How to: Start a bathroom renovation project

21 Dec

With over 35 years experience designing bathrooms, we understand that the process can be daunting and at times confusing. Our designers are experts on all aspects of bathrooms so we caught up with Jo, Alfie and Leanne to hear their top tips for kickstarting a new bathroom project.

Jo is Senior Designer at our London showroom and has been part of the Ripples team for over 10 years. She has won multiple prestigious industry awards for her bathroom designs.

Q: What factors should I take into consideration before starting a bathroom design project?

A: There are a number of key considerations you should think about before starting a bathroom renovation project. My top 4 are:

When are you thinking about doing the work?
Have you considered lead times for products (this can be up to 8 weeks for some items) and also availability for installation teams? Then there’s the installation itself. On average a bathroom installation takes around 3 weeks. This is a surprise to a lot of clients as they often do not realise that a good installation team will need to strip the room back to the bare bones in order to transform it into a beautiful finished bathroom.
Who is going to be using the bathroom: do you need to future proof it, does it need to be a child-friendly family bathroom, or is it an adult only space to relax in at the end of the day?
Do you have the finances in place to do the work? Have you considered what the average cost of a bathroom (including product and installation) could be? A bathroom project could be almost limitless and is very much dependent on the style and finish you are hoping to achieve. An ‘average’ bathroom starts at approximately £10,000 for product with installation starting at around £7,000. You can usually expect around a 50/50 split of cost across product and installation.

Alfie is designer at our Beaconsfield showroom and boasts a first-class honours degree in Industrial & Product Design. He is renowned for his interesting use of materials and luxe bathroom designs.

Q: I am overwhelmed with choice, how do I narrow down my options?

A: There is a lot of choice out there so it is easy to feel overwhelmed. How I normally work with a client is to see if there is a running theme in their inspirational images. My advice would then be to decide on one element of the bathroom which is completely non-negotiable. Perhaps you’ve fallen in love with a roll-top bath, obsessed over a statement tile or you’re certain you want a round mirror in your room. Usually, deciding on one element of the bathroom can help guide the rest.

I find many clients are particularly overwhelmed when trying to choose between products which are ‘on-trend’ versus products which are a little more timeless. Creating an on-trend bathroom that won't date is always tricky as the whole concept of being on trend is very much like fashion – it's constantly changing! That being said there are ways to get around it. Firstly, make sure you love the trend. A bathroom generally only gets updated every 10 years so it’s a big commitment to something if you are not completely sold on it. Secondly, I usually advise taking elements of the current trends but toning them down slightly. Perhaps you could go for timeless bathroom furniture and sanitaryware and incorporate your preferred trend though blinds, towels and accessories.

Leanne is Senior Designer at our Newbury showroom and has over 10 years experience designing beautiful bathrooms. She is regularly featured as a design expert in the interiors press.

Q: I have a set budget for my bathroom project. Which areas can I save on and which should I invest in?

A: This is largely down to personal choice and the way you envisage using your bathroom. Personally, I always think it is worth investing in brassware as this is handled every day and you will quickly tell if the quality is not up to scratch. I also think quality tiles are really worth investing in as low quality tiles can almost look almost pixilated and can cheapen the overall aesthetic of the space. Part tiling the bathroom is a great way to introduce higher quality and more interesting tiles without having to spend too much.

I also believe it’s important to invest in multiple lighting options as it’s so key to the useability and feeling of the bathroom. The first level of lighting needed for all bathrooms will be either downlights or a central light. This is controlled by one switch and gives you the overall lighting needed for general use and cleaning. The next level of lighting is task lighting. This could include lighting within your mirror or wall lights either side of the mirror. Wherever possible, go for side rather than top lighting to give a good overall lighting with minimal shadows – perfect for getting ready on dark winter mornings! The next level of lighting to consider is mood lighting. Low level lighting is key in a bathroom especially one with a bath or in an en-suite. This can be incorporated in soft spot lighting or strip lighting on top of recesses, by a bath or underneath a vanity unit. Having this on a separate switch means early mornings, late nights and even any middle-of-the-night trips to the bathroom are not disturbed by bright lights coming on.

If working to a tighter budget, I always advise sticking to high quality brands but choosing their entry level products as a means of making a saving. The materials will generally be the same and they will have the same guarantees but you may just miss out on having the very latest pattern or design.

Key considerations to take into account when deciding on your bathroom budget include:

Brassware finish – anything other than chrome is classed as ‘special finish’ and will be more highly priced
Classic or traditional styles generally work out slightly more expensive than more modern styles