What you wished you had known when you designed/replaced your bathroom(s) and clever gimmicks

[2020again]

For the first time ever I have the opportunity to re-do bathrooms in a house and looking for input. What are the things that you wish you had considered when you designed a bathroom or things you got wrong? Are there any gimmicks nowadays that people don’t know about - I am thinking of the thermostats that allow you to turn the shower on and get up to set temperature before you get in but am sure there are others. One bathroom will have separate shower cubicle and bath and the other just shower cubicle both plus toilets and sinks of course. Any ideas welcome.

@ItMustBeBedtimeSurely

Why not mosaic tiles in the shower? We are currently doing our bathroom and the plan is to have chequered mosaic on the floor of the shower.

We had a mosaic border in the shower when that was in fashion, it was a pain to clean. A whole floor of it you’d have been pouring bleach on it constantly. Even with dark grout.

Check how you clean the floor tiles if non slip. Ours are a bugger to clean as they shred the mop & you can only use bicarbonate of soda & a scrubbing brush. was not told at the time.

@emwithme

Make sure you can puke into the sink while sitting on the loo.

This!

Soft close toilet seat (although DS still manages to slam it)
Dark grout not white
Double shower heads
Decent extractor fan - ours is controlled separately from the light
Don't get matt textured tiles like we did - they're a pain to clean.

GREY GROUT.

I learned the hard way, but I hope it will help someone:

Shower drain and filter in it. One has to make sure it is easily taken out to be cleaned from hair and whatever dirt build up.

Mine is very awkward and positioned under the folding shower doors; also the weird shape of it makes it very difficult to clean.

@HBGKC Sorry yes Aqualisa, we took out an old Aqualisa shower in our ensuite and replaced it with some no name shower we were recommended.. it's shit in comparison. We did the family bathroom at the same time and got an Aqualisa in there thankfully which is far more powerful.
None of our showers are electric so I can't vouch for them on that front.

Just had ours done.
Fav things are:
Underfloor heating
Secret cupboard at the end of the bath... bath panel is completely tiled and so is the cupboard door. Held closed by a push magnet. Gives us somewhere to hide DDs toys.
Built in cubby/shelf in the shower and next to the sink. So plenty of storage for shampoo etc without annoying racks getting in the way.

Also don't let anyone try and convince you your walls don't need plastering! Especially if you've removed tiles and aren't putting tiles back! Fucking nightmare to paint walls that really should've been replastered!

I really wish I had a heated towel rail

make sure when you buy tiles that they are all from the same batch (batch number on the box)
even simple white tiles differ slightly in colour and shine from batch to batch.

Storage,storage and more storage!
Nothing worse that stuff everywhere

1. Over-ride switch for the extractor - for a quiet soak in the bath.
2. Storage at end of bath - I keep loo brush & cleaner in there.
3. Inset (or not) mirror cabinet above sink. Have shaver plugs put in the cab for electric toothbrushes etc...
4. Shower on/off outside of the cubicle.
5. Storage.
6. Wall hung toilet & sInk.
7. Spot lights & separate wall lights - on different switches. Good for night trips or soak in bath.
8. If you’re not having underfloor heating, look at rubber or cork flooring. Warm underfoot and some lovely modern versions.
9. Separate overhead and hand held shower.

10. If shower is over the bath, you can get flat fold glass screens. Just make sure the hand held bit is out of the fold area.

Don't get a shower tray with grooves in - they are a nightmare to clean! Ours is grooved in the entryway, and smooth in the bit where you stand. Get smooth all over.

Wish we had got underfloor heating - the tiles are so cold to walk on in the morning.

Really happy with our shower controls, which are opposite the entry rather than at the back. I used to hate getting my arm wet with cold water to turn it on!

We went minimalist in the shower and didn't get a handheld attachment. Not realising it would be so useful for cleaning the damn thing!

My favourite thing is our unit, which is a rustic / industrial wood one from Etsy.

Buy a non-slip shower tray. It saves you worrying when your elderly parents come to stay.

I have an Aqualisa electric shower in the loft shower room as it's above the cold water tank which I'm hoping to get rid of and have to say it's brilliant. You have to be careful with how long you use it for though - no more than 15 mins in an hour - so not great for a heavy-use family bathroom if people are showering in succession. But the flow is great. Do get it fitted by someone who knows how to fit that type of shower though as it makes a real difference to how well it works.

What's so special about an Aqualisa shower? Presumably if it's not an electric one it's just a set of pipes? Am I missing something?