Undertaking a bathroom renovation project is a monumental task, and it can be hard to know where to start. Although one of the most important rooms in your home, it’s also often easily overlooked regarding how it looks and feels.
However, a beautiful bathroom can be a wonderful place to unwind after a long day, so if you want to remodel your bathroom, follow this step-by-step guide.
Choose your style and design
When considering any renovation project, the critical first step is to have a clear vision of what you want to achieve. This is especially true of a bathroom. Think about the style and design you want. Are you after something modern with crisp, clean lines, or something more traditional with flowing curves and pastel colours?
Create a mood board with images, colours, patterns, fixtures and fittings that grab your eye, and then begin to refine your choice as you go.
Set your budget
Once you’ve got an idea of your perfect style and design, it’s time to set a budget of what you can afford to avoid overspending.
Taking some of the work on yourself is an excellent way of helping to save money, but don’t take on more work than you’re comfortable with. For instance, you may want to leave intricate plumbing and electrical works to trade specialists but undertake the tiling or painting yourself.
Alternatively, you can leave the entire installation to a professional bath renovation company such as Easy Reno to ensure the perfect finish also meets your budget.
Plan and order
Once you know the design you want and your budget, the next step is to plan the project. This involves measuring your bathroom and creating a layout that combines your design with the space you have.
Then, it’s time to place your order. Determine which suppliers you want to order from and in which size. Use trusted suppliers and brand names, and shop for the highest quality products at the most affordable prices.
Strip out the old bathroom
If you’re happy with the products, layout and project plan, it’s time to begin ripping out your old bathroom. This involves stripping the bathroom back as needed to accommodate the new design.
Disconnect the water and electricity supply before removing everything, and ensure you dispose of all the waste sustainably. If you’re only removing the bath, toilet, shower and sink, then you may be able to leave the tiles in their original place. However, these could get damaged during the installation process.
However, if you’re changing tiling, flooring and heating systems, you can strip the room back to its empty shell.
Begin with your walls and floors
Begin by replastering your walls and installing your floors. At this stage, you may want to add luxury touches, such as heated flooring from Heavenly Heat Inc., to keep your feet warm during winter before encasing them under your new floorboards or tiling.
Once your walls are replastered and prepared and you have your bare flooring down, if you’re laying vinyl, laminate or carpet, you may want to wait to add tiles and paint until the equipment is installed correctly to avoid unnecessary damage during the installation.
Install the bathroom suite
When your basic walls and flooring are ready, it’s time to install the bathroom suite itself. This involves plumbing for your new bath, sink, shower and toilet and any electrical work, particularly with the shower.
You can save significant costs at this stage by undertaking the installation work yourself. However, if you’re unsure at any stage, hiring skilled tradespeople can help you save time and avoid the risk of making potentially expensive mistakes.
Fixtures and fittings
Once the suite is fitted, it’s time to add the fixtures and fittings. Whether you’ve chosen exquisite faucets, lighted mirrors, versatile LED lighting or heated towel rails, this is when your bathroom remodel begins to take shape and reflect your character.
If you have an in-bath shower, this is where you’ll install your shower curtain rail or door and the light switches. This is when you will begin to put your stamp on your new bathroom and when your DIY skills really come into their own.
Tiling, painting and flooring
Adding the tiles, paint and flooring is where your vision begins to come together. Whether you’ve chosen nautical blues or calming greens or to remain neutral with white and silver, finishing the floors and walls in your desired colour scheme elevates your bathroom from a functional space into somewhere you want to sit, relax and unwind.
Vinyl flooring is great if you want a colourful, waterproof base for your bathroom or a mosaic of decorative floor tiles. Adding tiles around the bath and shower to complement the flooring colours adds a further decadent flourish. Painting your room in a light and airy tone to offset heavier shades is a great way to brighten the space and accentuate natural light sources.
Add the finishing touches
All that’s left is to add those final finishing touches, such as beautiful new soft towels to further complement your colour scheme, gorgeous soap dishes or soap dispensers and fluffy bath mats. Whatever you want to complete the look of your ideal bathroom, this is the time to add it.
Another beautiful finishing touch is the inclusion of houseplants, which not only thrive on a bathroom's humidity but also add a touch of the tropical as they grow into lush greenery. Consider plants like snake plants and ZZ plants, which love the moist air of bathrooms but can also withstand cold temperatures during the winter months.
Remodelling your bathroom is a great way to transform a functional space into a luxurious oasis of calm. Here, you can escape after a long day and let your thoughts and stresses wash away.
Whether you undertake the renovation yourself or employ professional experts to take on the job for you, you’ll be amazed at what can be achieved within even the tightest budget to give you a bathroom to be proud of.