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Gloss

Matte or Gloss Bathtub?

In the case of a bathroom renovation, whether you’re replacing a bathtub or adding a new one, you will need to determine what type of bathtub will best suit your new bathroom. Bathtubs are a large and significant inclusion. Accordingly, an important question to ask is: should the new bathtub finish be matte or glossy? In this article, we examine this question and the major associated considerations. It’s not all about looks – there are implications for functionality as well. Armrock Constructions specialises in bathroom renovations on the Gold Coast QLD – if you’re considering a bathroom renovation, please contact our team. We are here to assist:

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Bathtub – Basic Functionality

Bathtubs are designed to retain water, and for people to be able to hop in and out of them. Fair enough? Whether your tub has a matte or gloss finish, you will be able to use and enjoy your tub. However, there are some subtle differences between these two finishes. These include:

a. (Primarily) the look of your bathtub
b. (Secondly) functional aspects of your bathtub

Both of these aspects are important, whether you opt for a gloss or matte bathtub. Not sure whether you’re going to include a bathtub or not? Check out this article: Should a bathroom have a bathtub.

The Different Between Matte & Gloss

Amrock Bathroom Renovation with Matte Bathtub

Matte and gloss are different finishes. Matte is a less-reflective finish, whereas gloss finishes are shiny and reflective. Here’s a quick review of the main differences:

MatteGloss
Minimal ReflectionHighly Reflective
Diffuse impressionShiny
TactileSmooth
Can have more GripCan be Slippery
OrganicVintage / Classical
Matte Vs Glossy Differences

One isn’t better than the other. Matte and gloss are two different finishes which can be successfully applied to a wide range of bathroom styles. This gives a great scope of possibilities for your Gold Coast renovation project. You can learn more about using matte and gloss in interior design in this article.

Design: Matte Vs Gloss / Design Objectives

Gloss bathtub with diffuse / non-gloss background

Matte and Gloss can both be applied to a wide range of different bathroom styles. The applications are very versatile – you might use either approach towards a range of different stylistic resolutions; for example, a high-end bathroom renovation design could feature either a matte or a gloss bathtub. This is also true with other types of bathroom styles; e.g. classical, natural, industrial, vintage, or minimalist. The difference is the way the bathtub exists and relates to other bathroom elements. Some of the key ways this can work include:

Design: Lightness and Spaciousness

Gloss Bathtubs Reflect More Light

Glossy bathtubs are more reflective, so by virtue of their size, can enhance the light in the room. This can amplifying the sense of spaciousness in the room. Increasing light in this way can help to optimise the use of both natural light and situational lighting. This effect isn’t always desirable, but it’s worth pointing out if you’re looking to achieve that type of outcome.

Design: Reflection & Softness

Highly Reflective is a Harder Look

Matte finishes tend to create a softer effect, while the opposite is true with a gloss finish. This is mainly due to the level of reflectiveness in the finishes. Depending on the look you’re going for, the extent of reflection in the bathroom needs to be taken into account. A ‘natural’ look might enjoy the softness and integration created by a matte tub, whereas an opulent style might go the other way. There are also numerous subtle combinations that can be used to create mid-range effects as well. There are multiple approaches! It’s important to keep in mind that a matte bathtub may well be the solution that gives your bathroom a winning edge.

Design: Immersion with Matte Bathtubs

Matte Bathtub with Soft Timber Tones: Immersive

Matte finishes definitely create a more immersive effect – especially when paired with or contrasted with other elements such as the bathroom bench tops. Whereas highly reflective bathrooms move the eye around the room, softer and more diffuse finishes allow the eye to sink into the room. For a space that is a refuge and sanctuary, like a bathroom, this may be a good outcome. However, the bathroom also needs to be viewed in the context of the broader home design; also, the opposite of this immersive quality is the goal of some bathroom styles. In many cases, the middle ground is where the best results may lie.

Historical Design Context

Matte and Gloss are looks that have evolved through a long history of design movements. They have both been ‘on-trend’ at different periods in time. Gloss traditions pre-date matte traditions.. most likely because early in the piece, everything (except for polished stone, glass, etc) was non-glossy – so making things ‘shiny’ equated to a desirable, luxurious look that wasn’t regularly available.

This tradition goes back to the Baroque Period (17th & 18th Century) and the Rococo Style (18th Century), where it was expressed by highly polished, gilded and reflective surfaces. This style has flowed through various design movements to contemporary modern design. Meanwhile, matte styles go back to the late 19th Century, when the Arts & Crafts Movement in Britain began to celebrate the beauty in natural materials. This tradition has also evolved through different design eras (such as industrial design and contemporary minimalism) to bring us to the modern era.

That’s the great thing about modern bathroom design options – we have the best of both worlds, in our ability to access a long history of design evolution, in conjunction with increasingly superior materials, to create the bathrooms of our dreams! Yes!

A Relatively Safe Diversion

Matte / Gloss Decisions Can Be Very Low-Impact

A quick note – in bathroom design, ‘less is more’ is often the path to success. Unlike many of the stylistic choices that can be made in bathroom design, the matte / gloss bathtub choice is a relatively safe decision. If you’re opting for a white bathtub (which is the most common convention) it will still be white whether you use a matte or gloss style – in many cases, the distinctions are highly subtle.

Functionality: Scratch Resistance

Gloss finishes may be more resistance to scratches than matte finishes in general, although this may depend on the specific product. Materials have evolved, and continue to evolve. Matte finishes are purpose-made, and should be capable of handling the normal wear and tear that a bathtub might experience.

Functionality: Keeping it Clean

Armrock Gold Coast Reno with Matte Bathtub

In terms of keeping your bathtub looking nice and clean, there are issues like fingerprints, smudges, dirt and grime to take into account, and the question of which finish is easier to maintain. Both matte and gloss finishes have different pros and cons in this area, and again, this may depend on specific products. Because matte surfaces are non-reflective, they don’t tend to show minor marks as obviously as a reflective gloss finish. Meanwhile, matte surfaces may retain stains easier than gloss surfaces (if they’re not attended to quickly, or if the incorrect cleaning products are used). This is generally because gloss surfaces are harder.

How will your bathtub integrate with your bathroom?

Functionality: Safety

While both matte and gloss finishes go towards the creation of a functional bathtub, matte finishes may (depending on the product) offer a somewhat safer solution due to the texture of the surface being less slippery. However, since bathtubs have been made with gloss finishes for centuries, it’s interesting to note that the advent of switching to textured materials for bathtubs hasn’t arisen as an essential requirement. Getting in and out of bathtubs can be tricky, especially for more elderly people, so inclusions such as safety hand rails may be a more relevant solution, at the discretion of the homeowner.

Functionality: Scratch Resistance

Other Elements Such as Basins Can Also Be Matte / Gloss

Gloss finishes may be more resistance to scratches than matte finishes in general, although this may depend on the specific product. Materials have evolved, and continue to evolve. Matte finishes are purpose-made so they should be capable of handling the normal wear and tear that a bathtub might experience in normal usage.

Conclusion: The Way Forward

Matte and gloss are two different approaches to bathtubs that have stylistic and functional implications. Assuming normal usage, the stylistic aspects are the most important. The bathtub is a significant visual element and makes a large contribution to the look and feel of the bathroom. Understanding the type of bathroom you wish to create, and then including the necessary elements, is something of an art form. We can help. Our team are experienced bathroom renovators and can work with you to design and implement exactly what you’re looking for. Simply contact us for a free consultation and quote to get started:

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Filed Under: Renovation Design Tagged With: Bathroom Design, Bathtub, Gloss, Matte, Matte Vs Gloss Bathtub, Sink

Matte Vs Glossy Bathroom Sink

When it’s time to select a bathroom sink in your bathroom design, an important question arises: Should the sink finish be matte or glossy? Armrock Constructions specialises in bathroom renovations on the Gold Coast QLD, and we have used both matte and glossy sinks in a number of projects. In this article, we examine the benefits of both approaches, and hope to provide some insight to help with making a decision for your own bathroom design. If you’re considering a renovation on the Gold Coast, please contact our team – we provide a free consultation and quote, and look forward to assisting you.

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Understanding the role of the Bathroom Sink

Once upon a time, bathroom sinks were not as glamorous as they are today. They were a purely functional bathroom inclusion – a necessity to capture water and enable washing. While we’re still spitting our toothpaste into them, their role has evolved. They now play a vital part in the presentation of the room. This is accomplished via these two main avenues:

  1. Presence: The bathroom sink may have more or less presence by the way it is mounted in the vanity unit. A fully recessed sink has a lower presence than a sink mounted above the vanity unit.
  2. Finish: The finish of the sink is the other important factor. The colour and texture of the sink, as the centrepiece of the vanity, which is the centrepiece of the whole bathroom, are extremely important from an aesthetic point of view.

From a functional perspective, both matte and gloss sinks perform in a similar way. There are minor differences, but they’ll both make your toothpaste disappear. However, in terms of aesthetics the outcomes are different. In this article, we examine the difference between matte and gloss sinks, and how they can be optimally applied to achieve specific design goals for your bathroom.

The Different Between Matte & Gloss Sinks

Matte and gloss are different finishes. They convey a different look and have different textures. Here is the breakdown:

Matte: Less reflective, more texture, diffuse impression
Gloss: More reflective, smoother, shiny impression

The key difference in comparing these finishes relates to their interaction with light. Because the different finishes absorb (matte) and reflect (gloss) light to different degrees, they can be judiciously added to a bathroom to create different relationships, references and continuities in a bathroom renovation design.

Here are a couple of pics from recent Armrock Gold Coast bathroom renovations to demonstrate the difference of matte and gloss sinks in action:

Gloss Bathroom Sinks – Armrock Constructions
Matte Bathroom Sink – Armrock Constructions

As you can see, depending on the amount of light in the room, they both have a degree of reflection; however, the matte finish creates a more diffuse & less shiny result. You can learn more about using matte and gloss in interior design in this article

Why Does it Matter?

I could tell you that everything matters in a bathroom renovation, but hopefully you already know that! Here’s a thought. In a bathroom, the centrepiece of the room is the bathroom vanity – it’s the key expression of the bathroom. And what sits on top of that, like a trophy on a table?

Especially in a bench-mounted format (as opposed to an inset basin), the sink becomes a signature aspect of the signature part of the bathroom design. Accordingly, it is certainly worth getting the right type of sink in place to achieve an optimal result.

How Colour Fits in

Matte and Gloss finishes can be applied to create different effects from the same colour. These finishes are colour-independent. For example, you could have a white basin with a matte finish, or a white basin with a gloss finish. Either way, it would still be white – but the finish would create a slightly different expression of the colour. There is virtually no limitation to bathroom sink colours, although mainstream design trends usually see them being available in common colours such as white, black, grey, and beige.

Matte White Sink with Timber Laminate Benchtop

Simplifying Colour

The unlimited options in interior design are liberating, but a degree of restraint is usually part of the recipe for success. The more colours you introduce to a design, the more challenging it can be to reconcile the design. Here’s where a major advantage of matte and gloss finishes becomes apparent. They provide a non-colour method of approaching diversity in bathroom design – creating subtle relationships and references that don’t take you away from your design goals. For example, if you would like to introduce a degree of contrast with your bathroom sink, it can be accomplished with a different finish, rather than a different colour.

The Natural Connection

Underpinning many modern bathroom designs is the goal to make a natural connection. In natural water environments, there is usually a combination of matte and gloss, and often relationships interchange as well. Think of river rocks, and the way they might dry out to a matte finish, only to sparkle to life when water is introduced. In these environments, everything is neither shiny nor dull – there is an interplay, and combining matte and gloss textures in a bathroom design is an extension of this naturalistic tendency.

Following are some examples of gloss an matte sinks in action in different combinations for different outcomes:

Working with Timber

Timber is a popular, enduring material for bathroom vanity design, both in benchtops and cabinetry. The relevance being that the sink appears closest to these aspects, particularly the benchtop, making that relationship very important. In the following image, which is from an Armrock renovation on the Gold Coast, you can see the gloss white sinks create a high degree of contrast with the warm, tactile timber tones.

Double Gloss Sinks with Timber-Look Laminate Vanity

In the next example, the matte sink is very similar to the vanity unit – is shares a textural and tonal relationship. Both of these outcomes are fantastic, but they feel very different. The first example is bolder, brighter, more forthright and engaging; the second example is more natural, subtle, less overtly visually engaging and somewhat understated. There is no right or wrong – it just depends on what type of bathroom is best for your home and family.

Single Matte Sink with Timber-Look Laminate Vanity

Working with Stone

In a similar way to timber, the relationships between matte and gloss bathroom sinks and their stone (or stone-look) benchtops is defined by contrasts in texture, tone, and reflection. In the following Gold Coast penthouse renovation, we have paired glossy white sinks with a black stone-look laminate benchtop with a highly reflective finish. The dual reflective finishes and high-contrast colours create a striking, sophisticated and strong impression.

Gold Coast Penthouse Renovation

Meanwhile, (and, appreciating that these are two different bathroom renovations and not directly comparable) in the following image we paired a pastel, matte raised sink with a stone-look benchtop for a completely different effect. Irrespective of colours and styles, using a matte finish in the basin generally creates a reduced, softer impression that their glossy counterparts.

Pastel Matte Bathroom Sink with Stone-Look Benchtop

We hope some of the ideas in this article have been useful for you as you approach planning your bathroom renovation, and coming to terms with matte and gloss options for your bathroom sink. If you’re on the Gold Coast, please don’t hesitate to contact our team. We look forward to helping with your bathroom renovation.

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Filed Under: Renovation Design Tagged With: Basin, Bathroom Design, Gloss, Matte, Matte Vs Gloss Bathroom Sink, Sink

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Reiner Ebenhoch

Armrock Constructions did our powder room first. We were so impressed with their work that we contracted Armrock to do a minor reno to our master bathroom and a major renovation of our guest bath room, which also included the complete rebuilt and conversion of one room into a steam room. Again, Armrock did an excellent job! What sets Roland and his team apart is their customer focus, their uncompromising attitude to quality, integrity and customer satisfaction. We can recommend Roland and his team unconditionally and have so already to many of our friends!

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Roland delivered an exceptional product. Our Bathroom upgrade was completed on time and to budget. As with most renovations there were a number of unforeseen issues and Rolands ability to offer practical, cost effective solutions was exceptional. A very professional, clean and tidy builder and we have no hesitation in recommending his services.

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Graham Robertson

Roland renovated both the Ensuite & main bathroom, removing the walls around separate toilets which increased the overall spaces. The team of guys who did the demolition & construction were really easy to deal with & the finish is excellent. It was no problem for us to request minor changes along the way. We’re really pleased with the outcome & would thoroughly recommend.

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The moment I contacted the owner Roland I was at ease with proceeding with this company. Not only does he come across as a genuine person, he is punctual and sticks to his word. He had everything organised and the renovation of my en-suite went exactly as planned and the quote was spot on. The tradesman he organised for the job are all extremely punctual and extremely qualified at their specific trades. I can’t give this company a stronger recommendation and will be sure to use Roland and his team for any future renovations. A+ Service in an industry that you will seldom find it in.

Al Dobie

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