Innholdsfortegnelse for The Ultimate Guide to Bathrooms i The Ultimate Guide to Bathrooms

WHEN Anna-Marie and Rob moved into their period farmhouse, they knew the bathroom had to be the first room on their makeover checklist. ‘It was definitely in need of more than a simple update,’ recalls Anna-Marie. ‘It was inconveniently situated at the back of the house at the end of a long corridor, and we weren’t utilising the overall space as well as we could. We both agreed that we wouldn’t be happy long-term if we made do with a compromise, so it was important to get any changes right first time.’ As the bathroom was smaller than the adjacent spare bedroom, the couple decided to switch the rooms to give them the space they needed for a statement bath and separate shower. Anna-Marie designed a new layout, aiming to…

Once upon a time, bathrooms were a functional necessity in most homes. Now, they’re just as much a design focus as the rest of the house, but with so many style options on offer, it’s difficult to know where to start when planning an update. Whether you’re modernising your existing bathroom or creating a new one, there are plenty of things you need to consider. WHERE DO I START? First, be clear on what your aim is. Are you updating an old bathroom or extending to make space for a new one? Are you creating extra space by knocking through walls, or using a small bedroom to create a master suite? This will help you set a budget for your project as well as hammer out extra considerations, such as…

WORK WITH WHAT YOU HAVE Don’t move basins, baths or toilets if you don’t have to as changing the pipework can be expensive, and if the sanitaryware is in good condition and you like the colour, just update with stylish new taps. GO FOR AFFORDABLE LOOKALIKES Marble adds a touch of class to a bathroom, but if you like the look and can’t afford to cover the whole room, seek out a quality marbleeffect design in porcelain or ceramic. Leftover tiles can be used to create a hearth in bathrooms with fireplaces. USE THE INTERNET TO FIND THE BEST PRICES Look online for bargain and clearance items. Scour antique shops and pre-loved sites for unusual pieces, such as mirrors and shelving, that can bring a unique twist to the room…

Above all, your family bathroom – so called because it is used by all the family, unlike a private en suite – needs to be practical. Yawnsville. Sorry, but there’s no escaping it. There must be storage, especially if dozens of plastic toys are still a part of the bathtime routine. And yes, we’re afraid all surfaces must be easy to clean and devoid of nasty little germ-trapping crevices. However, this does not, repeat not, mean it has to be personality free and lacking in street style. Family bathrooms, whether or not you are sprogged-up, should uplift the spirit in the morning (or at least sustain you until the first caffeine fix) and help you relax and unwind at the end of the day. According to the design experts, the…

Adding an en suite will cut congestion in the main family bathroom, not to mention fights over the toothpaste and towels. There’s justifiable bragging rights attached to falling out of bed and into the shower each morning. A new en suite can also reap financial rewards long term by increasing the value of your home and boosting its buyer appeal; both essential facts that can be used to counteract any Scrooge-like complaints about the outlay involved. Start by earmarking an area that can be sacrificed, preferably without selling all your shoes. Commonly en suites snatch space from the master bedroom, where a corner or large alcove won’t be missed. You may also be able to appropriate a portion of the upstairs landing – move the bedroom doorway if it helps.…

With a cream suite, gold taps and beige border tiles, Caroline’s bathroom was on-trend when she bought her new-build house in 1999, but fast forward a decade and a half and the compact room was looking dated. After meeting husband John, Caroline felt it was time to give the space a fresh new look. ‘We really wanted to make the house feel like ours by choosing new things together,’ she says. ‘I was also keen to have a bigger bathroom with a more practical layout. We only had a hand-held shower over the bath and there was a distinct lack of storage, so I wanted enough room to have a separate shower and a large sink unit with worktop space on either side and practical storage drawers below.’ Adding space…

Having a shower cubicle tucked away in the corner of the second bedroom may have been useful for the previous owners of Sarah and Stephen’s house, but for them it was a waste of valuable space. When they came to redesign the bathroom next door, it made perfect sense to knock through and incorporate the cubicle space into the new-look room. ‘We knew that once we tackled the bathroom we’d want to do it properly,’ explains Sarah. ‘We didn’t just want to replace the suite, we wanted to create the perfect layout for us.’ The couple moved into their semi-detached house in 2004, when the bright yellow walls in the space were right on trend. ‘We’d come from a house with an original 1940s bathroom so this seemed like a…

‘Choosing high-end tiles took us over our initial budget, but I have no regrets – this isn’t just a bathroom, it’s my luxurious sanctuary’ WHEN Janet and Christopher first moved into their new-build house in East Sussex in 2002, they loved its spacious feel and freshly decorated interior. However, after 14 years, the couple decided that it was time to update the bathrooms, which were showing signs of wear and tear. ‘I’d always wanted my own dressing room so it was the perfect opportunity to rethink the layout of the first floor,’ Janet explains. ‘We sketched out plans to turn the existing en suite into a dressing area, accessed from our master bedroom, and decided to sacrifice one of the guest bedrooms to create a much larger en suite.’ Team…

on trend…

ONE Floordrobes are not limited to bedrooms. But in a bathroom, the floordrobe contents are often wet. Even though the hotter-than-hell towel rail and/or laundry basket are two feet away… TWO Toothpaste drool. If you’re lucky, it will only reside on the inside of the basin. If not, it’ll snail-trail over the perimeter and down the sides, possibly onto the floor, inevitably meeting the freshly laundered bath mat. THREE Steam. There isn’t an extractor fan in existence that can compete with a teenager in the shower. Enjoy the effects of a steam generator shower, for free! Which is all fine until the paint starts peeling. FOUR Toys breed at night. You start with a small net of toys and maybe the odd waterproof book. Before long, bigger, uglier plastic will…

They say good things come in small packages, and that’s certainly true of the redesign of Kay’s en suite. Adding just 60cm to the bathroom by incorporating a recess from a neighbouring bedroom has made a world of difference to the finished space. ‘It meant I could have the layout I’ve always dreamed of,’ explains Kay. She moved into the three-storey townhouse when it was built back in 2001. With a brand-new kitchen and bathrooms, all the house needed was a lick of paint. But fast-forward 15 years and the en suite was looking decidedly dated. The room had an awkward layout with a shower cubicle in one corner, the space for which had been created by putting a partition wall at the end of the bath. ‘It felt enclosed…

ONE The school run will involve far less shouting as you’ll no longer have to fight the kids for space to do your make-up while they are, finally, brushing their teeth. TWO It doesn’t matter if you’re not on top of the cleaning – unexpected guests are unlikely to venture into your private domain. THREE You might actually get to go to the toilet in peace (although don’t count on it). A lock on the door could prove your smartest investment. FOUR Exactly where the shampoo/soap/loo roll is – i.e where you left it. Disclaimer: This is dependent on whether you have a partner, and if he/she is sufficiently house-trained. FIVE Your hand towels will stay cleaner for longer as they’re not being misappropriated for washing stray dogs, football boots…

Having to share a bathroom with Danielle for six weeks was definitely the worst thing about this room being renovated,’ laughs Andrew, with tongue placed firmly in cheek. The couple are fortunate enough to have separate bathrooms in their modern, seven-bedroom home, so when Andrew decided it was time to overhaul his space, disruption was kept to a minimum. ‘We’d lived here for ten years and had gradually redecorated most of the house before I finally decided it was time to do something about my bathroom,’ he explains. ‘It lacked flow, had hideous tiles and was starting to look very dated, so I decided it was time to design somewhere I actually want to spend time relaxing.’ Andrew’s plan was to create a luxury, spa-like feel with a tonal grey…

Creating the perfect master suite was the final piece of the puzzle for Melanie and Andrew’s renovation project. The couple bought their three-bedroom, Grade II-listed Georgian property in Hitchin in July 2014 and spent three months making it habitable before moving in to complete the rest of the house over the next two years, including revamping the dated family bathroom that hadn’t been touched for decades. ‘The property used to have a pet shop on the ground floor and home above, so there was a lot of work to do,’ explains Melanie. ‘First, we tackled the main living areas downstairs while we stayed in rented accommodation nearby to ensure we could live comfortably while the remainder of the renovation took place, before moving back in in the October.’ After modernising…

AFTER deciding to downsize to a smaller property, a pretty terraced house in her preferred area of Dublin, Ireland, appealed to Judith as one ripe for transformation. ‘It wasn’t perfect, but with a bit of work I could see it being turned into a home to suit me and my family when they visit,’ she says. Having been used to living in a five-bedroom house with lots of large rooms, the terraced house felt quite dark and cramped in comparison, so Judith was keen to increase the sense of space and light in two key areas: the kitchen and bathroom. ‘I’d already decided to extend the kitchen, and it made sense to improve the bathroom at the same time,’ she explains. Designing the space Architect David Leyden, of Leyden Hassett…

Peter Grech knew exactly where to start when renovating the bathroom in the house he bought with his partner Sam. The room was a good size with space for a bath and separate shower, but the stained mahogany floors and brown and red mosaic tiles had to go. ‘I think they were going for a Mediterranean feel,’ says Peter. ‘It was too much. We wanted it to be relaxing.’ Peter reveals how they invested in antique and online finds to add glamour while still sticking to a tight budget… STEP ONE The basics ‘I think originally the room must have been a bedroom and was changed into a bathroom one or two owners ago. It is really nice still having the fireplace as a feature in the room. The bath…

The location of Otto and Charlotte’s Victorian terraced house in Twickenham was what first attracted them to it in 2013. The area has an appealing village-like feel, with its period-style cottages, boutique shops, restaurants and cafes. When they saw the house’s interior, the couple were convinced that, although small, it had the potential to be extended and updated with a new layout. ‘We’d already renovated a couple of properties so had a good idea of what could be done,’ Charlotte explains. ‘We then spent a couple of years getting a feel for the house, doing research and talking to local builders.’ It wasn’t until they met up with Steve Mills from A1 Lofts & Extensions that things really started to progress, with Steve helping them to design the whole property,…

‘I wanted to create an enjoyable, relaxing environment with practical storage solutions’ When Alex decided to update the bathroom in his first-floor flat in London, he chose to employ an interior designer to help create real wow factor in the space. He contacted a designer he had worked with in the past, who put him in touch with Charlotte Conway, who specialises in creating high-end, bespoke bathroom retreats. Based in the Midlands but working throughout the UK, she had an impressive portfolio of luxury projects. ‘I met Alex just as he started looking for a new bathroom scheme; my friend put us in touch as she knew this was my specialty,’ explains Charlotte. ‘At our initial design consultation, I measured out the exisiting bathroom and found the layout to be…