Shower and bathroom thoughts....

[XingMing]

Ten years ago, we revamped a very 1970s tired bathroom, and it looked awesome. Now the workmanship/fitting has failed so we need to redo our walk in shower, but not the bath or anything else. In between life has moved on, we're ten years older and DH is now concerned about non slip surfaces. So the decisions are about colours (the bathroom was white fittings, and shower tray with big anthracite tiles, laid in horizontal blocks, glass surround. We are looking at coloured resin non-slip shower trays (any size as they are custom-made to order but 900mm x 1700mm is about right). It's the wall covering that I'd like opinions on. I really don't want anything shouty because I would get bored with it quickly, and the room faces northeast, so there's no warmth in the light. I want it to be simply luxurious and elegant but neutral. What would you interiors people think of as lovely for a 10-15 year bathroom, during which we shall almost certainly sell to downsize?

I would like to avoid changing the floor, which is a large area so costly, and the blind, which is neutral but with multi-colour accents. Paint, shower tray, tiles/boards are to be chosen. It doesn't have to be cheap, but it needs to come in at a sensible cost, so no wild flights of fantasy... unless you just have something that has to be shared of course. Thank you for your interest.

White matt tiles for the walls. Avoid grey anywhere, it will date.

Thanks Mosaic. The dark grey has served me well, but I agree that it's about to date. I don't think white is going to be quite warm enough, so I am leaning towards a veined marble effect in a creamy tone, with a slate colour shower tray... this morning. But I need to decide quickly so I can get the fitter while he's available, or I'll lose him again for months.

We have a Bette floor shower tray. They come in loads of sizes and colours. Ours is perfect after 10 years and it’s the same colour as the floor. So it blends in and they are non slip.

I would look at Porcelsnosa for the tiles. I would look at textured or something of interest. I also rather like concrete looking ones. We actually have knew that look like a molten metal but you might want something less wow! I would look at their web site for inspiration. I highly recommend the Bette Floor though - they are metal.

Your workmanship shouldn’t have failed after 10 years! Our bathroom is still wonderful and we have another fab one that’s great after 35 years. It has glass sinks and a big walk in shower. That one has plain white tiles. If I had my time again, I would go for large format on the walls but I do quite like the metro tiles but all that grout puts me off!!!

As an alternative to tiles, shower panels.
We’re having some fitted from www.showerwall.co.uk, there’s also www.multipanel.co.uk as well as several others in the UK.

A friend has shower panels. Although they are a sparkly blue.grey it looks a bit institutionalised. I think tiles are lot more glamorous and you never see shower panels in the glossy home magazines. Depends on the value of your house I think.

Sadly, water has got under the shower tray where the original was removed. We think there wasn't quite enough repairing on the wall, but we have to lift the shower tray to check/fix on the timber joists. DH is very keen on the shower walls as they are quick and waterproof, but I tend to agree with you, Guymore, that they lack glamour. However, as we are gearing up to relocate and downsize in the next three to five years, we're not willing to spend megabucks on huge marble panels. I shall probably change the small splash back behind the sink for something higher end.

I think you have been looking at cheap shower walls. They have evolved a lot since the caravan look. Try Nuance by Bushboard, they look a lot nicer than tiles ever did
And still look good, years later

I haven’t been looking at cheap shower walks but they are simply not ceramic and I’ve never ever seen them in valuable houses. My friends have a fairly ordinary detached house but the bathroom is functional, nothing more. Large format tiles are so much better. You do not need stone but actually some stone isn’t that expensive. I tend to think marble is cold but textured ceramics are way better.

I've looked at Nuance, sluj, and I feel the designs are limited and a bit passe. There's not a huge variety of choices, and they are mostly very grey unless they are fake travertine. I think multiwall is a bit more interesting, but not as lovely as real tile/stone... although as I said above, we're not over-spending as we're planning a move in the next few years. Whatever we choose is unlikely to win any featured photo shoot slots in glossy interiors magazines. Possibly in the On a Shoestring section.

Current plan is a slate shower base, dark to continue the dark mahogany cork floor shade (not the colour) with a creamy white, grey and oxide clay pattern shower wall, and I am looking at paint colours to achieve a red-white wall and maybe a coppery coloured flashy glass splash back (quite small) behind the basin. It all riffs off a couple of Indian batik pictures I have. It will all be complementary, but nothing will quite match except by tonal intensity.

Great except the red/white wall. Don’t quite get that. I think it’s always important to keep bathrooms warm and usable in winter without condensation. Also pay attention to storage. Even if you move, you will be using this room until you do.

Also make sure you “tank” under the shower to avoid leaks.

If you want to sell the house with this new bathroom you should go for something plain but classic. Add colourful removeable accessories to your own taste.

The red-white isn't actually red-white, it's a very warm white because there's some red pigment... reddish-white. It's a new F&B colour called orange white. At the moment the walls are a Dijon mustard colour, but I don't think that will work with the oxide veining in the shower wall.

Plenty of storage already as we are only altering the shower... and yes, it will be tanked.

We were advised to go with Kerakoll epoxy grout on our tiled shower walls (I agree OP that even the expensive shower panels are horrid compared to ceramic!) - it is a plastic-based product and available in a lot of colours. Our tiler is guaranteeing it for us to be mould and crack free for 15 years, which made me feel a lot better about tiling! Not the cheapest but compared to the cost of re-grouting sooner, a steal!