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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

old/new bathroom - wooden toilet seat

48 replies

abenstille · 22/02/2011 22:24

We are trying to plan a new bathroom as our current one is vile and we have lived with it for a number of years. We have had to save up pretty hard and so we really want to get it right and get a look that won't be outdated.
Just to give you the picture we live in a very old house (listed building)and our kitchen is a traditional wooden country cottage look.
So heres our problem:
DP wants a traditional bathroom complete with WOODEN TOILET SEAT (uuurrggghhh, that feels completely unhygenic to me - sorry don't mean to cause anyone else with one any offence)
I'd like a modern look 'hotel' style bathroom with travertine/stone tiles.
So AIBU to want a modern bathroom (inc modern toilet seat) in an old house?
What would you expect if you were looking to buy an old house (we may sell up in a few years)?

OP posts:

FabbyChic · 22/02/2011 22:27

I wouldnt go with the wooden toilet seat to be honest, but it will probably suit your bathroom with regards the more traditional look. I always think plain white is better.

GreenEyesandHam · 22/02/2011 22:27

A traditional 'olde style' bathroom would put me off a house

Modern all the way

Original poster

abenstille · 22/02/2011 22:30

I agree, modern makes me think clean.
He even wants one of those high up cisterns (eye roll)

OP posts:

Waswondering · 22/02/2011 22:30

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

GreenEyesandHam · 22/02/2011 22:30

OMG with a chain??

Original poster

abenstille · 22/02/2011 22:33

Yes, green with a chain is even talking about the decorated toilet bowls, thomas crapper style...arrrggghh. I'm struggling to remind him we don not live in a pub!

OP posts:

GreenEyesandHam · 22/02/2011 22:35

Oh no! He's lost his mind :(

Hk13 · 22/02/2011 22:36

yanbu

I had the same argument with dp recently, we live in an older property, although not listed like yours, and he wanted to basically replace what was being ripped out ie plain sink, crappy tiles etc. I put my foot down and told him to butt out manipulated him persuaded him into agreeing and we ended up with cream metro tiles, a sit on sink (like a belfast but on top of the counter), gorgeous flooring and clean modern lines. I don't know why It works so well with the age of the house but it does. we used traditional paints and kept everything unfussy. I bloody love it lol (and so does dp

Pannacotta · 22/02/2011 22:37

I think a modern, simple bathrooms looks good, even in a period house.
I would try and persuade your DH against the trad bathroom style, it looks quite dated now I think.

Hk13 · 22/02/2011 22:39

ok, took me so long to write that things have moved on! forgot to say we put in a plain white suite but added extra luxuries like the soft close loo seat and quality taps etc. that seems to make a big difference to the 'feel' of the bathroom.

squeakytoy · 22/02/2011 22:39

we had a lovely antique wooden toilet seat at my parents house. so nice to sit on, much better than hard cold plastic...

curlymama · 22/02/2011 22:39

Definately go modern.

Horrible bathrooms can make or break a house sale. Could you take him round some b&q or homebase type places so he can have a look at some lovely reasonably priced bathrooms.

A wooden toilet seat sounds vile imo. And decorated toilet bowls and high up cisterns? Really? Just wrong, on so many levels.

Original poster

abenstille · 22/02/2011 22:40

thanks guys, keep your responses coming - have decided to show him these responses when he gets in to see if I can persuade him otherwise
HK13 - that sounds really interesting - am loving the sound of the sit on sink. Don't suppose you have a picture?

OP posts:

Pannacotta · 22/02/2011 22:41

You could compromise, there are some nice classic bathrooms on this link which would work in an old house

www.katyelliott.com/blog/labels/bathrooms

moomaa · 22/02/2011 22:42

Tell him if he wants something in keeping with the house he needs to get a tin bath and one of those jugs in a big bowl

backwardpossom · 22/02/2011 22:45

YANBU - we recently did up our bathroom. Like you we have an old house and the bathroom was vile. We lived with it for a few years and saved and saved and saved. Now we have a lovely, white, modern bathroom and it doesn't seem out of place in an old house at all. It just looks lovely and clean. No matter how much I scrubbed at the old bath, it always looked filthy. Delighted with the new room :)

Punkatheart · 22/02/2011 22:46

We have an old house and wouldn't dream of plastic loo seats. Modern wooden loo seats are treated so just as hygienic as plastic. We also have a victorian ball and claw bath. But definitely a modern loo, with clean stone floor and plain walls. You can mix and match. Our house is so quirky that (I hope) we get away with it.

(However outside in the gardener's loo we have a high cistern loo and they are a bit of a pain - they never flush very well.

No to decorated loo bowls. When we moved in all our suite was green, with flowers. It made me feel ill. Also - it never looked clean. So lovely to rip it out and my builder has a flowery loo in his garden!

Hk13 · 22/02/2011 22:46

I'll try and find a pic, failing that I'll find you a link.

Original poster

abenstille · 22/02/2011 22:57

Great thanks HK13
moomaa
so far only 2 people like wooden seats
I like the victorian baths, but we are short on space and have curvy walls, so its very difficult to sort out storage space without getting furniture that takes up space for no good reason IYSWIM.
We had someone come round to give us a quote (£8600 - staggering IMO)and he wanted to straighten out the wall with a false wall, but I think we could have a tiled ledge/shelf (curvy on one side and straight on the other) next to the bath that would deal with this. What do you think?

OP posts:

BonzoDooDah · 22/02/2011 22:58

I like wooden toilet seats. They are warmer to sit on and harbour less bacteria than plastic as the wood has antibacterial properties that plastic does not.

technical link and less techy link

thumbwitch · 22/02/2011 23:02

We have wooden loo seats - infinitely prefer them, especially in winter as they don't get as chilly! And they are, as said before, treated so can be cleaned just as easily as plastic.

My house in England had a high cistern which actually worked find - better flush than the low modern one in the shower room, that's for sure!

We have a claw-foot bath now too - but modern tiling and sink unit - looks fine (older house in Australia, c. 1920s)

BelleBelicious · 22/02/2011 23:02

I agree with Punk. Mix it up and give it a bit of identity. It sounds like you have a lovely house and you've saved up, so it's worth something special.
Ultra modern will date quickly too - I think the full on travertine/hotel bathroom is a bit dated already tbh - like those stainless steel mortuary style kitchens.

You could go for traditional type fittings and really modern tiles (or the other way round). Creative lighting is also another way of really updating a bathroom and making it amazing. Some stores do a free design service - would it be worth going and getting some ideas, just to keep peace with dh?

Oh and high cisterns have made a come back now as have coloured suites (black rather than avocado and pink though).

Linnet · 22/02/2011 23:04

We have a wooden toilet seat in our bathroom. I've never thought of it as unhygenic and it's much warmer than a plastic one.

Ariesgirl · 22/02/2011 23:06

Blimey, I have never thought twice about a wooden toilet seat. Surely they're fine if you clean them

Original poster

abenstille · 22/02/2011 23:06

Bonzo youre not helping my case , though you have got me thinking about chopping boards as I definately do prefer wood. Maybe, then, its to do with 'percieved' hygiene. Though, most people on here are against DP's ideas and thats impertant if/when we wish to sell

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