes slightly towards a central drain will also provide maximum safety.

Another possible disadvantage is chilly airflow – a draft of freezing air may greet you as soon as you turn off the hot water. A small wall or barrier, however, can block unwanted airstreams.

Heated towel rails

Who doesn’t love a toasty warm, dry towel when they hop out of the shower or bath in the coldest months? Damp, musty-smelling towels in winter are a hassle of the past with the practical yet luxurious addition of electric heated towel rails, racks and ladders in the bathroom. It’s a hygienic addition to the space – damp-loving bacteria won’t form on the towels.

In addition to warming up the towels, a heated towel rail also warms the bathroom and reduces condensation. They can even incorporate a timer, so that the towel rail turns on just when you need it.

First, choose the style that suits your space – ladder, freestanding or individually heated rails. A ladder rail is the most common type of heated towel rail, has two vertical rails with several horizontal rails creating the ladder and comes in a variety of widths and heights to fit any bathroom. Wall-mounted units are ideal for bathrooms with limited floor space and can take the place of conventional towel rails. Freestanding are the traditional type of heated towel rail systems, providing great flexibility in placement and use. Installation is easy and the unit typically plugs into a standard household outlet to operate.

Next, choose your finish – 304-grade stainless steel, chrome brushed satin, matte black, nickel, brass or copper, in round or square bars and supplied with plug-in or hard-wired options. The most common choices are stainless steel or chrome-plated brass.

Electric heated towel rails are energy efficient and an easy-to-install alternative compared to towel rails connected to a gas central heating or hydronic heating system. These days, electric heated towel rails are independent operating systems and connected to thermostats and switches to only heat up when you need it.

When selecting the size of towel rail, you’ll also need to consider the size of the bathroom, number of people using the bathroom and how many towels you need to keep dry.

High-tech toilets

High-end toilet suites are no longer something only seen overseas, or in the most expensive hotels – Australian homeowners are now requesting them, too. Many of these luxury toilet suites don’t require touch to flush, which makes them super hygienic – very important at a time when we need to be super vigilant about germs. And imagine a toilet that also cleans itself – now we like that idea! Many lids are also automatic – you don’t have to bend down to lift or close them – another hygienic benefit.

Toilet seats can even incorporate heating mechanisms (so, no more cold ceramic seats in the middle of winter) or bidet functions, where the user can program the temperature of the water for cleaning.

If you’re up in the middle of the night, a toilet suite with an adjustable light setting is well worth the investment to ensure visibility, especially for children or the elderly.

Toilets with remote controls may sound like something out of The Jetsons, but they’re now a reality – just set the remote on the wall to customise your settings to your preference.

Some toilet suites even have built-in deodorisers to eliminate odour – who would have thought?

This innovative toilet technology doesn’t come cheap, but given that a toilet is a bathroom feature that all of us use multiple times a day, it’s well worth the cost.

Underfloor heating

Under-tile heating is one of the most efficient and cost-effective ways of heating a bathroom – and who wouldn’t appreciate it on a chilly winter’s morning, when you’re just out of bed and tiptoeing across freezing bathroom tiles? Installed on top of the slab, the system radiates heat to all solid objects in the room and warms the air by convection.

Hydronic heating systems dispense energy efficiently and consistently by circulating heated water through a network of pipes, which can be installed in the slab, in a topping above the slab or under a timber floor on battens.

Thermostats can even be programmed to turn on just before you wake up, making winter mornings much more bearable.

Double sinks

If you share your bathroom, a double sink is a must-have. It’s an essential bathroom item for families or couples who lead busy lives and need to access the bathroom at the same time. It makes getting ready in the morning or getting ready for bed at night so much easier – and minimises waiting time, frustration and dancing around each other to clean teeth or wash faces! Once you have a double sink, you’ll wonder how you ever lived without it.

Looking to incorporate the latest must-haves into your luxury bathroom? Contact Mint Kitchen Group to start the design process. We are bathroom renovation specialists with over 30 years’ experience in the industry. If you want some more bathroom renovation ideas for your luxury bathroom, we have plenty of sleek, modern bathrooms in our gallery, so be sure to take a look.