Bathroom design ideas needed please

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I'm figuring on doing our bathroom up (again) but I'm really stuck for ideas on what to do with it.

We have to have the smallest bathroom in the history of bathrooms at 145cm x 206cm.

The shower cubicle has wet wall panelling in it.

Problem I've got is what to do with the walls. I don't think tiling would go with the wet wall (it would look odd I reckon), I don't fancy wet walling the whole bathroom (a) for the cost and b) I don't want it to look like a public convenience). I thought about T&G panelling - whether it be up to the window ledge height or to the top of the door frame. But what to do with it - emulsion it the same colour the walls are at the moment or gloss it white. Then, of course, you can get that PVC T&G in white - seems like a whole lot less work, but would it look nice............

Or any other suggestions.................

Oh, and the reason I'm thinking of T&G or something is cos it's always freezing cold in the bathroom and I'm thinking that might help insulate it.

And then I've got to think about the floor..........

All suggestions gratefully received (as long as they're not rude!! :LOL: )
 
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large tiles in a small bathroom look great.

they also give a feeling of space.

tile two walls only, adjacent shower walls preferably. tile these walls top to bottom, no skirting.

if possible, include a large mirror in the bathroom.

i'm not a fan of downlights, but they are ideal in a bathroom. use them above each station.

paint the remaining walls, a good solid colour, but avoid gaudy pastels. the downlights will take care of the light.
 
Thanks.

You reckon tiles will look OK even with the Wet Wall?

My neighbour has hers fully tiled in white with the odd bit of black here and there and black tiles on the floor. It looks lovely but I didn't fancy the idea of having to haul the Wet Wall out - mainly cos I like it in the shower cubicle.
 
you say it is cold

does it suffer from condensation and damp?

is it a ground floor extension? has it got a flat roof? How big is the window? Is it double-glazed?

What sort of insulation has it got, what sort of ventilation, and what sort of heating? What size radiator?

Do you have a hot water cylinder and an airing cupboard? where is it?
 
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you say it is cold

does it suffer from condensation and damp?

No, no condensation or damp - the only bit of condensation I get is on the toilet cistern. No where else.

is it a ground floor extension? has it got a flat roof? How big is the window? Is it double-glazed?
It's not an extension, but it is a ground floor flat. The window is north facing and is 31 inches x 50 inches and is double glazed.

What sort of insulation has it got, what sort of ventilation, and what sort of heating? What size radiator?
There's no insulation at all. It's an old house and isn't cavity wall although there is a cavity between the outside layer of brick and the inside lathe and plaster. The internal walls are brick. It's gas central heating with a single rad of 500mm x 600mm. The big problem is the uninsulated 9 feet drop under the floor!!! That's the approximate depth of the foundations. I'm waiting on a quote for under floor insulation.

Do you have a hot water cylinder and an airing cupboard? where is it?

And no hot water cylinder any more. Got a combi boiler a couple of years ago.

I've put 6mm marine ply on the floor, then underlay, then laminate and sealed every single gap I can find between skirtings and floors but it's still bloomin freezing.

I can probably break the world record for being in and out the shower in double quick time!!
 
it would do no harm to double the size of the radiator (or more) and/or make it a finned double if the current one is a single

Put a TRV on it so you can turn it down when not occupied.

If you have the money, you could consider (on the external wall) having the L&P ripped out and replaced with insulated plasterboard which includes a layer of rigid foam and will probably be no thicker (a tiler will know if there is a thicker insulating board you can use that will accept tiles). internal walls don't usually lose significant heat.

Check that you have sealed the floor under tha bath and any other boxed-in areas (plumbers like to leave holes in the floor under the bath)

Check that you have no gaps in the ceiling where hot air can rise out to the benefit of your upstairs neighbour (usually round light fittings and pipes)

A roller blind that is a close fit to the wall helps reduce cold air falling off the window, even if double glazed. your window sounds quite big for a bathroom

An extractor fan keeps the humidity down without having to open a window and let cold draughts in
 
Thanks

it would do no harm to double the size of the radiator (or more) and/or make it a finned double if the current one is a single

Put a TRV on it so you can turn it down when not occupied.

There is a TRV on the rad already but the first thing I was going to do was change it for a double because the single just doesn't seem to throw out much heat.

Check that you have sealed the floor under tha bath and any other boxed-in areas (plumbers like to leave holes in the floor under the bath)

Check that you have no gaps in the ceiling where hot air can rise out to the benefit of your upstairs neighbour (usually round light fittings and pipes)
No bath anymore but I made sure I sealed as much as I could. The only place I couldn't seal was where the basin waste goes down under the floor boards - I can't get behind the pedestal with anything - barely even my hand. No gaps at the ceiling either plus as far as I know, the ceiling is double - there's the old lathe and plaster ceiling and a plasterboard one over the top (don't ask me why!!)

A roller blind that is a close fit to the wall helps reduce cold air falling off the window, even if double glazed. your window sounds quite big for a bathroom
Yeah, it's a HUGE window for a bathroom - it takes up nearly all of the short wall. I've got a venetian blind at it just now but might change it.

An extractor fan keeps the humidity down without having to open a window and let cold draughts in
And I've got an extractor fan, but I have to admit I switched it off at the mains and blocked it up because it was installed smack bang right above the radiator and I'm sure it was sucking all the heat out!

When you go in the shower in my house, you have to fight to get past the three polar bears and 15 penguins!! :LOL: :LOL:
 
I'm figuring on doing our bathroom up (again) but I'm really stuck for ideas on what to do with it.

We have to have the smallest bathroom in the history of bathrooms at 145cm x 206cm.

Hmm sounds similar dims to our recently "pimped out" original 70's bathroom ..which bearing in mind I'm used to not having central heating was a very cold bathroom.

Large (ish) travertine tiles laid by a good tiler on the walls in a even block formation make ours look way bigger than it is.
matching larger (again travertine) tiles on the floor and forming the bath panel blend nicely so it flows well.
we ripped up the flooring & used a combination of hardyboard (12mm) & marine ply beneath that to create a strong floor having strengthened the joists & insulated the floor void prior to underfloor heating going in.
the biggest heat loss was from around the stench trap / waste pipe running top to bottom of the house once the old plasterboard was ripped off & insulation wrapped round it it all got a lot warmer!! (so think on)
basically as we tiled the whole room out I ripped all the plasterboard out and screwed hardyboard down, joining tape etc & insulated all voids.
(should point out it had till recently no roof insulation whatsoever either & 2 outside walls reavaged by fenland winds!
we still need to locate a good glass door (natural light & all that) & it has a large towel rad on standby but still unuseable, the bathroom is now around 5 degrees c warmer than before regardless of seasons (I have an lcd thermometer in situ)
major space in a really tight bathroom is obtained by closely tied basins & wc's where the extra inches created are like going from economy class to business class on a plane.
Good clutter reducing design fittings help in tight spaces also (I saved & bought some samuel heath modules incorporating a mirror + liquid soap dispenser + toothbrush holder all on a chrome pole (xenon series)
you mentioned condensation around the cistern this is normal but shouldnt be ignored as if ripping & re-fitting there are some simple measures eg a tray to catch drips, (again insulation around the area & polystyrene / plastic concealed cisterns.
bath stores design service is handy for giving ideas as they have ideas aplenty upon presenting them with a few digital pictures! ..regardless of whether you purchase from them.
if you have a 9 foot void then you also have space to sort it out too, so a bonus in terms of workability! (optimist)
Hardy backerboard again may aid a solution for helping with flooring & walls if you wish to rid yourself of mould inducing plasterboard ..available at good timber merchants & builders yards & is pretty easy to cut with a saw you don't mind losing (blunting) ..good quality screws, sealing tape for the gaps & a pal to help you place the backerboard in situ.
access hatches are available if you need to totally match your cistern & conceal with tiles.
cuts down on noise nicely too!
..just need a few large well positioned chrome heath baskets near the shaver socket for general schmutter & to hold leccy t'brushes etc & a wall mounted cotton wool pad holder to keep the whole lot clear.
no long glass (or whatever) shelves as they tempt you to buy more shampoo than you actually need!
 

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