Bathroom Planning: How to Buy a Bathroom
So you’ve finally decided to treat yourself and your family to a new bathroom. Congratulations! But before you go online and sift through all those gorgeous bathroom furniture collections and brand new bathroom suites, there are a few questions you need to ask yourself first.
Buying an entire bathroom suite will require some planning and, if you’re not sure where to begin, allow us to talk you through the process. From planning your new family bathroom to buying the different fixtures such as the bath and shower, there’s lots to tick off. Whether you want to install a sleek, contemporary corner shower or you have your eye on a traditional free-standing bathtub, follow the steps below to perfectly plan and prepare for your dream bathroom.
How to Plan Your Dream Bathroom
If you’re looking for guidance from bathroom planners on how to plan the new family bathroom that you’ve been dreaming of, you’re in the right place. Below, we have set out a clear guide to assist you in ticking off the things that need to be considered to help you with your dream bathroom ideas.
Top 10 Considerations for Planning New Bathroom Suites
For a quick checklist for your brand new bathroom suite, follow the list of 10 considerations below. The task of fitting a new bathroom should definitely be passed onto a specialist if you have no experience, however, there are some recommendations that will help you get the basics complete. And, if you’re looking to increase your home resale value, there is no better way to do so than improving your bathroom fittings and overall look.
1. Plumbing: High or Low Pressure?
It’s not a very interesting question to pose in comparison to choosing the design of your bathroom, but it is crucial to know. Different water pressure systems will affect the type of showers you can install in your bathroom. This is affected by the overall plumbing required, as well as having a bearing on your heating plans, so you need to know what to expect when it comes to the pricing.
Combi-boilers tend to be high pressure and the older-fashioned hot water tanks in airing cupboards are usually low pressure. Modern bathrooms are showing a growing trend for people to include a luxurious shower enclosure even at the expense of a bath and there is now a generous variety available to meet this growing need.
Always be sure to consult about your plumbing with a professional where you aren’t sure of precise information. This is a fundamental step in planning for your new bathroom and one that needs to take into account everything related to the technical aspects.
2. Style
The style of your new bathroom suite is one of the best parts of the process to work on. Whether you choose to go for a period-style bathroom with a roll-top standalone bath or a wet room with a high-tech quadrant shower enclosures design, there are an abundance of bathroom layout ideas out there. In fact, it can be hard to refine them and come up with a bathroom suite that’s perfect for you.
We always recommend first and foremost to set a clear budget for your bathroom renovation. Fixtures inclusive of the bath (if applicable), shower, and toilet can all be pricey but this doesn’t mean you can’t find great value for money too when creating your bathroom.
One of our top tips is to think about which bathroom styles are realistic based on the budget that you have set, once you’ve done this you can go on to choose products. You will need to cover bathroom lighting, tiles, and flooring as part of this.
3. Eco-friendly Design
More and more people are choosing to make their homes eco-friendly, and a bathroom can be a great place to start. Water wastage is a big problem and because of this many bathroom companies are choosing to release products that help reduce your usage. This also benefits you because you’ll have to pay less for your home bills too!
If you want to incorporate eco-friendliness into your own bathroom, choose a shower design that focuses on recycling. You won’t have to worry about installation as this kind of shower is installed the same way as a standard shower and can do wonders for an environmentally-conscious family. You can also find other products that help to save energy such as light-up mirrors that use LEDs rather than fluorescent tubes.
Other aspects of your bathroom design that could be eco-friendly include flooring where recycled materials are used. You may have to spend a bit more money upfront if you’re looking for these type of products but overall they’re a solid choice. There are lots of accessories and pieces of furniture that you can even pick up second-hand too.
4. Space
If you’re a bit pushed for space then consider wall-hung furniture for your bathroom suite. This type of accessory will leave enough space for comfort in a shower room and can actually make the bathroom appear larger because your eye can roam around the walls more freely. Wall-hung vanity units are a perfect solution where space is limited, as they provide you with extra room for keeping products out of sight for a tidy feel.
Other ways to save space, if this needs to be considered for your bathroom, include choosing corner toilets or corner basins. They can be fitted by a bathroom specialist and are a clever way to fit in all the essentials regardless of the size of the room while allowing easy access at the same time. Again, these type of designs work to leave more floor area visible to give the illusion of a larger bathroom overall. They come in many styles and you won’t need to worry about any complex plumbing which remains standard.
Always take precise measurements of the area that you have available before factoring in what will go where. You also need the exact dimensions of the important fittings that you choose such as the bath, sink, and toilet using a tape measure. After this, you can sketch out an idea of the layout that you wish to achieve using graph paper. We recommend doing this as a scale drawing where possible for your bathroom.
5. Taps
When choosing the products for your bathroom, taps may not be considered an exciting feature to consider. However, the range of tap designs for the bath and basin available today gives more choice than ever. Even if you are shopping for shower enclosures, taps need to be considered.
When you begin to search for taps to buy, you will notice that most have a monobloc mixer design. This means that the tap is reliant on high-pressure and they make ideal standard choices as they look refined at the same time.
If you want something a little more luxurious, sensor taps automatically turn on when movement is detected. While this is a great selling point, they can be particularly unsuitable if small children live in the home. With these points in mind, it’s a good idea to choose the style that suits the aesthetic you are trying to achieve. The price of taps can vary as can their design, from size to the way in which water runs into the sink or bath.
6. Space Saving Shower/Baths
So, you can’t decide between a walk-in shower or a bathtub? The great news is, if you are limited on space, you can have both! There are plenty of great combined products specially designed for more compact bathrooms which allow you to not just choose one or the other. The size of your bathroom shouldn’t determine whether you can relax in a bath or take a quick shower.
Shower baths are increasing in popularity and there are many great designs and styles today for your own bathroom. Depending on the kind of shower that you want in your bathroom, you can find great value for money and some super high-tech options too. Showering in a bath isn’t all too bad when you can comfortably switch between the two and make great savings along the way.
7. Heating
When choosing the type of heating for your new bathroom, there are a few options to choose to use depending on what you need. Underfloor heating in bathrooms is becoming increasingly popular (no prizes for guessing why with the fashion for tiling and laminate flooring). This type of heating can give a luxury feel to any bathroom but it isn’t going to be ideal for a wet room.
The classic column radiator offers total practicality in any bathroom and has a timeless look. In fact, you can choose from a range of style options based on the look that you want to create. Heated towel rails are also an ideal standard option for adding a touch of luxury without going overboard when it comes to the price.
By taking everything into account from your budget to the style you like best, heating should be considered an important aspect of your new bathroom suite.
8. Additional Technology
Technology is constantly developing, even in the case of our home. Today, you can use technology to add striking design features and style to your bathroom, inclusive of sensor-operated mirrors, automatic flush toilets, heated toilet seat options, and other things too.
If you are aiming to kit your bathroom out with the latest fittings, a good option is to start with the main fittings such as the shower and toilet before moving onto accessories that make the experience of stepping foot into the bathroom space amazing every time.
In addition to technology that assists you in the bathroom and makes the area more comfortable, things such as the extractor fan can be modern too. While there is the classic extractor fan that probably everybody has seen, the more technological type even triggers automatically upon detecting the need to do so. Who knew bathroom fittings could be so advanced?
9. Furniture and Storage
Long gone are the days of the classic storage unit in the bathroom. While you may be hoping to achieve a traditional design, there is a range of solutions available for bathrooms including floating shelves, bespoke fittings, wall hooks, and many other options.
If you have a large family, storage is going to be a priority. It is also important to think about the practicalities of the option that you choose. A medicine cabinet is great for keeping items away from little hands, for example, as it can be fitted high up on the wall.
Hooks can be great for saving space, or towel rails that have a position on the walls. Depending on the layout of your bathroom, you may be able to fit shelves for different things, which provide easy access for items for use in the shower. No matter your budget, there are plenty of options when it comes to this factor of a bathroom.
10. Finishing Touches and Decor
All bathrooms require decor and finishing touches to complete the overall look. Once you have chosen from the range of shower enclosures and have fitted the bathroom lighting, the smaller bathroom products should be considered. This includes things such as rugs (which have a place in every room in the home), plants, art, candles, and anything else that you may want to include in the area.
You don’t have to spend a lot on these smaller things which can be found at just about any price point. Some accessories can be picked up from homeware stores at under £10 and you can make extra savings by shopping at vintage stores for one of a kind pieces.
While you may have the toilet and other important things in place in the bathroom, the finishing decor will really bring the whole look together.
