Why a plain white or grey bathroom? Why not go bold and create a space that makes getting ready for the day or bed a joyful experience? These were my initial thoughts going into our small bathroom makeover. Often, bathrooms can feel cold and uninviting (figuratively and literally) as many of the features in a bathroom are made from hard, cold materials (e.g. tiles, glass, metal). But I think a room constructed of hard materials can still look and feel warm and inviting - with the combination of colour, pattern and texture. 

A nod to the 60s with a touch of English seaside cottage

Playful was the keyword we focussed on throughout the design process, eschewing the neutral, minimalist bathroom style that is the norm in houses in our area, with a nod to our home’s 1960s beginnings with orange and green floral patterned tiles and bold blue walls. I’d been very inspired by the work of UK designer Rita Konig and her contemporary take on traditional European design. I love how she makes ‘old’ styles look fresh. Similarly, I wanted to to bring in a sense of timeless cosiness with wood accents paired with brushed brass and tongue and groove moulding. 

Lessons in bathroom layout

The thing about working with small spaces is that you have to pause and think about not only where everything will go but also how they all fit together in the space,

We’d make the rookie mistake of:

A. Purchasing our bathroom vanity before measuring up the layout (not recommended unless you are 100% certain that you’ve measured up correctly)

B. And not triple-checking our measurements

Initially, we’d planned to put the vanity against the wall adjacent to the bathroom entrance, unfortunately, the vanity turned out 5cm too deep which didn’t leave enough space for the shower door to swing open. Thankfully, our plumbers at Trueblue Plumbers were able to reconfigure the positioning of the internal pipes - allowing us to place the vanity parallel to the shower. The mistake may have cost us more BUT the new layout opened up more space - which is always a win in small bathrooms.

Expect (and budget) for the unexpected

Ahhh, budget. My least favourite word in the English dictionary. Alas, budgets are the reality of all creative endeavours. We would advise anyone going into a bathroom renovation to:

A. Expect surprises during the demo stage - when removing existing showers, baths, towels, vanities, etc. Watch out for water damage, mould, wood rot - and things that need replacing which can lead to structural repairs and additional costs.

B. NOT to take shortcuts during the renovation process. Water damage (which can lead to mould and rot) a very real possibility in bathrooms - especially when things like tiles and showers are installed incorrectly or when the wrong materials are used. 

C. Hire plumbing professionals. In New Zealand, plumbing work is classified as ‘restricted work’ and requires tasks to be carried out by a licensed plumber. This is especially important if you plan on selling your home in the future and for insurance coverage purposes.

D. When estimating the overall cost of your bathroom renovation - we suggest adding 5-10% ‘padding’ for unexpected costs because they will pop up.