Please help me with my family bathroom! L-shaped shower bath or straight?

[GoingRogue]

Hello

I've been trying to get a new family bathroom sorted for years, and we have finally got a plumber sorted for Feb. Hurrah!

It is the main family bathroom (dh and I have an en-suite) in a 4-bed 1930's semi. It is approx 2.5m long by 2m wide.

I have attached photos of how it looks now which should help you help me?! We are going to have the floorboards sanded and re-varnished, and are looking for some pale cream matte wall tiles. Walls will be kept white, as I want the walls and floor neutral.

Now here's the thing I'm struggling with. We are getting a matching back-to-wall WC and vanity basin unit from Bathstore (Vermont grey avola). We could get a matching bath panel, which I think would help the room "flow", but me and the children (aged 4 and 7, and have a teenage stepson too) have got so used to a lovely big p-shaped bath that I want to keep a big bath! But you can't get matching panels for them

So would you go for a straight bath with panels, or an L-shaped bath for the comfort/size factor (boys love sharing a bath...though I know that won't be forever. I figure they'd like more space to shower in as they grow though).

Thanks for any help or advice!

BubblesBuddy we are having a tall grey ladder style heated towel rail installed behind the door.

The reason we chose the Bathstore Vermont grey avola is because we could get a matching back-to-wall-toilet, tall boy and wash-hand basin with vanity storage. Prefer the woodgrain effect as with 3 boys/heavy use it should be easier to keep clean than white gloss. We live in a really hard water area, so don't want to spend ages cleaning taps, hence one-tap basin choice.

Hadn't thought of getting a narrower WC to accommodate the tall boy; they don't do it in the Vermont range (only 600mm wide). It's taken me and dh the best part of this year to decide the furniture, I don't have the energy to start from scratch again.

He doesn't like the wooden floor boards, and agrees they won't go with the furniture. He would prefer lino or cold tiles. We have that wooden flooring a lot around the house; living room/dining room and bedrooms. So feel it will be in-keeping (plus we can easily access the heating pipes).

Our budget is £5k, and quote from builders is about half that. Leaving £2.5k for all the sanitary ware, tiles, shower, bath, mirrored cabinet, taps etc

I'm not sure Duravit will be in our budget

fairislecable your bath looks lovely!

P.s BubblesBuddy I am now starting to agree with you that the 800mm wide vanity basin will look too big in the bathroom. And will be squashed in alongside the bath and look cramped Just loved the storage and soft-close drawer, and the basin was wide enough for the boys to stand side by side brushing their teeth.

Would they have shared a tap then? I am in a hard water area. You just have to clean taps and I have a water softener.

I just think white is smart with the floor. I like the floor. I know Duravit can be a bit expensive but google searches usually find it on sale. My thoughts were to give you a company that has lots of storage units available so you can see options for wall cupboards and vanity units.

I did notice the towel rail when I revisited your plans. 600 is wide for a loo. Your dimensions are very tight for anything other than a standard bathroom with standard sanitaryware. White can easily be wiped down and I think you are worrying about this too much.

Another thought might be: can you fit a cupboard in next to the towel rail? It may make that wall a bit cluttered but it could be worth it. We also have a towel rail, in a small bathroom, above the loo. Would this work to free up the other wall? Or between the loo and the wall which you could if the loo wasn’t so wide. A 600 vanity unit would still give you storage.

(If you really want a double sink it needs to be at least 1 m long - with two taps!)

Between the loo and the bath for the towel rad I meant!

Morning BubblesBuddy! Thank you very much for all your help. Spoke to dh last night and we have decided that if we stick to the wooden floorboards then we'll need to go for white units like you say. Could then get a narrower wc, and potentially keep the little white wooden storage unit we already have between the bath and wc.

He would much prefer to get grey tile effect Karndean laid, and stick with the Vermont grey Avola furniture. We think you're right that the 800mm is going to be too wide for such a small space now, and will look squashed in. You're probably right that the small boys won't be using basin at same time, so 600mm will be fine. This gives me more space to potentially get an 1800mm length bath? Obvs the length of the room is 2.5m, so not sure whether 1800 + 600 will be too cramped, so stick with 1700 + 600. Would it be better to have a good 100mm either side of the vanity basin or will it just mean it'll get clogged with dust and stuff will fall down it?!

Towel rail must go on that side wall as there is currently a radiator there so nice and easy for our plumber/sparky. Plus I'm probably going to use it to dry clothes in the winter (sorry PigletJohn! I do keep the window open all the time) as we have no room for a tumble drier anywhere.

Sorry, just realised I didn't post pic Inc little white storage unit originally.

Just thought I'd update on where I am currently with the bathroom planning.

Am now looking at a straight bath, a 600mm wall-hung vanity basin (was worried about cleaning down the sides of a floor standing one, given there will only 100mm either side) and going for modern grey tile-effect flooring like this - pic and link attached.

Karndean

Kids back to school this week so will get my arse back to City Plumbing, Bath Store and others to definitely decide on bath, and try to decide on tiles...do we think grey wall tiles to match grey floor tiles? (But darker on floor maybe?).

Any thoughts appreciated!

Oh, and looking for a mirrored cabinet with lights and shaver socket like this:

www.illuminated-mirrors.uk.com/bakari-led-demist-cabinet.html

Rogue we got a very similar cabinet from Amazon. Not the first place I would have looked but I needed it quickly.

Hello all. Just thought I'd update We're going for luxury vinyl tiles along the lines of the photo of Amazonian slate from Polyflor.

Just been tile shopping and wondered if anyone had any thoughts on these wall tiles? (Tile shop chap is also holding a sample of the grey avola woodgrain effect, which is what the back-to-wall WC and wash hand basin will be in). The mosaics will just be in a vertical strip behind the shower, and maybe as a splash back behind basin?

I also like these tiles for on the wall...and the J-shaped bath! (Panel isn't on properly, hence it looking wonky). Dh still wants a straight bath with a matching grey avola panel...

We got our L shaped bath and panel from Better Bathrooms , they did different lengths also.

@Mooycow have you got a link please? I'm not averse to an L-shaped shower bath!

If accessing taps is an issue, don’t have bath taps on the top of the bath- put The controls on the wall, halfway down the length of the bath, with the bath filler inside the bath also half way along.

@GoingRogue I love those tiles!

@FluffyWuffy100 which ones?!

If you're looking for a good spacious straight bath that works well for showering in, look at the Bette Ocean. It has one straight end and huge internal volume (ie slim sides, so lots of space between them). Downside is it takes a while to fill if you want a deep bath.

@minipie they look brilliant, but a bit pricey for us unfortunately. Think we're looking at a budget of around £500 including panel and screen. Thanks anyway