Once relegated to the back of the house with a budget only expected to cover a basic functional suite, bathrooms are increasingly important today, second only to the kitchen in budget. Bathrooms are a key aspect of any renovation project. Budgets are growing in response to a huge array of choice for design, materials, lighting and heating.
Most of our budgets will not stretch to an alabaster bath for around £18,000 from Lapicida http://www.lapicida.com/inspiration/idea/bathrooms/ or a freestanding shower for around £22,000 from Drummonds http://www.drummonds-uk.com/showers/all-showers/the-spittal-shower-with-200mm-rose-handset but distinctive design is reaching the high street, online retailers such as Bath Store http://www.bathstore.com/, Bath Empire http://www.bathempire.com/?utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Bath_Empire and Cheap Suites http://www.cheapsuites.co.uk/ are raising the bar and delivering a good choice of contemporary and traditional bathroom styles at low prices.
If you are looking for a middle ground and want to purchase a bathroom suite which is distinctive and well made without breaking the bank, Porcelanosa provide a great range of suites to suit most budgets http://www.porcelanosa.com/gb/ (but be warned, set out your budget before visiting the showroom because Porcelanosa can supply fabulous sanitaryware for budgets in line with Drummons' price tags).
We consistently specify, and have been happy with Porcelanosa sanitaryware and tiles, the above image is from our latest development at Bath Hill BS31 1ET, and shows one of our favourite tiles - Cubica Blanco.
We currently tend to opt for contemporary design rather than traditional. But we always reconsider our design approach at the start of each project, because most of the sites we work on are individual and bring their own style, usually in the form of inspirational architecture, and we need to check we are responding the new site's individual qualities. Our design process is simple and enjoyable and one which you can replicate for your own project, we go through masses of images, exposing our self to as many ideas as possible and collecting a pile of images of designs which appeal to us, a great tool for this Houzz http://www.houzz.com/ . Once you have your collection of images, they can be displayed and you can extract the design elements which appeal to you, make a list of these and this then becomes your ideal brief for your bathroom design.
You will need to modify your ideal design and take into account practical needs as well as a desire to create a beautiful space, make every attempt to understand the financial and practical restrictions for your project as soon as possible, this way your design can develop with practical needs in mind. Last minute revelations will most probably compromise your design, so investigate practical issues such as current waste outlets and space restrictions as soon as possible. Find out if the walls you are working with are solid or partition as this will determine where you can hide your waste and this will impact on the flexibility of your design.
Investigate the dimensions of the items you intend to purchase, take into account the projection of basins and toilets and understand how this will be affected by any required 'boxing in'. Where you need to box in pipes, always consider how the boxing could be worked to aid the design rather than distract from it, use boxing in to create shelves and recessed shelving where possible.
When it comes to lighting, don't forget that your bathroom is zoned according to the types of lighting which can be used, plan your lighting at the outset to make the most of accent lighting (which can be placed in recessed shelving for great effect if considered early enough).
Be aware of how your design can affect your water usage, most suppliers will now offer low capacity baths and flow restrictors to help you control the amount of water you use. If you would like to calculate the water usage for your bathroom and other water using appliances, most suppliers will provide flow rates and water usage per cycle information, which can be entered onto online water calculators to see how you compare to water saving targets http://www.thewatercalculator.org.uk/calculator.asp
If your project can wait, we recommend spending some time getting to know the space in different lights, as light can impact hugely on design, if you are living in the property, take time to analyse how you and your family use the space and use this to inform your design. If you can choose the time to embark on your project, research your favourite suppliers and make a note of their sale dates to get the best possible prices.
At Whitecroft, we are aim for simple and elegant bathroom interiors, the bathroom is sometimes the only place for solitary contemplation or relaxation.