What do you wish you'd known before renovating: Bathroom Edition

[applesauce1]

We're buying a new house and should complete end of December/early Jan (🤞).

The en-suite and family bathroom both need to be ripped out and started over. We'll do it all before we move in.

This started as an exciting prospect, but now I feel completely daunted as there is just too much choice.

We have a £12k budget for this element of the renovation but, it would be nice if things came in under budget (has such an astonishingly obvious statement ever been made?)

I really like the aesthetic of industrial/modern fittings and reclaimed stained wood. These looks are all over Instagram but don't appear in any catalogues. I really don't want to go for the hexagonal tile thing or anything too 'of the moment'.

Before I spend toddler nap time scouring the internet for bathroom furniture, please tell me everything you wish you knew, or your best advice, for bathroom renovations. The kitchen version of this thread was brilliant.

Think about where the loo roll, soap, shampoo etc will go

We did well on soap, shampoo etc by putting a long slim ledge along the length of the bath (it also conceals the pipe work for the wall mounted taps) but didn’t think about loo roll so that just ends up on the windowsill.

@applesauce1

So much great advice. Thank you.

We were considering floor to ceiling tiles as I thought it looked nicer than a half tiled room (tiling in the shower or around the bath). I'm worried that this might cause the cost to shoot up, and with painted walls, we can more easily and cheaply redecorate to our changing tastes.

Does anyone have any advice on tiles walls vs. Painted walls?

I'd also love a vanity unit like that in my photo. I'd prefer real wood. Anyone know of somewhere we could find something like this, or will I have to ask a carpenter?

Painted vs tiled, it's entirely your choice. The modern appraoch is for part painted walls but as mentioned there are plenty of other options and it's personal taste.

Our toilet was, in retrospect, a mistake. It's a slightly unusual shape, and was quite cheap. The ceramic bowl itself seems fine, but it's been impossible to find a decent seat to replace the crappy one it came with, which broke almost instantly. Also, it's wall mounted, and there's a constant sound of trickling- apparently this design frequently develops this issue and is very non eco. In short, boring as it is, next time I'd spend double and do my research properly...

@ThatGhastlyWoman

Our toilet was, in retrospect, a mistake. It's a slightly unusual shape, and was quite cheap. The ceramic bowl itself seems fine, but it's been impossible to find a decent seat to replace the crappy one it came with, which broke almost instantly. Also, it's wall mounted, and there's a constant sound of trickling- apparently this design frequently develops this issue and is very non eco. In short, boring as it is, next time I'd spend double and do my research properly...

How much did you spend on the toilet out of interest? Mine was apparently £200 and the seat is so flimsy that I darent sit on the lid! I've complained to the plumber...

Favourite things: heated/demister mirror with led lighting, dark grey grout and mastik, tiled-in niches in the shower tall enough for big bottles of shampoo etc

Think outside the box! We wanted a big sink area with vanity unit but nothing was the right size so we bought kitchen cupboards and drawers and put a granite worktop on with a hole cut for the undermounted sink. It looks great and was so much cheaper as the kitchen carcasses came from Ikea.

Also get a really good radiator - our one is great and gets very hot. Nothing worse than a chilly bathroom!

@LittleWingSoul

Favourite things: heated/demister mirror with led lighting, dark grey grout and mastik, tiled-in niches in the shower tall enough for big bottles of shampoo etc

Yes to demister mirror - we got a huge one with inbuilt lighting. Also got a smaller wall mounted magnifying mirror which has LED lighting (it amazing and horrifying but great for plucking eyebrows/chin hairs/squeezing blackheads!).

Definitely remember shelving or similar in your shower for products - didn't do this and it is quite annoying!

@Misty9 it's a couple of years back, but I think it was around £200 as well.

[quote ThatGhastlyWoman]@Misty9 it's a couple of years back, but I think it was around £200 as well.[/quote]
Is that cheap for a toilet then?! I'm about to go and turn off the water as it's leaking... (I don't live there yet)

• For a wood vanity, try Tikamoon, or Parker Howley. Using kitchen cabinets as mentioned by a pp above is also an excellent idea.
• I would however avoid a wood top as it will stain/rot.
• If you choose vessel sinks (ie ones that sit on top of the surface) go for ones with straight sides not curved bowls, Then there is nowhere for water and crud to collect.

• Regarding tiles, I think floor to ceiling tiles are a bit out of fashion at the moment, and also very inflexible and expensive. I’d go half wall with paint above, or paint with fully tiled feature walls (in shower and behind sink for example).

Other tips

• Large format tiles on floor and in shower. As large as you reasonably can
• Avoid white grout and sealant. Even if you have white tiles, off white or very pale grey is much more forgiving.
• Patterned or flecked or mid colour floor, not plain pale or plain dark.
• Avoid black fittings if you have hard water and get limescale.
• Brushed steel or brushed nickel looks a lot classier than chrome (IMO) and doesn’t show fingerprints. Also more widely available than brushed brass or black. Costs more than chrome though.

• Get a rimless loo, much easier to clean. Also avoid ones with a “poo shelf” (ask a bathroom retailer, they will know what you mean!). Easy clean lift off lid is also very helpful. Wall hung and with hidden cistern ideally - but depends on your layout and whether you can put in a false wall.

• Order all brassware (taps/shower valves/wastes) via someone who knows what they are doing, either a bathroom retailer or a plumber, so you make sure you get compatible bits and don’t miss anything out. If your pressure is rubbish don’t order Euro brands which need 2 bar to work well. Look for British brands like Bristan, Crosswater, Justtaps

• Shop around - the same item costs very different amounts at different places. Ask for discounts. If they do a trade discount then order via your builder.

• Shower niche, if you have a stud wall.
• Shower controls near shower entrance as pp mentioned, not under the shower head
• Hand shower as well if you have a fixed overhead shower

• Lights either side of the mirror - much more flattering than overhead.
• Have two lighting circuits, bright overhead lights and softer wall or under cupboard lights (ideally dimmable) so you can use the soft one at nighttime/when hungover... Have the extractor linked to the bright circuit.

• Choose a towel rail with large gaps so you can actually fit towels on it. I hate the ones with loads of rails close together and only one or two larger gaps. JIS have a good selection.

• Underfloor electric heating if the room may be cold (though our bathroom is above the kitchen and we’ve never needed to use the ufh)

• Consider where your laundry baskets will live.

• Avoid freestanding baths for everyday or child use - nice for a once in a while adult soak. Otherwise go for D shaped or built in .

Good luck!

Oh and lastly - if possible, don’t buy a bath without trying it in a showroom first!

Another hard water thing. Square toilets are horrible for limescale as well. Not mad on them generally having lived with it either, pointy edges plus less convenient shape for young DC to sit on. DH fell in love with the shape!

However definitely do get soft close seats/lids. Game changer!

Hello OP

We've recently finished our house renovation. There are three of us (adult DS, my OH and me). Master bedroom and my DS's room have ensuites.

I chose designs/functions that would suit each person. As this is our forever home, I -definitely probably over-spent!

Master ensuite and family bathroom are tiled floor to ceiling. DS's room and downstairs cloakroom are bottom half tiled, top half painted.

All have mist/fog-free lighted mirrors that you switch on by waving your hand over a spot on the side. En-suite versions are both cabinets for extra storage.

Master ensuite has an additional pull-out magnifying mirror.

Both DS and my OH wanted big showers, so we went for 1200x900 trays. I decided on the tile-effect wall panels for DS's shower as they are much easier to keep clean than tiles with grout.

For the same reason (easier to keep clean, no nooks or crannies), DS has an all-in-one sink and toilet unit. Loads of storage in the cupboard under the sink.

I'd suggest fitting one electric shower. If you ever had a problem with your boiler, at least you could still shower in comfort.

OH is quite tall, so the master ensuite has got a 'comfort height' toilet. He likes to put his entire face into the sink after he's shaved, so we went for a large-ish bowl and two taps (otherwise he'd keep hitting his head on a single central tap).

Family bathroom is my personal indulgence, hence the chandelier. It's a Victorian house so I wanted it to have a traditional feel. I didn't want the faff of cleaning under the bath so went for one without feet. It's the most comfortable bath I've ever used.

Having the light switches on the outside means no pull-cords to get grubby.

I'd recommend not getting any plug which has a little lever to open/close it. The lever always gets grubby and it will inevitably break. My plumber said that replacing them was his most common job.

I really wanted to (and did) use local businesses as much as possible. It was a real shame that I couldn't justify the price differences for the bathroom/ensuites/cloakroom. For the all-in-one unit for my DS, I was quoted £799 by a local supplier. I got exactly the same unit for £199 online. My bath was £500 cheaper online than both local places that did it.

I'd suggest letting your plumber source the sundies like waste pipes etc...they will know the brands which are most reliable.

Good luck with your project. Go for what you love, it doesn't matter if it's not 'trendy' or if others like it (would be different advice if you planned to sell).

The shape of inside the toilet is very important if you have young children. They sit at the very front of the toilet seat and always mark it !
You need a down tiled angle for poo to naturally drop down.
4 young kids here 🤣🤣🤣🤣 the shape of inside the toilet is massive for me !!!

Get the lighting with sensors which automatically switch on as you enter the room - no pull cord or fumbling for switches if you get up in the night. Do not get bright coloured rubber flooring which show up every hair or spot of water - we had to have ours changed , now have Amtico distressed wood look which are fab so easy to clean. Get flooring samples and drop spots of water on them. Get a water softener . Get walk in Shower not one with sliding doors.

Plan the design carefully, you wouldn’t rush to choose a kitchen so why do it with a bathroom?

I have very similar to the pictures below. My shower is almost identical, but our ceiling is white and we have a square rather than rectangular bath, so the shower area isn’t as wide. Outside of the shower area the walls are white rather than wood.

A few musts.
Powerful and quiet extractor
Heated mirrors so you can actually see properly
Think about where your lighting is, on a dark day with the light on can you see in to the mirror well? Or is the light being blocked by you?
Make it easy to clean, any gaps or textures will collect dust and limescale.
Discuss the height of shower heads and mark it on the wall/ceiling to make sure its in the right place for you, rather than the right place for the plumber.
The rounder the toilet the comfier it is, it also makes it easier if you need to use a family toilet seat with the childs insert.
Sit on the loo to decide where a fixed loo holder goes.
Stand at the sink to decide where a fixed towel holder goes.

@applesauce1

So much great advice. Thank you.

We were considering floor to ceiling tiles as I thought it looked nicer than a half tiled room (tiling in the shower or around the bath). I'm worried that this might cause the cost to shoot up, and with painted walls, we can more easily and cheaply redecorate to our changing tastes.

Does anyone have any advice on tiles walls vs. Painted walls?

I'd also love a vanity unit like that in my photo. I'd prefer real wood. Anyone know of somewhere we could find something like this, or will I have to ask a carpenter?

When we bought our house the entire bathroom was covered in floor to ceiling tiles. It looked lovely.

However, we had to replace the shower, which meant the tiles in the shower had to be ripped up. We couldn't afford to re-tile the entire bathroom and couldn't find the same tiles that the previous owner had used.

We ended up finding the same pattern tile but a in different colour from a range that was about to be discontinued. We used that, and so the tiling around the shower looks coordinated with the rest of the bathroom rather than matching.

However, I would be wary of having identical floor-to-ceiling tiles in a bathroom again. I'd probably choose a different style for the shower itself.

Wall hung loo and cupboards make small spaces look bigger. Biggest shower cubicle that you can fit in. We used a 90cm corner one with a rounded angle which gives loads of room. All pipes etc boxed in easier to clean. Neutral large wall tiles floor to ceiling with similar coloured floor tiles makes the space larger. Avoid continental taps etc if possible as inlet hoses are narrower than UK reducing flow. put in dual basins if you can manage it - makes a huge difference. Good quality white fittings such as twyfords as can always get white if something breaks. Make a to scale plan and move things around to fit in what you want. Bathroom stores told us we did t have room for what we spend. Did it myself with the builder and we did!

Re tiling, we have fully tiled the wall in the shower (walk in) and the wall behind the sink / vanity area (we’ve put the mirrors over the tiles) but the rest is tiled mid way and looks really good if I may say so myself! I think it would feel claustrophobic tiling all the way to the ceiling and is quite dated.

I will try and post photos later.

The vanity you have shown in the photo is lush, very much my dream bathroom too!

Solid wood I would avoid though as it really will stain as you will inevitably have wet items left standing on it. We have a solid wooden counter (oak) in our WC which looks lovely but is already stained from our soap dish (no big deal as it’s always in the same place). I am also forever wiping it down when the kids have been in (and DH who tends to splash water around like an elephant).

I think you would probably need a carpenter to make something like that, or a very bespoke bathroom fitter. You could get it made in wood and put a granite or stone surface on it - I guess it would then need some support underneath as wall hanging would probably be too heavy.

One thing to note with that vanity - I would divide the larger drawer in two, otherwise it’s a pain if two people are there and you want to open the drawer!

Shameless place marking, as we needs ideas for our en-suite.

Place marking too!

Don’t get waterfall taps
Look at wall panels that look like tiles, really easy to clean
Fit the floor when the room is empty
Storage

This is ours half tiled.

Does anyone know what the hard heavy toilet seat material Is? We are buying a new toilet next month and I want a sturdy one that can be stood on and not the cheap flimsy plastic.

@chloechloe

This is ours half tiled.

That is gorgeous! I'm feeling quite deflated about mine as it's not turned out how I'd hoped