How to Make Your Bathroom Project Run Like a Dream

Planning a bathroom refurbishment is not something to be taken lightly.

Along with remodelling a kitchen, completely renovating a bathroom is one of the trickiest home projects to undertake and must be managed in a practical and logical way. It takes careful research and meticulous planning to ensure that the project runs smoothly.

Top image: An elegant bathroom in Berkshire from C.P. Hart

Inspiration and ideas

Sally Cutchie is a designer at bathroom retailer C.P. Hart and she has some sound advice on the best way to approach the project and suggests that finding inspiration and sourcing ideas should come first in order to define the style aesthetic and type of environment you want to achieve. ‘Tear out pages from magazines, collect tile samples and visit showrooms to gather ideas and examples of schemes, products and colour palettes,’ says Cutchie. ‘Once you’ve got a feel for the options available, your next step should be to start discussing plans with a knowledgeable bathroom design consultant and an experienced installer, as they will be able to provide further advice and guidance on how to make this a reality.’

Image: Bathroom in a modern penthouse suite from C.P. Hart

Work with experts

Whilst it is easy to assume that working with professionals is an unnecessary expense that can be avoided in order to shave valuable pounds off the budget, in the long run these experts could end up saving you not only money but also valuable square footage.

‘Installation is often the most costly aspect of a bathroom refurbishment project,’ explains Cutchie. ‘Be prepared to spend the majority of the budget on a good team who will install efficiently and to a high standard. Ensure that you check previous work and ask for recommendations as this is the only way to guarantee quality of work.’

When it comes to material costs, Cutchie says the bulk of the budget should be invested in working controls – such as taps and valves. However, before deciding which brassware to install, interior designer Andrew Dunning of APD Interiors strongly recommends focusing on the practicalities and not getting carried away with the latest ‘must haves’. He says: ‘Some brassware will require high water pressure – ask a plumber to check yours to ensure it is adequate. There’s nothing worse than a very beautiful shower valve that just dribbles. Also bear in mind water access and exit points, careful planning ensures no unsightly pipework.’

‘Work within your limits to achieve something that is both functional and stylish.’

Image: Monolite furniture with Stone One bath & bowls from C.P. Hart

Plan your space

In fact, careful planning is key and Cutchie believes there are a number of important questions that you should ask yourself before you get going: ‘Think about who is going to be using the space and whether you want it to be simply functional or somewhere that you want to spend a lot of time. Do you prefer modern or traditional? Will you be requiring storage?’ All of these considerations will impact the way you design the layout of the bathroom.

‘When planning a bathroom, it is important to create a sense of space even if your actual space is limited. Revealing as much floor as possible gives the idea of a larger room so wall mount your basins and WCs,’ says Cutchie. She also says that it is important to look for symmetry and to try not to specify too many products for the space you have available. This idea of symmetry is something interior designer Sophie Paterson agrees with. ‘Bathrooms need to feel balanced, so don’t locate the wc, sink and bath all along the same wall with a walk-in shower on the other side as showers, when not in use, look like an empty space, so it won’t balance out.’