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Original poster

Advice on renovating a VERY small bathroom please

70 replies

KristinaM · 27/04/2006 12:06

We want to remove the tasteful turquoise suite and replace with a white one with shower over the bath. No room for shower cubicle. Fittings need to stay in the same place. Room is dark as light to window is blocked by neighbour’s extension.

So, some specific questions:

Are compact bathroom fittings worth the extra money? They seem to be about double the cost!!!

Does anyone have a short 1500mm bath and if so, does it feel tiny? The bathroom would mostly be used by our children. We have a standard 1700mm bath now and your kneees hit the corner of it when you sit on the loo!!!!

Tiles - Should we tile all the walls or just the ones we need to, above the bath? It wouldn’t cost a lot more to do all four walls, as room is so small. Would it make the room feel too cold? If not, do we just put up plasterboard and paint them with bathroom/kitchen emulsion?

Some friends say use all white tiles, as they will make room look larger. Others say it will look too cold and clinical! If we don’t use white tiles, how else can we keep the cost down?

Any alternatives to horrid white plastic bath panels?

Are acrylic baths ok or should we fork out for the more expensive ones?

Mirrors – all the magazines say to use lots to make the room look bigger. Do we get these fitted to the walls and the tile around them (cheaper) or get tiles done then hang mirrors?

Storage – I have looked at bathroom cabinet and am Shock by the cost!!! Any suggestions?

OP posts:
brimfull · 27/04/2006 13:04

the tiles were about average I think,about £3-4 hundred.
THe wall with the mirror is painted below,but I would imagine you would tile aferwards.

Original poster
KristinaM · 27/04/2006 13:09

VVv - impossible to change the layout I'm afriad - room is too small. like the sound of blue dado tiles

Starlover - we have 3 small, badly brought up kids so I'm afraid they do bounce in the bath

Hub2d - have measured wall but not enough space for back to wall loo Sad. shame as they look very tidy

OP posts:
brimfull · 27/04/2006 13:09

we also changed the door to open outwards as hub2dee suggests.

we put a shower over the bath and have a glass bathscreen that can be moved out of the way to bathe children

we don't have any window blind as it's obscured glass and is not overlooked at all.

Original poster
KristinaM · 27/04/2006 13:12

bathrrom is not overlooked as neighbours wall is in teh way. but coudl block thsi out with fake frosted film recommended by spub??

OP posts:
Original poster
KristinaM · 27/04/2006 13:13

Hub - the ideal standard space stuff is mebabucks!!!! £300 for a loo!!!!

OP posts:
starlover · 27/04/2006 13:15

ahh steel may be worth it then.
if you do decide to go for one then check the thickness.. i know when my parents got theirs you could choose different thicknesses and it did say that thinner ones may bend, particularly if you stand at one end to shower?!?

Original poster
KristinaM · 27/04/2006 13:24

thats a good idea - i expect the kids will move to showers rather than baths when they are about 7 or 8. Will get folding glass screen rather than yukky curtain

will check out B&Q sale this aftrenoon after collecting DS1

oooh you guys are great - I am all fired up with enthusiam and want it done TODAY!!!!!!!

OP posts:
LIZS · 27/04/2006 13:27

Bath screen is great - you can replace it when you have the kids splashing in he bath so it contains the water !

hub2dee · 27/04/2006 13:35

K - £140 \link{http://homesupply.co.uk/search.php?nobox=&scat=&stext=studio&stype=&sprice=&pg=4\here}... just use a price comparison site or google... you'll find them much cheaper. I just used that page as an example.

hub2dee · 27/04/2006 13:36

Actually, that's not the one I meant, but the whole range can be had very much cheaper if you have a bit of a surf, or go haggle at your local independent bathroom dealer !

starlover · 27/04/2006 13:37

This reply has been deleted

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cod · 27/04/2006 13:39

big tiles make small roms lok bigger

arfy · 27/04/2006 13:40

yes I want to know that.
Don't all loos have their backs to the wall?

BettySpaghetti · 27/04/2006 13:57

We've managed to get an ex-display space-saving loo and basin for our shower room at a fraction of the cost. It might be worth trawling around your local builders merchants/DIY stores/bathroom showrooms if you have the time.

hub2dee · 27/04/2006 13:59

Two types (if I've understood correctly): one is where the cistern is contained behind a false wall (like in flash hotels etc.) so you just press the button... and the other, the cistern is redesigned, and integrated into the casting at the back of the bog IYSWIM.

By having a false wall, or using a stud partition backing onto another bit of room (airing cupboard / hot water cylinder etc. etc.) you can put the cistern OUTSIDE the bathroom and save space.

By having the cistern integrated into the pan, you are able to have it closer to the wall, potentially saving about 10 inches or so.

Angeliz · 27/04/2006 14:13

KristinaM, Makro have some nice evry reasonably priced bathroom cabinets (very slimline too) at the moment.

Original poster
KristinaM · 27/04/2006 14:21

OOOh i didnt knwo that H2D you are a mine of useful info. i thought you needed a false wal to put the cistern bit in

angeliz - will check out makro

OP posts:
Original poster
KristinaM · 27/04/2006 14:24

harvey Maria tiles are very cool and funky...but i am a boring old fart so will try Wickes for soemthing more....ahem....traditional Blush

OP posts:
hub2dee · 27/04/2006 14:39

Hmmm... I think I may be talking pants actually.

I'm sure I came across something like this in our searches, but this was 5 years ago when we were doing ours... can't find anything similar now. Maybe they were American ? Some clever system is needed to pressurise the water so it can be made to come out (under pressure IYSWIM) around the toilet rim... similar technology to how some urinals work actually...

starlover · 27/04/2006 14:39

hub... if the toilet goes wrong, ie if there are problems with the cistern or the pipe that comes out the back of the toilet, does it make it a major job to get to everything and fix it?

hub2dee · 27/04/2006 14:42

Not sure, sl. Never installed it. Usual practice is to have the rear panel fixed in using invisible / hidden fixings IYSWIM so you just pop it off to access / repair.

Of course, if the cistern is outside the bathroom altogether, usually it's in some magic space / rear of a cupboard / next to the hot water cylinder etc. so you can get to it that way...

desperateSCOUSEwife · 27/04/2006 14:47

kristina we have a tiny bathroom in this house
i tiled 2 of the walls in bog standard white tiles and then grouted them with royal blue grouting
it doesnt look so clinical now plus it adds color
also i bought one of those over the toilet shelving racks in chrome and glass
and they are woth the money as plenty of storage for rolled up towels and smellies
leave a wall to attach mirror tiles if you can say for eg a metre by a half metre to give some extra light
paint in pale color
good luck
xxx

starlover · 27/04/2006 14:48

coloured grouting???????????????????/ where from? or did you make it yourself?

desperateSCOUSEwife · 27/04/2006 14:48

ps as for bath panels
we tongued and grooved our bottom half of bathroom and painted it white then sanded back to give it a distressed look

desperateSCOUSEwife · 27/04/2006 14:49

can get tubes of it from b and q
have a tube that has not been used but will be finding it in next week or so
as we are moving