Guest Blogger - Helen Davies - Bathroom Renovation: Pointers & Pitfalls {from an Interior Designer}

Bathroom Renovations: pointers and pitfalls

 

Plan, plan, plan. That’s the central philosophy of bathroom renovation. If you have a good solid plan in place, the mess and chaos that’s associated with bathroom renovation all sort of falls away. You still can’t use your bathroom while it’s being ripped out and replaced, of course, but the actual process of ripping out and replacing should be smooth and hitch-free. And if there are any hitches, you’ll have planned for them.

 

So...

 

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• DO make sure you’ve got a workable room layout. Do a few sketches, get a 3D plan done in a bathroom showroom, and consult an interior designer if you’re unsure. Once you’re happy you’ve got a floor plan that will work in practice, start adding sanitary ware and bathroom furniture. Allocate the most space to the pieces you’ll use the most. If you love to bathe, get a big bath. If you enjoy a hot shower, splash out on a walk in enclosure. 

 

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DO choose the right bathroom suite for your home. The key is to find a style that suits your taste and works in harmony with the rest of your home (or, if you’re renovating the whole place, something that will work with how the rest of the house will turn out by the end). Traditional bathroom suites look great in period homes; contemporary styles suit modern spaces; half and half designs can work in the right setting. If you want to set a beautiful old roll top bath against a contemporary backdrop, choose pieces that complement each other and go for it!

 

 

• DO brush up on your DIY skills or hire a reputable contractor to install your bathroom. There is nothing that will make you wish you’d never started like a bathroom that springs a leak days after installation.

 

And...

 

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• DON'T be tempted by a giant bath and huge walk in shower if your bathroom is modestly proportioned - your room will feel poky and cramped if there isn’t sufficient user room. Remember, this is your bathroom. You don’t have to fit a big bath, a walk in shower, a double basin and a bidet: install just the items that you’ll actually use, to create a bathroom that will suit your lifestyle.
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• DON'T overspend. Set a budget, put aside a contingency fund, and be firm with yourself. You can rein in spending on one aspect of a redesign to splurge elsewhere, but plan for this from the outset and don’t change your mind halfway through a redesign - your costs will go through the roof.
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DON'T assume that hiring a contractor means you don’t need to get involved. A good contractor can be worth their weight in gold - but you should still keep up to speed with your project, to ensure costs don’t spiral out of control and to make sure that you end up with the bathroom you want - not the bathroom your contractor wants to make!

 

 

 

• This article was written by the interior designer Helen Davies who is a keen blogger, Pinterest addict and freelance writer for Better Bathrooms.