Bathroom, Renovations & Design: Where to Start

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Plan the best bathroom renovation with these few steps:

Planning the layout is where you want to start first when it comes to your bathroom renovation. Do you have a particular tile style in mind that you want to use, or have you picked out a bathtub? It is no good if the bath that you have picked out will not fit in the allocated space, so ensure that you carry the correct measurements on you when shopping for your new bathroom.

Know what is essential to you and your home. If you are planning an ensuite and you have plenty of room to deal with, would you like to go with a double shower? It can help to draw the outline of the place you are dealing with and experiment with the different layout options.

Look into a few options don’t just settle for the first one you see. Talk to an interior designer and get some professional advice if you are struggling with ideas on what to do. Remember moving things like the sink, shower and bath may mean you may have to move all the plumbing, which can be costly if you are on a budget.

Know your style

To ensure you get a consistent look, you have to know what you are after in the first place. Are you going for an industrial bathroom look, a modern look or maybe even a coastal interior design vibe?

The best way to decide is to do some research and check out online platforms like Instagram and Pinterest. Pinterest is great for easy DIY projects, and they have all sorts from basic to complex from beginners to professionals. There are plenty of pictures of different cabinets, towel racks, tapware, basins, and showers. Pinterest is perfect for inspiration and to get that mind thinking creatively.

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If you do enough research on Instagram, you will likely come across some excellent accounts that offer interior styling services that specialise in bathroom design. Like Pinterest, you looking through these accounts will give you plenty of ideas, inspiration and maybe even completely change your whole outlook on the process for you.

Once you have come concluded with your online research and inspiration for your bathroom, you should then start to see a theme happening which can help you direct your focus on a trend or style. By the end of the research phase, you should be able to acknowledge what style it is you want to achieve.

Choosing the tiles

If you are after a complete wow factor within your bathroom, then you need to figure out what that wow factor is going to be. Do you want a large format tile behind the bath so that it won’t take away the feature of the bathtub?

Remember, most times; less is more. Don’t have your choices in competition with each other. If you decide on a mosaic-style tile, then ensure that the remaining tiles elsewhere are not clashing with it. Do you want a simple bathroom with new, simple tiles, or are you going for something more like a feature tile? Another option to think about is whether you are going to tile to the wall or not. You could tile halfway up and then paint a feature colour. The choice is yours.

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Working with your budget

It may sound like common sense to work within your budget as everything can add up. So, it is highly recommended that you create a budget on excel spreadsheet to help track of your expenses when undergoing your bathroom renovation. Things could get very ugly if you don’t set yourself a budget, so the best thing to do is create one. If you struggle using excel spreadsheets, then create one on a piece of a paper, guaranteed it would make your life a lot easier.

Just like planning for the look of your bathroom, you need to prepare for the expenses. Ensure before you begin the renovations that you have an idea of how much you want to spend. You should always allow more than expected as renovations don’t always go to plan, things can happen, and unexpected fees can arise. When you are gutting a bathroom, you may find timber that needs to be replaced before you can move on.

When creating your budget, ensure you keep these in mind:

  • Electrical work
  • Plumbing
  • Carpentry work
  • Gyprock
  • Waterproofing
  • Tiling labour
  • Painting labour and materials
  • Tapware
  • Bath
  • Drains
  • Tiles
  • Lighting
  • Exhaust fans
  • Vanity
  • Waste disposal

 

Renovations, in general, can get quite hectic. So, ensure that you allow time just to sit down, relax and chill out for a bit. Have fun with it all; after all, this is your vision that is about to come to life. It should be a happy and exciting time. Another little tip; don’t make the renovation so serious and put too much pressure on yourself. Take your time with it and enjoy the process along the way. Keep the above steps in mind, and you will be on your way to experiencing a smooth sailing, remarkable bathroom renovation.