A GUIDE TO REMODELING A BATHROOOM THAT SOOTHES YOU
I promised myself that I would jump onto the blog and break down the entire process for you, when my bathroom renovation reel hit 10K views: the thought process, the estimated cost, the design decisions, and the design regrets which quickly turned into lessons. Since I'm a woman of my word let me take you through the stages and hopefully you'll grab a thing or too to inspire your own remodelling.
This remodeling was a full overhaul. Having in mind that the bathroom was going to take the bulk of the reno budget, it took top priority as it was the space with the heaviest amount of work. The brief was simple. The vision was to create a highly functional bathroom that was cute enough to inspire my skincare routine and that deserved a few ‘wow! this is beautiful!’ from myself and my guests every time we used it. Believe it or not I’m still in awe of how this bathroom turned out!
Stage 1 Demolition and removal of old fixtures & clean up
The true beauty of a bathroom renovation is that it is entirely personal! You get to create the mood and the aesthetics of your desired space. First things first you need to examine the existing structure and design, find out what works as is and what must go. After examining the bathroom, which was mainly a tub and a sink adjacent to it, I knew I had to get rid of the dated tub and replace it with a shower stall and storage space. While that was our primary focus, the demolition gave us a chance to ensure we fixed any other issues that cropped up.
Please note that at this stage, a lot of hidden costs will come up. In our case, electrical issues were sorted, electrical changes for switches and outlets were made, the cost for dumping materials as per the ward’s policy had to be incurred, plumbing changes for sink and showers were fixed and levelling to accommodate for the new shower was done.
Stage 2 Electrical & Plumbing
It is a very crucial stage and plays an integral part to the entire project. Bare in mind that many decisions can impact the cost of electricals and plumbing such as the style of the bathroom, the size of the bathroom, the quality of materials and finishes you choose to use and any special features like smart mirrors or heated flooring. Our main cost here was in moving and adding electrical and plumbing outlets as the overall layout of the bathroom had been completely altered.
Stage 3 Tiling & Flooring
Bathroom tiles and proper flooring is the heart of the bathroom. This is where you can really show off your designs and bring your mood boards to reality, however, consider, the kind of cleaning and maintenance needed before your final choice.
To avoid decision fatigue, we went with a simple marble effect ceramic tile on the floor that was also used in the toilet. I wanted the wall tiling to be the star of the entire bathroom. I do not regret my choice. The shower wall is clad in this popular Mika natural stone finish ceramic tile which adds an earthy rustic look to the wall.
Above all else the right hire will make or break the space, consider that premium advice ‘on the house’. The right expertise is one who understands your vision and knows the science of tiling. The herringbone design was done by someone who was really good, after someone who was really bad almost messed up the entire wall. Additionally, I recommend getting 10% more tiles to allow for tile cutting, tile breakage during shipping and any other unforeseen mistakes like mine.
Stage 5 Storage & Shelving
After demolishing the tub, we divided the space into two. One half for the shower and the other half to allow space for some floating shelves to store linen and styling, duh! How else was I going to show off my styling superpower!!!
Stage 4 The Vanity
The vanity houses the sink, tap and storage for your items. It’s a sure showstopper and extremely functional too. Mine is a simple vanity with one drawer that essentially contains my skincare products.
While it may be more expensive to get a custom made one, rather than the ready to install ones, I would still encourage you to cough up the extra bucks because it could easily bring unity to the rest of the space. We ended up making something custom and used up the same material used for our kitchen cabinetry.
Stage 5 Fitting & Fixtures
If there’s a stage I'd advise to splurge on, this would be it. Channel your funds to great fittings and fixtures. The simple brass fixtures featured in this bathroom offer an ode to the classical design which feeds into my overall aesthetic of blending eras.
The single-hole brass tap on the circular basin creates a glam, fresh look while the showerhead gives a softer, more relaxing experience with the perfect water pressure for your gentle self care bath.
Important key points to consider;
Make sure you have a vivid idea of what you don't want as much as what you’d want.
Be informed by your budget but be a little flexible. Hidden costs and unexpected design decisions will somehow crop up, you want to be able to glide through them swiftly.
Spend less time daydreaming about your future bathroom and pinning on Pinterest, instead spend more time researching on the intended designs and choice of materials to be used.
Don't be stingy with your labour especially if you are not a professional and don't really grasp the electrical and plumbing bits because taking shortcuts will cause leaks and other plumbing and electrical issues down the line.
Remember to make it personal because at the end of the day nothing will soothe your soul like walking into a room you utterly and truly love.
**Estimated cost of remodelling the bathroom was Ksh.270,000 which includes labour and material.All in all, I am utterly grateful for the opportunity to do this bathroom. The fact that it is the last room you walk into, and yet still has the power to bring so much joy and lighten spirits up, is a win win if you ask me!
Have you remodelled a bathroom before? Is it on your Wishlist? What other lessons and tips could we learn? I’d love to hear your thoughts and feedback.
Until next time,
xxxx
