Bathrooms are as a sanctuary of calm in a country home. In the busy family homes we design, bathrooms have become a space to retreat. We spent a lot of time planning these spaces and there are so many areas to think through. In this article I set out the key points to consider when planning your bathroom, as well as the pitfalls to avoid.
What to plan in a bathroom layout
The layout of your bathroom is the foundation of your bathroom. If the functionality doesn’t work, it doesn’t matter how beautiful it is. Make sure that key areas flow without creating cramped or awkward corners. We tend to start with the placement of the bath. Ideally, we like to put the bath under the window. Try not to cram to much else in that space as if it’s tight around the edges it makes it impossible to clean around the edges. The one exception is the towel rail. The “grabability” of your towel is such an important area to consider, for bath the bath area and for when you step out of the shower. With your shower door, you need to make sure the door swings doesn’t clash with anything else in the room, as well as allowing you to reach for your towel. Sliding doors and walk in showers only really work on larger showers.
Consider the sight lines when you come into the room. We always try to avoid seeing the toilet first, unless the soil pipe position dictates it must go in that particular position. In old houses it’s incredibly difficult and expensive to move the soil stacks, so sometimes it’s the only choice! One trick we use is to hide the toilet behind the vanity.
Consider your storage needs
Generally, you’ll have the option of cupboard-based vanity units or drawer-based vanity units. Ask yourself whether you’d prefer to have your bottles standing up or would you prefer organised drawer storage? The advantage of drawers is that you can see all the products neatly laid out. However, if you have lots of products a cupboard style vanity might work better. Some vanity units also come with super organised equipment incorporated, such as shaver/toothbrush sockets.
If you really want to maximise storage for a vanity unit then consider sinks that sit on the surface. When you have undermount sinks (where they sit flush with the countertop) you will lose the top two drawers for the basins and pipework. It’s a different look though and I sometimes found deck mounted basins a bit fussy and they can also splash more!
With vanity units you can opt for painted or wood, or console type sinks with metal frames. With the console sinks the compromise is storage. You’ll need to consider where else you could incorporate storage, either as an additional freestanding piece or build recessed mirrored cabinets in the wall. Check though with your builder if these recessed cabinets are a possibility in the walls. In this project we choose beautifully shaped cabinets that added an extra interest in the room, rather than a boxy cabinet.
Finally, you can be creative with vanity units. In this recent project we wanted to add a nostalgic feel and more character. We bought a cheap chest of drawers and then had the carpenter convert it into a vanity unit. It has great storage too, as well as adding depth to the room.
Allow as much surface space as possible
Free up counter space by having wall mounted taps if possible. I do generally find in old houses this isn’t an option though and “deck mounted” taps are the only option. If you have deck mounted taps, go as wide as you can with your vanity unit to maximise counter space for the products you use on a regular basis, as well as your toothbrush!
Remember that in guest bathrooms you will need less storage and surface space, as they are used less regularly.
Check your fittings with your builder and plumber
Different brassware (e.g. taps and showers) companies work better for certain water pressures. In period properties there are some products we either can’t use (as they need a certain water pressure to work well) or we have to ask the builders to incorporate new equipment such as pumps. Pumps aren’t always an option so always ask your builder to check.
The other question you should ask is whether there is enough space under the floorboards for all the pipework required. In old houses we often find the void underneath old floorboards can be very narrow. A compromise may mean additional boxing in is required. I prefer to avoid boxing in but sometimes it is unavoidable in old buildings.
Lastly check the weight of the bath you would like to have. Heavy cast iron baths in old houses are sometimes not possible, particularly if there are old floorboards and weak joists. And the delightful slipper bath you’ve fallen in love with might create too much weight pressure in the feet. Ask your builder what is possible. Also check whether the bath will get up the stairs and in through the door! It’s such a common mistake to make!
Consider the look and feel for the room
Pull together three or four images of how you would like the room to look. We prepare moodboards but you could do a simple Pinterest board. Don’t spend hours and hours on Pinterest as it can be including confusing it you spend too long on it. If you need inspiration hotel bathrooms can be a great place to start.
With colour choices if you would like a relaxed calm feel then opt for a chalky pale colour palette such as dusky pink, pale green, eau de nil or light blues.
Choose materials and finishes carefully
With stone for floors, we tend to choose a tumbled stone as they have far more character and are less slippery when wet. Always install under floor heating if it’s possible. Patterned tiles also look beautiful but need to be carefully sealed as they can suffer over time with marking. I think they tend to be harder to clean.
On the walls you have many more options. I love to add texture on the walls (such as Bejmat tiles). However, your tiler might not thank you! They tend to be more expensive to layout and grout, so check with them first if their estimate covers this. A safer option may be a glazed tile. In a bathroom where you’d like a nostalgic feel, a patterned tile adds a beautiful extra detail. In this bathroom we combined the original wood flooring with pattern on the walls and tongue and groove panelling.
With metal finishes for your taps and showers, this will be influenced by the look and feel you would like to achieve. We opt for chrome in modern bathroom (or a kid’s bathrooms where there is less budget), brushed nickel for a traditional bathroom and antique brass or bronze for more rustic bathrooms. For the latter these finishes are more expensive, so we tend to use these in principal bathrooms. I think it’s worth investing in these finishes as they have such a quality feel to them and you touch them every day.
Bear in mind that the antique brass and bronze finishes are often “live’ finishes, meaning they will patina with age. With live finishes these metal change over time and I think add a huge amount of character. If you want your finishes to stay exactly the same, they might not be the choice for you. The last point on antique brass and bronze is that the lead time is often quite long, so check these with your bathroom supplier and update your builder on the timescales.
Combine different sizes of tiles
How you combine different scales will affect how calm a room will feel. Generally, we have two sized tiles in each bathroom– the shower tiles and then the floor tiles. With floor tiles I tend to go for the larger size formats so that the room doesn’t feel too busy. In the shower I would opt for a smaller tile –such as the brick shapes, slim rectangles or squares. With brick shaped tiles you have many options for how you can lay these out. I love herringbone for a timeless feel that also adds texture.
Don’t forget the lighting
Focus on layering your lighting. By this I mean a combination of different types of lighting. We combine “general lighting” with “task lighting” and then ‘decorative lighting”. With general lighting you need that for practical tasks such as showering. For that we’d use overhead downlights and plan the positions carefully across the bathroom. For task lighting (cleaning your teeth etc) you can either use overhead lighting or decorative wall lights. I personally prefer wall lights as they are far more flattering to the face and also add interest in the room. Downlights above your head create shadows and are very unflattering. Make sure you can control the brightness of your wall lights with dimmers, so that you can adjust the lighting between day and evening.
Finally consider low level sensor-based lighting for nighttime visits to the toilet!
I hope you have found this article helpful. Do get in touch if you would like more support designing your bathroom. We offer a full bathroom design service including sourcing all the bathroom products, preparing drawings for the builder and co-ordinating with the plumber onsite.
