When my dad moved into his new flat, the bathroom was in dire need of a full renovation.Featuring broken and stained fittings, bad pipework with a plastic access panel, ugly tiles and a quirky fish toilet seat, this bathroom was also a safety hazard with exposed electrical wires and fire damage. I wanted to transform this space for him into a sophisticated, modern bathroom that was easy to use and keep clean. The small bathroom layout needed addressing, and I wanted to focus on bathroom storage within such a compact area. With no natural light in the room, I intended to bring an organic colour palette of white and sage green to the interior, as well as add texture and warmth via wood-effect floor tiles.
The before! As well as being dirty and not aesthetically pleasing, this bathroom had exposed wires and fire damage.
The bath was stained with paint and the only good thing about the fish toilet seat was that it distracted from the bad pipe work!
We worked with B&Q on this project. I had a clear idea of all the design elements that I wanted to include, such as a wall-hung toilet and a crittall shower screen, but it was the pipework that was our biggest concern. We did not want those ugly pipes exposed behind the toilet, and there were no pipes in place for a wall-mounted showerhead.
After picking out our favourite fittings in the DIY store, we used the B&Q bathroom design service. They did a CAD design from the floor plan so we could see how everything might look and what could be fitted into a space which was only 190 cm x 170 cm. I took invaluable advice for maximising the compact space from Shaz Maharaullee, Director of The Furniture People, who suggested prioritising storage within a small area.