Professional bathroom designers are masterful at merging both function and form to create breathtaking results. In this eight-part series which I call “Understanding Bathroom Design,” I draw on my experience working with some of London’s top bathroom designers to explain this exciting field. This sixth article focuses on the vessel-style washbasin – a true designer delight!

The vessel-style washbasin has been around for many centuries. It originated not in London but in Ancient China, before the existence of piped water or water treatment facilities, when people simply needed a vessel in which to hold water that had been drawn from the local well. But in the context of bathroom design, today’s vessel-style basin is free-standing and sits directly atop a bathroom counter or similar furniture unit. The London interior designer can source all sorts of different styles, dimensions and appearances, to match almost any bathroom design imaginable. One can select from a wide array of standard materials, including metal, glass, and semiprecious stone, or – for super-luxury bathroom designs – one may turn to gemstone-embedded or jewelled models.

What are the advantages of a vessel-style washbasin over a more traditional model? These basins aren’t constrained to slide into a regular-sized hole within a standard counter. Accordingly, London’s top bathroom designers can benefit from much more creative designs and shapes, with non-symmetric detailing and unusual footprints adding visual interest. Many vessel-style basins are taller in the back than in the front – a big boost for a smaller London bathroom design that needs a “touch of flair” but that has no space for a rear splashback.

Clients often tell me they have fallen in love with a standalone basin but just can’t figure out where it should go, perhaps because it doesn’t quite fit in their existing bathroom design. In such cases I may recommend the basin be installed in a London powder room, where it will serve mainly for handwashing – instead of shaving, brushing one’s teeth and giving the household chihuahua a bath.

In the next article in my series “Understanding Bathroom Design,” I’ll return to eco-friendly bathroom designs in London and discuss how to clean and maintain your bathroom in a way that helps protect the environment.

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Interior Design London – Global Interior Design Consultancy Company in London, UK for interior design services.

• Collect all the materials (boxes, tape, paper) you’ll
need to pack.

• Don’t put packing off until the last minute.

• Stay organized!

Here’s a list of the materials you’ll need to pack efficiently:

• Paper for wrapping your items:

Many people collect old newspapers and use them. Just remember that the news ink never dries and will come off on your belongings. If you want to avoid the need to wash everything when you arrive, you can purchase packing paper from your mover.

• Boxes:

You can collect boxes from your local supermarket and other businesses. Select strong boxes in good condition and make sure they have covers. Divided boxes like liquor boxes are great for glasses and stemware.

Your mover can also provide you with boxes especially made for moving. However, these boxes are expensive and you may want to purchase only those which are usually necessary like wardrobes for hanging clothes, mattress cartons, and cartons for large pictures, mirrors and table lamps.

• Sealing Tape – Use plastic tape that’s 1½-2” wide

• Magic Marker – to mark boxes for contents and special instructions like “fragile”, “this side up”, etc.

Now that you have all your materials, you’re ready to start packing! Start as far ahead of time as you can. Waiting until the last minute will create a nightmare you don’t want to experience! If you begin early you can pack a few boxes a day and have everything completed without stressing yourself unnecessarily.

It’s really important that you keep your packing organized; it will save a lot of confusion later. It’s best to pack a room at a time so that you can keep everything thing together that belongs together.

Start in areas containing articles that aren’t used frequently such as your attic, basement, garage, etc. You can leave an extra box to hold items that can’t be packed early.

Packing Up the Kitchen

The hardest room to pack is probably the kitchen so let’s discuss that in detail.

Remember when you’re packing fragile items to pad the bottom of the box with several sheets of paper. Place the heaviest items on the bottom of the box and the more delicate things on top.

When you pack flatware like plates, saucers, etc., wrap each item separately and then combine in groups of three. Rewrap that group in more paper and seal with the plastic tape. Each group will then be better protected. Stand them on end in the box.

You can nest glasses and cups 3 or 4 together and separate with small sheets of paper. It’s best to pack them in divided containers if you have them. If the box isn’t full to the top, stuff with additional paper. If you don’t have divided containers, you can place them in other boxes where you have empty space; just be sure to fit them in toward the top of the box so they aren’t crushed.

Don’t nest Goblets and stemware, wrap them individually.

Try to keep small kitchen appliances like the toaster, crock pot, etc., all together rather than mixing them with other items. Wrap them individually with 2 or 3 sheets of paper and wad up paper to fill any empty space. However, if you have a lot of extra room you can add some pots and pans.

You can nest pots, pans and large bowls in groups of 3 with a couple sheets of paper between each of them.

When you pack boxed foods such as cereal and rice, be sure to seal the tops with plastic tape. (Remember to do this for salt and pepper shakers also!) If your things are going be stored for very long, you may want to discard these items to avoid rodents or insects.

You can pack filled canisters as long as they are individually wrapped and the tops are sealed with plastic tape.

Finally, here are some miscellaneous tips to remember:

• Don’t pack anything that’s flammable, combustive or explosive. This includes items like aerosol spray cans, gasoline, and paint thinners.

• Empty all drawers.

• Pack heavy items like books and canned goods in smaller boxes.

• Pack bulky and lightweight items like toys, blankets, and pillows in large boxes.

• You don’t need to wrap toys, books and shoes individually.

• Stand books and records on end.

It isn’t as hard as it sounds, but it you don’t want to deal with packing, your moving company will be happy to pack for you ~ of course, that service comes with a very hefty price tag!

Happy Moving!