Bathroom Luxury on a Budget

from Potton July 2022

Your Home’s Drainage System

By Katherine Sorrell 1

Wouldn’t it be lovely if money were no object? In the real world, however, budgets are always a key consideration. With careful planning and canny thinking, however, you can create a bathroom that looks gorgeous, functions beautifully and feels just like you’ve spent an absolute fortune – without actually breaking the bank. Keep it simple - Choose a plain white bathroom suite in standard sizes. No-frills makes are much cheaper than designer pieces and you can create an elegant and upmarket effect with details such as cleverly chosen tiles, taps and towel rails. Seek out cheaper options - Obtain high-quality and luxury options at cheaper prices. Ask your nearby builder’s merchants if you can take out a trade account and get automatic discounts. Alternatively, wait for showroom sales or browse online for the best bargains – though bear in mind the additional delivery charges, and the possibility of breakages and faults. Returns are often easier if you have bought locally. Don’t move things around - When planning your new bathroom or upgrade, avoid moving existing plumbing. Keeping the bath, basin, WC, shower and any radiators in the same position reduces the installation costs considerably. The same applies to existing doors, windows and other features such as built-in cupboards. Do it yourself – or get someone in? If you do some of the work yourself it will save money. Know your limitations, however, as a luxury look requires highquality, precision work. That said, tiling and painting are straightforward, and even plastering or putting down flooring can be tackled by a competent DIYer. For complex plumbing and any electrical work, though, contact a professional. You’ll need a certificate for the latter, too. Choosing tiles - Plain white, square tiles are often the cheapest option, but not very exciting. Jazz them up with coloured grout, and lay them in a fashionable grid format rather than brick-like offset rows. Or choose rectangular tiles and lay them vertically or in a chevron pattern. Instead of stone or marble wall or floor tiles, find a lookalike made from ceramic or porcelain. They are widely available, look good, stain less easily than real stone, are lighter (and therefore easier to lay) and should cost a great deal less. When replacing tiles, you can sometimes save money by tiling over the old ones rather than removing them and replastering the wall. On the walls - Bathrooms don’t always have to be tiled right to the ceiling. You can save by only covering specific areas: perhaps up to half-height around the room, or else just the splashbacks next to the bath and basin. Using paint everywhere else is the cheapest option, but there’s nothing to stop

you from choosing a gorgeous

colour – or even humidity-resistant 3wallpaper in a fabulous texture or pattern. Tactile essentials - It is worth spending more money on bath and basin taps, shower mixers and other moving parts, especially as you touch them on a frequent basis – the way they feel is as important as the way they look. This is your chance to choose attractive, modern features – opt for black, bronze or even glamorous gold. Storage solutions - A luxury bathroom is simply not enjoyable if there’s heaps of clutter on show. Custom-built, fitted storage is expensive, but think outside the box. In a large bathroom, a vintage chest of drawers could keep all your bits and bobs in one place, while in a small room a metal rack on wheels would combine both function and style. Off-the-peg units could be wall mounted to save space, while a simple set of slim shelves is always useful. Finally, add small, free-standing storage pieces, chosen to carefully coordinate with the overall décor of the room. Warm, dry, fluffy towels - Easy and not necessarily expensive – add a new set of coordinating towels, the fluffier the better. For softness and absorbency, 100% cotton is best, and look for closely stitched edges (to prevent fraying) and a luxury weight of at least 500 grams per square metre. For a spa feeling, try the slightly more scrubby texture of ribbed, waffle or honeycomb towels, while lightweight linen gets softer as it ages and is lovely for hand towels if you like the natural, rumpled look.

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Mirror, mirror - A large mirror is not only useful but also helps to increase the feeling of light and space in the room. For the ultimate in luxury, add a heated mirror with a backlight and perhaps a shaver/ toothbrush charger socket – and even a Bluetooth speaker. All you need is an electrical connection, so if you already have a light above a plain mirror you can easily ask an electrician to convert the set-up.

1 A change of tile colour adds a lovely touch in this airy bathroom. Taking the tiling up to half height, with paint above, saves hugely on the budget. Notice the sleek taps, too. BauEdge single lever mixer, around £110; Tempesta 100 rail set with sprays, around £71.65; both Grohe. 2 Made from solid brass with a hand-polished chrome finish, this tap is suitable for most UK household water systems and features a durable ceramic disc cartridge that prevents leaks. Trent single lever basin tap, £39.99,

Bathroom Mountain. 3 If you can’t afford bespoke storage, keep all your bits and bobs neatly in one place, using a tiered trolley and attractive accessories. Raskog trolley, £45, Ikea. All accessories, Dunelm. 4 Showcasing a ribbed design with a large border, these luxury hand towels are made from organic terry cotton, which is designed for increased absorbency. Petrol blue luxury bath towel, £45; matching hand towel, £32; both

Rockett St George.

STOCKISTS Bathroom Mountain: 01782 405 047; bathroommountain.co.uk Dunelm: 0845 165 6565; dunelm.com Grohe: 0871 200 3414; grohe.com/en Ikea: ikea.com/gb Rockett St George: 01444 253 391; rockettstgeorge.co.uk

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