Bathroom Renovation - Interior Designer Tips
In my last bathroom blog , I discussed the typical bathroom renovation and broke it down into 6 stages. Today, I am going to give you some Interior Designer tips on stage 1 - Planning and Design. These tips should put you in a good position to brief suppliers and trades on your design.
Just to reminder of my 6 stages: 1. Planning and design 2. Builder’s quotes 3. Assess the builder’s quotes 4. Appoint Builder 5. Construction stage 6. Post-handover follow up
Planning and design tips
Planning your design concept – What is the vision for your space? Create a moodboard, find inspiration from designers you admire, art, nature, architectural period or maybe even your fave holiday destination. Find images with texture, form, line, colour, tone etc that appeal to you. Write a design statement that articulates your vision.
Some key points to consider are context with your home, is it a period home? Are you based in the city or country? What aesthetic do you have in the rest of your home. Major consideration is your budget, set what your are comfortable investing in your new space.
Planning layout – consider the needs of the people using the bathroom and the lifestyle of your family? It needs to be functional for needs of your family, do you have aging family members? Kids? Do you need a bath? Grab rails, seat, a double shower, double vanity? Where is the current plumbing? Major budget costs occur when you want to move the location of the plumbing. What are your lighting sources, artificial, natural? Can you improve the natural light? Think about focal point of the room i.e try not to make it the toilet. Draw up your layout to include shower, bath, toilet, windows, lights, tastic or exhaust fan, power points, light switches. You can add or change structure such as nib walls, larger windows in consultation with designer and builder.
Selecting finishes and fixtures – based again on your design concept. Progress your design from your design statement and moodboard. What fixtures and finishes will help tell this story? Take it into your local suppliers and explain what you are trying to achieve.
Documentation of your design – When you decide on your fixtures and finishes ensure you have the specifications for the builder, plumber and electrician. The specifications will include the dimension and any trade details they will need for install. Include dimensions for mirror, vanity, lights, basins etc as the builder will need these to complete your design accurately. If you can have all your selections coded in a spreadsheet to your plans so that the builder and trades can quote and implement the design as accurately as possible.
If all of this is too overwhelming please give me a call and I can do the lot for you. It is not for everyone to manage a renovation and trades. If you are investing $20K and up, you want the best outcome for your investment.