How To Plan The Perfect Bathroom – A Step By Step Guide
Reduce overwhelm, relieve stress and make bathroom design the exciting experience it should be.
After a long and anticipated wait, you finally have a set date. You’ve appointed your contractor. And you’re full of hope, excitement, and longing for that beautiful bathroom you’ve always dreamed of.
But those heady days come to an abrupt end when it's time to make concrete decisions on the fixtures and fittings.
Planning a bathroom can be a daunting task. Especially if you feel you haven’t got that natural design eye. A google search will present you with thousands of products that all look the same but at varying price points. This only adds to the confusion and leaves you struggling to find the right approach.
Finding inspiration is one thing – organising your thoughts and connecting your ideas is a completely different process. Defining your style early on in the process will assist you in your quest. And considering how you will use your bathroom will help with the functional element. Some think that to achieve function in a family bathroom, you have to compromise on style but this simply isn’t true.
Step One - Form Versus Function
The functional element is vital in a bathroom. They’re small spaces and you’ll want to utilise every inch to its full potential.
There are lots of clever ways to maximise your space. And a bathroom expert is a big advantage over trying to source everything yourself.
But, the bathroom is no longer just a place of function. More and more of us are beginning to seek sanctuary in our bathrooms. A place to retreat to for relaxation. In a family home, it may be the only room with a lock – it’s the one place you can go to for peace and quiet. Your bathroom gives you a reprieve from the household chaos so you can immerse yourself in that much-needed “me time”
There are many layers to a bathroom so each product you choose will be largely dictated by the next. And making each decision in line with each other helps avoid a disjointed room.
This guide is to help you sift through the noise and plan a family bathroom you will be proud to show off.
Step Two - Start With Your Layout To Achieve A Functional Bathroom Space
Some bathrooms don’t allow much room for change, but even the smallest of changes can make a big difference. It’s worth considering any potential changes at the outset of your project. This will ensure you will get the most out of your new bathroom and create the most impact.
Your soil stack (the pipework that carries your waste water) is expensive to move so keeping this as well as your toilet in its existing position will help to control costs.
It’s helpful to sketch your room as it will help to visualise your space. Detail your existing layout as well as the position of windows and doors. Seeing this on paper will help you play around with layouts and find any potential for change.
Step Three - Keep A Luxury Walk-in Shower High On Your Priority List
If you have the space, and for the ultimate showering experience, opt for a walk-in enclosure. Pair a sleek fixed screen with a slim shower tray or tiled shower deck. Indulge in a little hotel luxury in your own private oasis. And the best part - this combination is one of the most cost-effective solutions too.
Others prefer the cosiness of an enclosure.
Gone are the days of those thick-framed, wobbly shower doors, impossible to clean with glass that never shines. Shower enclosures have evolved a lot over the years and they’re now a statement in themselves.
The type of enclosure you select will depend on the shape and size of your room.
Sliding and infold doors are great for rooms short on space. An infold door opens into the enclosure so you don’t have to allow for the full depth of the door when opening
If space is no issue, a hinged door gives easy access in and out of the shower and is simple to operate
Quadrant showers give you enough floor space back to make a difference. A good solution for tricky spaces
Enclosures come with chrome hardware as standard. If you’d rather, you can opt for a special finish if you choose to go this way with the rest of your brassware. The special finish on your brassware can be matched to your enclosure for an added touch of glamour.
The foundation of every great showering experience though starts with the shower tray. Most are available in a 25mm or 40mm height.
From a style, perspective and for added sleekness, opt for 25mm. Once you have tiled your floor, the two blend together almost seamlessly. The smallest details can make an everyday occurrence feel like more of an experience.
Step Four- Don’t Dismiss The Demand For A Nice Bath
The classic British bathroom generally consists of a shower over a bath. And not everyone can forgo their bath when it's perfectly acceptable to shower over. But there are lots of ways to keep things interesting. Get this right and you are by no means having to compromise.
If you have the room, opt for an 800mm wide bath. This is the width of a standard shower tray so will give you the feeling of more space when showering over the bath. A standard bath width is 700mm.
The key thing here is to keep everything else minimal. Swap bath taps for an overflow filler that fills the bath via your shower valve. One valve can operate your overflow filler, your shower head, and your hand shower. Now you’ve got a clean, clutter-free solution, leaving the deck of the bath clear.
This works particularly well in a family bathroom too if you have small children - meaning no child gets stuck at the tap end.
For extra wow factor, tile your bath panel.
The seamless flow of tiles from floor to ceiling is an opportunity for you to get creative. Pair with a beautiful screen and you’ll be far from compromising.
Step Five - Inject Your Own Style With Your Brassware
Choosing your brassware is an exciting part of the process. Getting the right style will help highlight the look you want to achieve, and help you make quite the design statement.
Your brassware consists of the working water parts. This includes your basin and bath taps, shower valve, showerhead and hand shower. Generally, brassware companies group their products into ranges. Picking each element from a single range will ensure each piece coordinates with the next.
For your bath and basin mixers, you can opt for deck mounted, which sits on top of the basin or bath, or wall-mounted…which does exactly as its name suggests.
When considering your shower set-up, there are two options. The first option is concealed. The second is exposed.
Concealed operates via a valve which can also operate up to two other elements. Such as your hand shower or bath filler. The beauty of a concealed valve is that it can be positioned anywhere in the shower area. Turning the shower on and setting the temperature before you step in is a luxury addition. As well as looking super sleek, minimalist and designer, all at the same time.
An exposed shower column consists of the head, the controls and the pipework in one single unit. This tends to be a cost-effective option so a good way to make savings if needed. Which leaves a standard shower on a bar which perfectly does the job.
Step Six - Indulge In A Little Glamour With Metallic Finishes
Chrome is a classic brassware option and will fit into any design concept. But there is now a wide range of finishes you can opt for if you wanted to move away from traditional chrome. And each finish offers a different aesthetic depending on the style you have chosen.
Brass…the pinnacle of luxury, is a decadent and glamorous addition. Brushed brass is beautiful and pairs well with almost everything. Perfect for those who want a bit of understated glamour.
If you want to bring an industrial edge into your bathroom opt for stainless steel.
Striking matt black adds a touch of drama and is continuing to gain popularity. As a neutral colour, it pairs well with all colour palettes including other metals.
Nickel adds a touch of warmth and timeless luxury. It also looks as good in a traditional setting as it does in a modern one.
Most metallic finishes are available in a brushed or polished finish. Pair with matching metalwork on your shower screen and exude attention to detail.
Step Seven - Introduce Your Own Sense Of Style With The Centrepiece Of Your Bathroom Design…The Vanity Unit
Every element of your bathroom contributes to the final design in some way. But your vanity unit is essentially the centrepiece of your room so a chance to get creative.
From a design perspective, starting with your vanity unit is a logical place to start. It will be part of what informs the rest of your design concept. Together with tiling and brassware, this is where you introduce colour and texture, imparting your unique style into your room.
As this will be one of the pricier elements within your room, it’s a good start from a cost perspective too, making it easier to control your budget from the outset.
It can be intimidating to introduce colour into any room. But, when set amongst crisp, white sanitary ware, you can afford to be as bold as you dare. Or subtle, both are equally as powerful. Each offers its own unique look.
If colour is high on your wish list, then there is a lot on offer. Deep blues, rich greens and soft pinks and every shade of grey and on-trend black.
As an alternative to colour, wood is an option worth considering. Adding much-needed texture to a room filled with white, it's a great material to introduce.
Your basin will depend on the style of your furniture.
You’ll find that most furniture ranges come with a recommended basin style too so you won’t have to figure this out yourself. Bathroom product terminology can be confusing so most vanity units are offered with the three following basin options:
Integrated basins which are seamlessly integrated into the vanity unit
Sit on basins sit directly on top of the vanity unit
Washbowls give the greatest flexibility and sit on a worktop placed on top of the unit
Your furniture is a subtle way to keep everything out of sight. Clean, clutter-free spaces bring an instant sense of calm. In a family bathroom, you can hide away bath toys that adorn your surfaces and reclaim a chic space for yourself when it comes to your time.
And it’s worth investing in a good quality unit that oozes quality from the inside out. By investing in quality, you’re guaranteed to lust over it for years to come. It will feel as good in 5 years as the day it was installed.
Step Eight - Don’t Forget The Essentials - Sanitary Ware
We’ve already discussed baths. Basins are largely dictated by the furniture you choose which leaves the toilet. Not the most glamorous of items but an essential part.
A hidden cistern injects a sense of luxury into your room so if you can accommodate this, then it’s a good way to go. There are some sleek flush plates available that add an additional decorative feature too.
Then it comes down to the choice of wall-mounted or floor-standing. If you are working with a small room, a wall-hung WC will give you an increased sense of space. Add to this, easier cleaning and it’s an attractive offering.
Some prefer the stability of a floor-mounted option, particularly in a family bathroom.
Close-coupled WCs are the alternative if you don’t want hidden components. A classic and simple solution. Every manufacturer offers a choice of all three styles in each of their product ranges.
Step Nine - Use Tiling For A Complete Transformation
When it comes to the style of your bathroom, the place you can make a real statement is with your tiling. Your choice of tiles can completely transform your space.
A family bathroom does not have to compromise on style because the function is your priority. You can achieve a perfect family space that looks aesthetically beautiful. Tiles are a great way to add colour, pattern and texture to your space which will help bring your space to life.
You’ll find it’s best to make your decisions in conjunction with your vanity unit and brassware finishes. Together, these three elements make up the design of your room and work in synergy together.
Being so versatile, you can use a combination of tiles to highlight features in the room, such as in shower niches or by tiling your bath panel. A combination of 2-3 tiles works beautifully and adds lots of visual interest. Taking one tile from floor to ceiling creates a huge impact. Small details like this can easily take your space from ordinary to extraordinary.
Conclusion
Planning a bathroom should be an exciting experience. They are designed to last for 15 years so it's not a process you will repeat often.
You want to get it right from the start and get a space you love…not something that will simply function.
The internet can be both a blessing and a curse. It's where we immediately turn to if we want information but when we are trying to find something specific, it never seems to be quite so easy.
A bathroom specialist can be a big advantage over trying to piece the puzzle together yourself.
We have access to some of the most iconic brands in the industry and have carefully curated our displays which are a great source of inspiration for you, our customers.
We also offer a free design service where we take your ideas and bring them to life through three-dimensional CAD designs.
Book an online appointment at your nearest showroom here.
Feeling inspired? Check out our other bathroom blog posts where we go into things in a bit more detail because when it comes to the bathroom, it's all about the detail.
