People have been bathing since people have gotten dirty, and one of the challenges is-how do you get dry? Grab a towel, make sure it's dry, put it to work, then hang it up-right? Sure, but like anything, drying off can be elevated to an art form. The proper bath towel bars can make the process simple and elegant.
One of the most critical decisions is placement. Where do you place the towel bar? On an empty space on the wall, right? Not so fast. It's not useful if you need to hang your towel across the room. Stepping out onto the wet tile, chilled and vulnerable, well, you don't want to do that every day. Make sure your this bar is installed within reaching distance of your tub or shower. If you're lucky, you might find one installed inside your tub surround.
Wood Shelving Brackets
Space might be limited right outside your bathtub or shower, so maybe you want to consider alternatives to the traditional straight bath towel bars. A logical option would be to install a wall hook-a single hook or multiple hooks--just beyond the shower curtain or outside the shower door. A single or multiple over-the-door hooks make use of wasted space on the other side of the bathroom door. Another option is a freestanding towel rack, which takes up space on the floor, not on the wall. A narrow slice of wall space can accommodate a swing-out version with one or more towel rods.
If you have the space and decide to go with traditional towel bars, you have many options available to you. These bars are available in different lengths, different styles and different finishes. You can double your hanging space by installing dual bath towel bars-two rods installed on a single set of brackets. You can find bath towel bars that multitask--do you need a shelf for the toiletries that can clutter your countertop? You can find single or multi-tier shelf with a bath towel bar below.
And a practical new solution is out there that hides the soggy terrycloth from view: a dual shower curtain rod and towel bar. That's right, hang your towel inside the shower on a rod connected to the shower curtain rod.
Maybe you need a place to hang a hand towel. Do you have a tiny space next to your bathroom sink? You might have just enough room to hang a towel ring in that essential place. Or you might choose a small towel bar that hangs over the door on the base cabinet; it lets you hang a hand towel inside the base cabinet under your sink. This keeps the hand towel out of sight and but stored just where you need it.
We've introduced some basics here. But these bars do not have to be bare bones. They are available in different materials-wood, chrome, ceramic, brass, stainless steel, frosted glass, wrought iron, and with mixed metal finishes. They can be decorative and coordinate with the designer faucets and opulent light fixtures. Or you can indulge in the ultimate in luxury in bath towel bars-a heated rod. After you get used to that bit of indulgence, it's hard to go back.
It's easy to take these bars for granted until you don't have one in the right place or it doesn't give you the space you need. Good bathroom design makes placing bath towel bars logical instead of challenging. After you've got the right space cleared for this essential, you have a world of options available to choose from.