Redesigning your bathroom – a basic overview

Before giving your bathroom a complete makeover, consider if perhaps it simply needs a few new touches, such as a fresh coat of paint or new taps. Maybe your bathroom furniture needs to be replaced. If this is the case, ensure that you buy items of the same size and shape so they will fit correctly.

If you want to completely re-design your bathroom, there are certain things you will have to consider beforehand. First and foremost, think about whether you want one room with your shower and/or bath, toilet and sink or if you want two rooms; one with only a toilet or a toilet and sink and the other with shower and/or bath.

Depending on how many people use the bathroom, who these people are and how often they use it, what you will need in your bathroom can differ from home to home. For example, if your bathroom is quite small and you don’t often have time to relax in a bathtub, it might be unnecessary to have one.

Space is an important factor of course. Determine how much space you have and for a better idea of what furniture to get and where it can go, produce a scale version floor plan. Make the best use of space but remember that you will need enough room to move around the furniture, e.g. stepping out of the bath, opening up cabinets and doors, windows etc. If you have a small bathroom, there are certain tricks you can employ to make it appear bigger than it really is, such as using the correct lighting and mirrors. You can also use fitted furniture. Corner sinks, showers and bath can save space.

Don’t forget to include plumbing in your plan. You will want to box in pipes to make the bathroom appear tidier. You will also need lighting, ventilation and you may need heating. Space for storage is not essential but should be considered if you store medicine, children’s toys, toiletries or anything else in the bathroom. You can create storage space in cabinets or pedestals or on shelves. Also think about any accessories you may want, like a toothbrush holder, soap dish and mirrors.

Consider who will be using the bathroom and if they have any needs you should consider, for example, adaptions for the disabled or locks on the medicine cabinet for young children.

When it comes to flooring, tiling is the common choice. Tiling makes for a neat environment and allows for easy cleaning. There is a wide range of tiles that differ in size and design. Remember to tile on clean, dry plaster and not papered surfaces. You can also use splashbacks against the bath, sink and shower and this can be made from different materials, such as glass, stainless steel, laminate, granite, mirror and more.

Think about your bathroom furniture and what type of material you want. Do you want plastic? Acrylic? Cast iron? Wood?

There are many different sizes and styles of sinks. Once you know what type of sink you want, think about how you want it placed in your bathroom. Do you want to mount your sink on a pedestal unit or have it hung on the wall? Mounting the sink on a cabinet gives the bathroom a finished look while a classic pedestal style sink saves space. Your sink can be mounted on the top or underneath or it can be a flush mount sink, which is most common. A traditional style of mounting the sink is placing a bowl on a pedestal or stand.

When deciding whether or not to include a bathtub in your bathroom, remember that many people require a bathtub in their home and not having one could affect your home’s selling value.

If you have a small bathroom but want both a shower and a bath, you can put your shower in your bathtub by installing a showerhead above your bathtub and having a shower curtain or door. A shower bath can be located in the corner or in other positions in your bathroom and can have various designs and shapes.

Separate showers come in various shapes, such as the common rectangle or square, oval and more. The shower door can swing out or pivot or it can be a sliding door, which is a good option if you need extra space to move around the bathroom, especially if there is often more than one person in the bathroom at a time.

Quadrant enclosures are corner shower enclosures with a quarter circular curved front. These save space and fits into smaller gaps while maximising shower space.

You can turn your entire bathroom into a giant shower if you like. Wet rooms are showering areas that open into the rest of the bathroom and create a spacious environment in any space. You can create some division between the shower and the rest of the bathroom. For example, you can secure a glass division on the floor. Wet rooms require more complex plumbing and a sloped floor with a drain to route water.

Your shower can be a walk-in enclosure which will appear larger and look modern and elegant. This is also helpful for the disabled. There are various types of walk-in showers, such as the tiled cubicle which usually has three walls with a curtained opening or door making up the fourth wall and a double spa-shower, with a separate shower head and water temperature controls for two people.

For those bathrooms that have lots of space to play around with, you can include seating in your shower area and install additional shower heads with different functions. Don’t forget about shelves or storage areas for your soap, shampoo and other products that you usually use in your shower. You can even add built-in radio or TV made for the bathroom.

Think about the material you want for your shower, such as stone, tile, marble or glass. A glass shower allows you to look out of your shower, reflects light and is easy to clean.

Bathtubs are wonderful to include in your bathroom as they are a great place to relax, especially during cold winters. Corner bathtubs are very common, especially in small bathrooms. They are usually rectangular in shape, but you can have different shapes as well, such as a triangular.

Also suitable for small bathrooms is a recessed or alcove bathtub, where only the front needs to be finished. These are space efficient and affordable. Recessed tubs can be molded from steel but these are noisy and likely to chip. A better but more expensive and heavier material is cast iron.

For bigger bathrooms, drop-in bathtubs are attractive additions. These are “dropped” into place, either into a platform, between walls or into the floor. They can be floor mounted sunken tubs, although these can be a bit difficult to get out of. They can be deck mounted bathtubs, which have the faucets mounted on the deck and have a deeper water level. Or they can be pedestal mounted tubs. Drop-in bathtubs can be square, rectangular or oval, among other shapes. They are easy to clean.

A freestanding bathtub stands alone and on four legs. They are more expensive and suit bigger bathrooms but they are very attractive.

Finally, when it’s time to purchase your items, get various quotes that include products, installation and any extras you may have. When your furniture starts arriving, make sure that nothing is damaged before you remove old fittings.