Wednesday, March 16, 2016

Floorplans and Bathroom Brainstorms.

I just got my hands on a digital copy of the current layout, the one Pete created over the winter holidays, and I am so excited.  Its all to scale, which seriously simplifies the planning of major renovations, and its easy to manipulate with free 'layout designers' online. 










Now you can really see what I mean by...
not quite square, pictured is the ground floor(left) and the upstairs(right).  The wall at the top of the plans runs parallel to the street and the attached courtyard garden is to the left, not included here is the cellar.  The reason for my desire to have a digital copy is that a mere 24 hours ago Matt asked how I'd like to remodel the bathroom.

 Let me pause for that to sink in.  I am so excited and have so much happy energy about this huge step forward in the renovation that I am physically shaking as I write this.
Suffice to say, I have some thoughts...

This is basically the most important room in the house as far as getting the remodel right, maybe tied with the kitchen, and the current bathroom is... not good. The current bathroom is like a waking nightmare.
We need this bathroom to be highly functional (its the only one) but also want it to be a 'showstopper' of sorts, highly stylish, with a blending of Victorian and modern features.  So form and function must come together.  
Naturally, and I think somewhat to Matt's dismay, I turned to Pinterest for inspiration, here are some top contenders.
There are some stylistic choices I am already confident about.  We like the bright look of white tile, as the bathroom is low light already, and of using different tiles/patterns in different spaces.  Since our aim is to meld vintage Victorian with a streamlined modern look, I am loving this classic white subway tile in a non-conventional pattern, (perhaps in a herringbone?).  I already have a huge circular mirror, I purchased 2 for only £10 on Gumtree.  
  
A pretty white/gray patterned tile, like the one above, would be a lovely juxtaposition for a walk in shower with cool industrial walls like this one, with a huge rain-shower-head.  And if you've met us then you know that naturally we will have plants everywhere for a pop of living color.
Like a jungle! I wish we could put in a skylight!
The difficult part is the layout/placement of features.  I've been using the Autodesk-Homestyler to overlay and rearrange objects on the floorplan.  There is enough floor space, the room is about 10'x11', so it comes down to how many things we really want.  
I think we are committed to a vintage clawfoot tub, but maybe also a walk-in rain-shower set up...  I'd love to fit the washer/dryer underneath an extended vanity countertop, convenient to the bedrooms.  
The English custom of a string pull cord in bathrooms, instead of a light-switch, seems so un-hygentic to me, so I've looked at UK bathroom electrical codes.  I can have a normal switch, it just needs to be outside of the 'splash-zone'.  I also want to add a good ventilation system, the current method of cracking the window doesn't make sense in the winter, all the heat gets sucked right out.   
Then there is my idea of enclosing the toilet as a little water-closet somehow, which the jury is still out on.  Both for privacy, and so the space can function for more than one person at a time, important in a house with only one bathroom.  

If you could remodel your bathroom, what would be tops on the list?  What do you think is important?  What am I over looking?

-Nikki

7 comments:

  1. Love love love the sink. Love the all white tiles but hard to clean. (I keep a magic eraser and Clorox bleach pen hidden in my shower and use them once a week while I'm in there��). The patterned tiles look like too much to me but might be pretty and more creative if you scatter some solid tiles in there. Hate plants in any bathroom. We have a little 1/2 closet in ours that I love cuz it's great for extra bathroom essential and you don't have to go under a sink to get them. I'm sure anything you do will be amazing!

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    1. Good notes! We're still in the planning phase of course.

      Why do you hate plants in the bathroom?

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  2. I like the tiles and the plants. However, I am not a fan of the glass shower.

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  3. I like the direction you're headed with this bathroom! We have many plants in our house right now. Sadly Evan does not appreciate them the same way I do so I try to keep them in the designated plant areas, but sometimes they manage to escape, mwahahaha! I love the bright look of white in the bathroom but hate cleaning white grout in the shower. We are about to remodel our bathroom and I'm hoping to use grey grout which I think will hide shower stains a little better. If you were interested in dark grey I think it could look really nice with your white tiles. Water closet=YES!

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    1. Yay plant people!
      That is a brilliant idea with the grout, love the idea of that contrast and so so true about keeping it clean. I'm hoping to have very large floor tiles (maybe those fuax wood-flooring look tiles..) meaning less grout on the floor to scrub.
      And I am glad you are a fan of the WC!

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  4. I love the new bathroom! Me Dan and Mum went to Matts yesterday, we all had a shower (the best shower I’ve ever had), and it’s so big! I love the flooring and the wall tiles and paint. I also really like the sink and the bath. Hope you can come over soon :) -Rebecca xx

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