Tips for new bathroom?

[LovelyAndAmazing]

We are just beginning the process of planning a new bathroom - I'm a total novice and would be very grateful for some tips and do's/don'ts.

We have a small bathroom that gets a lot of use as it is the only one in a small Victorian house (family of four - two teenagers).

At the moment I'm looking at the option of large tiles to minimise grout cleaning and create a feeling of space. I've also seen these porcelain wall panels - does anyone have any experience of these and would you recommend them? TIA!

https://www.toppstiles.co.uk/grande-stone-lucca-grey-porcelain-panel-100cm-x-260cm#selection.productcolour=Marble%20Statuario&selection.primaryytilefinish=Polished&selection.size=120cm%20x%20120cm%20Panel

Thanks for all the advice everyone - it's proving SO helpful!

@Aparecium I believe a rimless toilet has no rim at the top of the basin - it should be easier to clean in theory as there's less room for bacteria and limescale to get trapped.

Where does the flush come from then? And why would it affect men's aim?

Um ... no idea to be honest! @Thisisthedawningoftheageofaquarius would you be able to share more info on this?!

I stayed in this hotel and loved their bathroom, maybe not quite the colour id prefer marble. But I want to try and replicate this as much as I can...think about your lighting you don't have to have boring lights which is what I love about this design

I do love that hotel chic look

Oh and if you do get a sink into a unit like this make sure the sink isn't too far back you cant wash your face properly. I was at a budget hotel last week and you had to lean so far over the counter it was ridiculous

Oh I love a bathroom thread! I designed my bathroom last year. One thing I didn't think of but the electrician did is having a ventilation fan light directly above the shower. Steam goes straight up and out, plus you have light in the shower. It turns off about 5/10 mins after the main lights in the bathroom are switched off too.

Have some colour on the walls.

I also went for a LVT click flooring that looks like stone effect. It's not cold underfoot or slippery when wet as it has a texture and looks really nice. I've added some photos.

I still have to repaint the windowsill and skirting boards and door frame but it's all done now and I'm really pleased. Just wish I didn't have so many toiletries on display.

I also second the shower panels although mine aren't porcelain.

@CatteryMe - it looks fab! Do you mind me asking where you got your basin and what kind of vanity unit did you go for?

Thanks. I went for the dark green vanity unit and matching cupboards and toilet unit from Victorian Plumbing. They are a dark green colour. All hardware is brass. Here's a better pic.

I think it's the Chatsworth range from memory.

Forgot to attach pic 😌

Oh lovely @CatteryMe.

Few questions ☺️
With the LVT how is it sealed against water ingress in the joins? I'm worried about an unknown issue lurking for ages & my DH is a messy showerer! But I love the idea of looking like stone without being cold or needing underfloor heating.
The shower panels what is that that goes around to seal them? I had assumed there'd be silicone as you would normally.
Your mirror is fab too

The LVT has held up really well. It was installed in Aug 2022. I'm careful to mop up any water that accidentally overspills on it though. I just wash it with a flash mop. It was designed for bathrooms and has a 20 year warranty I think. I bought it from this company but they don't have the colour anymore (spectra coffee) but the link is the same type and brand https://www.ukflooringdirect.co.uk/vinyl-flooring-spectra-luxury-rigid-core-click-aged-bronze-tile.

Are you talking about the black bits down the corners of the shower panels? They are just black shower panel trims with clear silicone for extra sealing power.

The panels are really good. I just wipe them down with a squeegee after every shower and spray mixed bleach on them every week or so.

Thanks. The mirror is my favourite thing. I had the electrician install it to the mains before the walls were plastered.

Forgot to @you @FletchingStraight

The best bit of advice I can give is: no matter how stylish or pretty you may think it is, don't buy a flat bottomed squarish basin. Looks lovely when I've just cleaned it, awful the moment anyone uses it.

That's what I have @Allthegoodusernamesareused but I don't see the issue? I rinse any suds or toothpaste straight after though around the basin.

So do I... buy DH and teenagers don't, and it drives me nuts!

@Glitterinthegrey76 yeah you can't help what others don't do. I have a helpful 4 year old who loves cleaning though. Hope it lasts into his teen years 🤣

What is a rimless toilet? I just found toilets that look like this on Google. This is like our loos. Is this what you mean by rimless? I'm not sure why you get wee on the floor. The hole to pee in is the same size as any toilet surely

Sorry. Forgot to link

Thanks for posting the pic @CatteryMe, the green looks lovely with the brass handles.

I've seen this towel rail/radiator, which I really like and would fit under the window if we kept our existing layout (still undecided about this) https://www.bathroom4less.co.uk/products/traditional-vintage-vertical-heated-towel-radiator-4-column-chrome-white?variant=40913765498923

This one would take more towels but I like it less.
https://bathroomvillage.com/products/vogue-pearl-wall-mounted-heated-towel-rail?pos=1&&psq=vogue+pearl+wa&ss=e&&v=1.0&variant=14706212732980

The space under the window measures approx 116cm x 116. What do people think, are these options too big for the space or not right in some other way? Should I change the layout around to incorporate a tall heated rail? Sorry for all the questions - I'm really worried I'll miss something obvious.

The only advice I'd give about buying a radiator is to make sure it's suitable for actually heating the room if it's your only source of heat. My bathroom gets really cold unless I'm having a steamy bath and the window is open.

@CatteryMe Yes - that's really important. We have a proper radiator in there at the moment and need to make sure whatever we get matches it in heat. 4 people using a small bathroom (not all at once) make a lot of steam!

@squigglygiggly I haven't looked at loos much yet but there seem to be quite a lot of rimless ones available - like this:
www.homebase.co.uk/rimless-close-coupled-toilet/14292559.html

Having looked at rimless toilets online, I wonder whether it's not pee on the floor, but splashes from the flush. Apparently if the flush is too forceful, or the volume number of water standing in the bowl is too great, the flush can splash out of these loos.

I like your vintage towel rad. I grew up in an old house with an original one like that, and it can take more towels than you realise. It's actually easier to use than 'conventional' modern towel rads, especially with multiple towels.

We put a narrow towel rad right next to the bath so that you don't have to choose between a cold towel or dripping across the floor. Ours is very similar to the picture, but more semi-circular than full circle. It is easy to put a whole family's-worth of towels on it for the same reason as the vintage one - the space behind the rails.

I don't know how the plumbers did this, but the towel rain in our bathroom comes on when either the heating is on or the hot water is on. So it is warm even in summer - but only when you're washing, not all day. Genius!

We've just had our bathroom refitted. We went for non glossy big tiles on the walls and a darker one on the floor. I'm not really a fan of grey, but did have grey tiles as I didn't want to be restricted in colour and felt that I can introduce colour with towels etc. We went for a vessel sink so we could have a vanity unit with drawers. Our cupboard sits neatly between the shower and the window and I have space for a small box I found on Amazon, which is just the right size for cleaning materials. Biggest 'small' thing is the extra towel hook we chose for the wall outside the shower. Ours is a small room, smaller than yours OP, but the change from our old, tired room, is lovely.
Edited to add:
We also have a rimless toilet. Much easier to clean and really can't see why it would allow wee to get on the floor - our young dgs has no problem using it and doesn't wee on the floor!

We did this a few years ago so the grey era but the tiles still look great and we can repaint the wooden cupboard fronts. Yes to heated towel rails and one of ours can be used via central heating or electric, so useful in summer and winter. Heated sensor mirrors so don't mist up, a shower nook for shampoo and shower gels. If budget stretches then a digital shower so it can be turned on from outside the cubicle (no more cold wet arm).