As the proverb goes, failing to plan can all too often mean planning to fail. In the realm of bathroom design, that is a very real and incredibly frustrating possibility. Whether you plan to renovate, expand or create a space entirely from scratch then taking the time to plan and brief your bathroom designer with the necessary details will ensure the end result is exactly what you hoped for.
Aspects to consider
You might have the seeds of an idea or a fully-formed grand vision already inside your head, your bathroom designer will work closely with you to bring those ideas into the open, where they can be shared and moulded into reality.
Spending time in showrooms and online can really help to inspire and form new ideas but caution is needed here, it is still a little too early to make firm commitments and start allocating your budget. Instead, collaborate and share thoughts and ideas with your bathroom designer before you commit.
There are certain things that can help that process…
Your designer will try to establish the things you want your bathroom to achieve; will it be a functional space for the whole family for example, or a place of sanctuary just for you? Are there any drawbacks to your current bathroom layout that you might like to fix?
Thought should also be give to restrictions such as dimensions, services and soil pipe locations as well as window and door locations; it is likely that a visit from your designer and their trusty laser measure will be beneficial; it may well be something they want to do.
The elephant in the (bath) room
Every good bathroom designer needs an idea of the budget their customer is working with. It is after all, the foundation on which they can deliver the very best service to you. The costs of a bathroom can vary considerably. It is important for your designer to be able to share suggestions and suitable products knowing that they are within your budget.
If that information isn’t available at the design stage, the risk of re-designing (and therefore re-quoting) is always in the background; you don’t want that and neither does your bathroom designer. Budgets should always be one of the earliest things to establish.
Layout and style
The next logical steps are deciding what goes where; toilets for example may depend on the location of your soil pipe. Shower enclosures with fixed glazed panels and sliding doors work well in smaller spaces and so do showers over baths. However shower doors that swing open need careful thought with swing space in mind. Here again your bathroom designer can make the world of difference.
When it comes to style, there are a wide range of looks to inspire; you might already have one in mind, such as warm, luxurious space, chic, contemporary, traditional or family-friendly. It is an important part of your brief and can go on to affect aspects of the bathroom such as lighting, flooring, tiling and colour schemes. Having that specialist on-hand with the knowledge of what is available and what might look amazing is a real godsend.
Remember, there is no ‘one size fits all’ solution to designing a bathroom, each design your bathroom specialist creates is as unique as the people who will use it. Working closely with your designer is the best possible way to get a bathroom you’ll love.
