Want to keep your bathroom fresh as a daisy? Then get the ventilation right. And don't forget safety basics.

Ventilation
Having plenty of fresh air and sunshine goes a long way to making a gorgeous bathroom. It sounds unglamorous, but ventilation is incredibly important. Condensation causes mildew and black mould. It can also rot window frames or damage walls. The answer can be a simple exhaust fan. And if you're stuck with a bathroom without a window, the law requires you to install an exhaust fan. Heat and moisture sucked into roof cavities will cause problems, including mouldy ceilings. So, if you're installing a ceiling exhaust fan, you'll also need a roof ventilator. Consider a light/heater/fan combination for greater efficiency.

To work out the size of exhaust fan your bathroom requires, multiply the length, depth and height of the bathroom to get its volume in cubic metres. Then multiply by a minimum of 10 to a maximum of 20 air changes an hour. This will give you an air flow range in cubic metres. We recommend an exhaust fan that gives a minimum of 245 cubic metres per hour airflow for a bathroom 1.5m x 2m x 2.4m. The greater the airflow, the less condensation on your walls and mirror.

Storage
A bathroom can never have enough storage. You'll want to hide the cleaning products but show off the preening products. Well-planned storage declutters your bathroom and helps promote a more tranquil feeling

The storage you choose will depend on what you intend to store. Will your vanity store cleaning supplies, cosmetics and hair dryer? Most vanities combine a drawer with cabinet space. Wire racks mounted inside cabinet doors hold extra items. More functional vanities have a pull out rubbish bin, shelves, towel racks, and tilt-out drawers. Glide-out shelving units keep items in place and are neater than drawers. If neatness outweighs budgetary restraints, create individual nooks for your grooming paraphernalia.

A mirrored bathroom cabinet, either recessed into the wall or mounted directly onto it, provides ideal storage for pills and potions. Choose models with adjustable shelves.

Decorative sisal and wicker baskets also add colour and texture to the room. Use open shelves to store rolled coloured towels.

Safety
Bathrooms are potential accident areas for serious falls, electrocution, scalding and drowning. You need to protect your family as well as everyone who visits your home.

Use non-slip flooring and grab rails around bath, shower and toilet. (These rails can also double as towel rails.) Place light switches in easy reach. Power points should be a minimum distance of 500mm away from the nearest water source. Install a safety switch to shut off power in case of an electrocution. Store hair dryers and shavers after use.

Set your bathroom hot tap water to a maximum temperature of 50C. At 50C, hot water takes five minutes to cause a major burn. In most Aussie homes, the hot water is set to 65C, which will severely scald a child in less than half a second.

Spa tubs and baths should have a wide ledge for easy access, especially if you're bathing young children. Tubs shouldn't be installed flush to the floor, to avoid falls. Where possible, don't use steps in the bathroom. There are enough obstacles to overcome during those nocturnal visits!