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Original poster

Fitted bathroom furniture or not - help me decide please!

27 replies

DaisymooSteiner · 15/06/2009 13:07

We're having a new bathroom fitted in a few weeks and are trying to decide whether or not to have the basin and toilet built in to fitted units or have them freestanding.

It's not a very big room, so I'm worried that fitted units might make it seem smaller, but on the other hand it might help a bit with storage. Obviously it will add a bit to the cost too.

Are there any other plus and minus points? Do they look nice or a bit naff?

OP posts:
trixymalixy · 15/06/2009 13:22

I don't like fitted bathroom furniture personally, it always look s a bit cheap.

AMumInScotland · 15/06/2009 13:36

I think as long as you get nice quality units then they can look good - we went for fitted when we had to redo our shower-room and it looks really good and makes good use of the space. They don't make it look smaller, because they give it a more "consistent" look, since the loo and basin and the space between have a single run of worktop and matching fronts.

happywomble · 15/06/2009 13:42

I think it may partly depend on the age of your house.

We have an 80s house and a small bathroom which is being stripped out today!
Have gone for fitted furniture. It will be easier to keep clean (fewer exposed pipes etc to clean round) and will include some storage (lacking at the moment). The units we have chosen have wooden doors so I don't think they look that cheap. If you get a decent sized mirror that will make the room look bigger. Also look at rehanging the door to open outwards if possible.

We have resisted getting the halogen lights in the ceiling and gone for a normal bathroom light fitting..hoping we're doing the right thing there.

If you have a period house I suppose it looks nice to have the oldy worldy bathroom to match. As we don't we have gone for the fitted units as they seem most practical for our needs. I am hoping we can put all the clutter in the units and that that will make the bathroom look bigger..no more rows of shampoo on the windowsill etc.

Itsjustafleshwound · 15/06/2009 13:50

If you are going for the built-in units, please make sure you have easy access to the cistern, plumbing and other essentials (which usually take up a good deal of the space!) -

BonsoirAnna · 15/06/2009 13:51

I don't like fitted bathrooms and I hate not having space underneath the basin(s).

happywomble · 15/06/2009 13:59

what do you do in the space under the basin anna?!!

Fizzylemonade · 15/06/2009 14:10

Did a bathroom without and an en-suite with. You can see the unsightly pipework behind the sink and toilet in the bathroom and I hate it, more to clean. Dust gets ontop of the pipe elbows and you have to paint/put rad snaps on the copper pipes.

Fitted hides it all away and the en-suite looks great. Can put lots of things inside the cupboard under the sink which is usually wasted space.

BonsoirAnna · 15/06/2009 14:29

Put my feet there! I hate having to lean over fitted units - it's so uncomfortable. And I think they look ugly - take up lots of visual space.

HerHonesty · 15/06/2009 16:08

personally i have never found fitted units that look anything but a bit cheap. no, sorry, i am lying. the stuff which doesnt look cheap is very very expensive it only looks nice when it is built in by fitters ie a proper joiner.

AMumInScotland · 15/06/2009 16:23

Our basin is sort of half-fitted Anna, so you still stand with your feet under the basin, but the back half, where the pedestal would be, is hidden by the cupboard. I agree, it's a pain having to lean right over the basin if it's right in the worktop like a kitchen sink.

TheDevilWearsYFronts · 15/06/2009 16:39

We have a fitted toilet, purely for the reasons below, much easier to keep clean. I used to hate the job of cleaning around the waste pipe (shudder)

Our Basin is free standing purely to make it easier for toddlers to put stools against and use and the bath is sunken. Very tacky to some, but it's brilliant with small children and the way our flat works (Georgian townhouse conversion) it fits into otherwise wasted space above one of the staircases.

Swedes · 15/06/2009 16:57

We have inherited two fully fitted ensuite bathrooms. I hate the fitted furniture, really hate it. I can't wait to change it all but I'm slowed down by it being of v good quality. But it's still shit if you know what I mean.

Swedes · 15/06/2009 17:00

I hate mixer taps as well..... and we have our fair share of those as well.

psychomum5 · 15/06/2009 17:01

we have just had our bathroom done (pics on profile), and I love it......and IMO the units do not look cheap.

TheDevilWearsYFronts · 15/06/2009 17:12

Oh I love mixer taps, how do you rinse your hands/face with two taps?

BonsoirAnna · 15/06/2009 17:53

Yes I love mixer taps too - separate hot and cold taps are so complicated...

noddyholder · 15/06/2009 18:39

If you really spend a decent amount and have a huge bathroom then floor to ceiling closet like cupboards can look very stylish but otherwise no.

Original poster
DaisymooSteiner · 15/06/2009 18:56

Waaah - I really don't know what to do now! I like the idea of them hiding the pipework away and making cleaning easier, but I don't want them to look cheap and nasty. I don't want to spend huge amounts though either....

OP posts:
HerHonesty · 15/06/2009 19:00

a good plumber will hide the pipes or have them channelled into the wall.

Rubyrubyrubyinthegame · 15/06/2009 19:01

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

trixymalixy · 16/06/2009 10:48

We're just about to do our ensuite and have bought a back to wall toilet with hidden cistern so no pipes to clean round and we're just going to tile the box the cistern goes in and have some hidden storage above it with shelves to hide all our clutter.

It's cheaper than buying fitted units and will hopefully look quite sleek and not so cheap as fitted.

We're also having a wall humg sink with a chrome trap so hopefully shouldn't be too bad to clean under.

happywomble · 16/06/2009 11:03

Daisymoo - I would just go with what you think would look nice and be practical for your purposes.

There are probably tacky fitted units around but there are also cheap looking stand alone loos, basins etc.

I expect years ago kitchens didn't have units but no one would question buying kitchen units now would they?

There are some lovely bathroom units around and the back to wall loos seem quite practical and visually appealing to me. If you go for this option make sure the shelf can be lifted up to gain access to the cistern.

Most basins hang out over the cupboards so there is room for your toes to stand underneath.

I would visit lots of bathroom showrooms and get lots of people in to give quotes. Then you will get some good ideas on the design of your new bathroom.

Original poster
DaisymooSteiner · 16/06/2009 11:24

Thanks for all your replies. I think, on balance, that I will probably go for fitted units in large part because they look so much easier to keep clean!

Just need to pick some units now! It's a bit tricky budget-wise because it's being done as part of an extension/house renovation and if we stick to the budget for building work then we can do what we want price-wise with the bathroom, but if we go over budget we will need to trim other areas. Unfortunately the bathroom is being done first, so we won't know until the end whether we've spent too much on it! Fingers crossed.....

OP posts:
bettyjack · 16/06/2009 15:12

Bespoke fitted untis are lovely.

My husband is a carpenter and has made some beautiful units that only compliment the bathroom.

Especially the dark walnut or wenge.

Lovely.

Any ready made units are quite cheap and unsightly IMO.

bettyjack · 16/06/2009 15:13

If you want to see his work please do

www.pmccarpentry.co.uk

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