Opinions on our bathroom renovation plan

[DJDawn83]

Hi,

We are currently in the planning stage of a complete rip out and start again bathroom renovation, and would like some input on the best way to make it a modern, practical and stylish family bathroom. We inherited the bathroom from the previous owners, and we have finally saved up enough money to begin transforming the room into a spanking new fresher bathroom.

It is quite a small room (2.50 x 1.70), and so having a shower enclosure is out of the question. We will just be keeping a straight bath with a bar mixer shower fitted (e.g. Grohe, Mira, Aqualisa or Bristan).

One issue that is giving us a headache is whether to brick up one of the windows that currently exist, in order to free up the wall space for a large heated towel rail. A plumber who came round last night said it was possible, but it may make the bathroom darker. The room is north facing, so doesn't receive a great deal of light anyway. In the photos I have attached we have put cardboard and carrier bags over the window to try and get a feel for how it would affect the lighting.

My husband has been using the Ikea bathroom planner application to visualise what our new room could look like with a window bricked up. Again, see attached jpegs.

We intend to have a 600mm wall hung vanity unit with 2 pull out drawers underneath the basin, Grohe taps, a large gloss white high cabinet, heated illuminated mirror, and Karndean flooring. As I mentioned above, we'd like to install a heated towel rail on the wall directly opposite the door as you enter.

We'd like a boxed in / or close coupled BTW rimless toilet, and we also intend to tile the whole room with large white tiles (grey grout of course!).

So, to summarise, do people think we are right to block the window on the right centre of the room up, or would you tinker with the layout in any other way?

We would very much appreciate any comments and input, as this is a major project for us. We have a 15 month old daughter who we'd like to get this right for.

Many thanks,

Dawn and David

@squirrelonwheels

Unfortunately a Velux window is not an option as bathroom is below the loft

I would definitely change the layout and put the toilet under the window.

I've got a velux in the roof and then a sort of boarded rectangular tunnel down to the bathroom ceiling. It lets in loads of light and gives a feeling of height to the room.

@Tubbyinthehottub
Have you got a velux sun tunnel fitted then???? Like the one shown in my picture?

Interesting...

@Squirrelonwheels
Have you got a velux sun tunnel fitted then???? Like the one shown in my picture? I’m intrigued by this idea

I would go with the light tunnel. Keep one window for ventelation and the light tunnel would brighten up the room more than the other window already is.

800mm basin is very large for such a smaller room. The bog standard size is 600, which ours is, and that already takes plenty of water to fill.

We have a shower above a standard bath and it's perfectly fine, but if you have room to have a more standard sized sink and a wider bath or P shaped bath, I would do that.

scrap the tall towel warmer and see if that makes it easier to plan.

A tall radiator is very good for warming the ceiling, a wide, low rad is better for heating the room. you can put wall-mounted rails around the room wherever you see a gap.

Towel rails are not too good at heating a room, especially when they are encased in a thick insulating layer of towels.

Don't forget to put a ducted inline extractor in the loft.

For some reason bar showers are cheaper and not as lasting as round mixers. The round Aqualisa mixers are especially good. Have you got a combi boiler, or a cylinder? What colour?

If you box in your WC cistern you will curse when it goes wrong.

I actually think that if you are going to board up a window, it should be the other one. The one you've covered over is bigger and more central in the room.

I can't give advice on your plans generally, but we have two bathrooms and neither of them has a window and it's completely fine.

In your floorplan www.mumsnet.com/uploads/talk/201908/large-745958-plan1-aerial.jpg

the WC is too cramped and the basin is too big. An ordinary basin will take up less room and be easier to clean.

If you move the basin to the wall opposite the door you could possibly fit a shower cube on the wall where you show the basin and WC.

What's that thing in the corner?

Not to answer your question but one tip I have is - we have a similar cupboard and we recessed it partly into the wall. Means it only sticks out a few centimetres into the room and makes a big difference. The builder just cut the studs to make it fit.

*@DJDawn83 * it's like your photo except I haven't got the silver tube coming through the loft, I've got plasterboard around each side of the window so the opening into the bathroom ceiling is the size of the window. And painted of course. It does take up a bit of room in the loft though so if space is tight the tube might be better. It's so bright in there.

I prefer the layout in the final set of plans you posted. We've just done our bathroom - almost the opposite to your plans. We took out the bath and installed a walk-in shower (no more clambering in and out of the bath to shower - bliss!), removed the floor to ceiling tiles and only put them in the shower area and 1 row above the sink (the were cut to 35cm square, so 2 tiles above a 700cm vanity). Reducing the tiled area makes the room feel larger. White tiles with grey grout in a North facing room would feel cold to me. We painted the wall the sink is on Dulux Pamplona Purple 2. A real pop of colour! Which is easily changed if we get bored with it; something you can't do with a fully tiled room. Plus, all those tiles to clean!!! With hindsight I would have chosen different tiles I think. They're nice enough but that's it and as tiling is permanent I think they need to be more than nice enough. Don't get me wrong I like them but with hindsight...so choose carefully. Regarding lighting, our builder suggested a row (3) of those recessed ceiling lights. I find them very clinical and wasn't keen; hubby was for shaving purposes (we were also planning to have an illuminated mirror). In the end we got a central copper ceiling rose with 3 large (soft glow) eddison bulbs hanging at different heights. As my husband prefers bright lighting and I don't so we put them on an LED compatible dimmer. Hindsight number 2...the extractor fan comes on with the lighting, but you can't dim the lights too far as the fan won't come on. So, think about that too - do you want to switch the lights on each time you shower in the summer? Two switches are better than 1! Like you, we installed a ladder radiator - a tall one, and curved (easier to clean behind) - with the plan to put towels on it. Just looks too bulky so hang our towels on hooks behind the door. And, as someone mentioned, will block the heat in winter (unless you're planning underfloor heating?). Don't forget a towel hook by the sink (we used robe hooks as they're cheaper and do the job just as well). We went for a 70cm 3 drawer 'floating' vanity which is plenty wide enough. The top drawer has limited space because of the sink, but we keep the bathroom stuff in there and a spare loo roll. We each have a drawer. Where are you going to put your linen basket?

It's very unlikely you will re-do the bathroom again so I hope the above helps a little bit. Think about how you and your family will use it, not just now but in the years to come. If you have managed without a bath up why put one in now, unless you don't like showers? Make it personal to you. And love it!

Have you considered having low level lights on a sensor? We have the in both bathrooms and the downstairs loo has tiny wall lights. The sensor is on the ceiling, they give a nice gentle light and should give enough light if you block up one window.

Hi again everyone,
@PickAChew @PigletJohn @wowfudge @Mcl1 @ElleEmDee @YorkieTheRabbit @Morgan12 @MiniMum97 @motortroll @HardAsSnails @ShellieEllie @Tubbyinthehottub

First of all, thanks ever so much for all of your ideas and suggestions... it's much appreciated.

UPDATE - major changes to our plan!

1. No longer intending to block/brick up either window, so no need for velux sun tunnel etc. Also a £££ saver!

1. Moving bath from right hand side of room into the middle underneath the two windows.

1. 600mm sink not 800.

1. Still spinning toilet round 90 degrees.

1. Putting in a low flat panel radiator, about 50-60cm wide on left hand wall to heat up the room. Still thinking of putting in a heated towel rail in as well adjacent to the doorway. We'd like to to be on a separate circuit to central heating... think the plumber said you can get what's called a 'summer switch'.

1. Re-hanging bathroom door so that it opens out onto our landing area (we have the room, see attached pics).

The only issue we can foresee is how to prevent the central window sill and window getting drenched every time we have a shower. One possible solution could be to affix a waterproof perspex /acrylic panel / shutter over the window, that is capable of being opened/closed/slid? so we can still use the recess/widow sill ledge for storing shampoo and shower gel / rubber ducks etc.

We feel a lot happier with this plan than any of the others we have designed so far.... do you think it could work?

Once again, many thanks for your contributions.

More pics

Photos showing we have the space to re-hang the bathroom door so that it opens out onto the landing.

That looks better.

I suspect most options for covering the window will leak, I think I'd be tempted to have the window replaced with one that can't open, and have a slight incline on the windowsill so water drips away, and just use it as a cubbyhole.

Like this but obviously the back will be glass/window. Depending on height you could have a glass shelf in there as well.

Have the window recesses fully tiled - that will help protect the windows.

who can see in through the window? With lights on at night, frosted windows can be not quite so frosted.

That looks better. I don't think I would want door opening outwards though. Doors tend to stay open and I would find it annoying.

Could you get rid of towel rad. Put bath back in original place, and have sink under window. You could then put a freestanding mirror on the window ledge.

Gets rid of your water on window problem.