A classic bathroom and shower room for period property in Long Melford, Suffolk

A new bathroom and shower room was required for a Victorian three storey terrace that was being updated by our client.

Challenge

Our client wanted to update the rather tired looking bathroom and shower room in the house they had recently bought. The finishing of the rooms were now out of date and required a refresh. The client had already started the refurbishment of the rest of the house in a classic, shaker style and therefore wanted their bathroom and shower room to have a similar design.

The spaces of the rooms presented the biggest challenge to this project. The main bathroom has a Jack and Jill door which limits the availability of wall space for placing furniture.

Solution

Bathroom

Firstly we stripped back the room by removing the floor to ceiling wall tiles and then replastering. We added an extractor fan to improve air circulation and prevent condensation build up. The floor tiles were replaced with Karndean wood effect flooring in ‘Limed Oak’ to create a more traditional and warmer feel. The wall tiles are Porcelanosa marble effect tiles that, along with the high quality Keuco accessories, add some opulence to the room.

We reinstated the corner bath that was required due to the shape of the room. We updated the shower to an Aqualisa electric shower that ensures good water pressure upstairs. There had been no shower screen previously so we suggested adding a curved screen to create an enclosed area for showering. The use of Villeroy & Boch lined mosaic tiles on the bath panel create a pleasing finish to the bath.

All of the furniture was bespoke Bard and Blackwood painted wood in the Farrow & Ball colour ‘Pavillion Grey’. The client had requested as much space as possible for out of sight storage for toiletries, which was difficult given the shape of the room. The toilet was wall mounted and compact so that the doors of the vanity unit could be opened. The client wanted the bathroom to be easy to clean so we used a Corian worktop and basin in ‘Glacier White’, with a swivel tap, to aid ease of use around the basin area.

Above the vanity unit we incorporated an illuminated mirror with sensor switch. Lighting was key given that there was no natural light in the room. The spotlights were moved and improved to provide maximum brightness.

To heat the room, without a plumbed water system, we recommended a JIS stainless steel electric towel rail. Designed to allow for adjustable temperature, these towel rails have a high heat output that will keep the room warm throughout the colder months.

Shower Room

The Shower Room on the 2nd floor of the building required some attention before the refit could take place. The ceiling needed to be reboarded and realigned and then replastered. There was a toilet waste pipe that also needed to be moved in order that it was no longer exposed.

The electric shower had recently been upgraded so we left this as it was. However we removed the raised shower tray with step and replaced it with a low level tray. We also replaced the plastic shower enclosure with an Aqata glass enclosure which as slightly longer and therefore created a larger shower area. We chose an enclosure with minimal chrome to make keeping the room clean easier for our client.

We suggested Mereway Bathrooms built-in furniture to provide more storage in the room. The reduced depth units in ‘Pumice’ not only improve the appearance of the room but create significantly more storage in what is a small space. The worktops in ‘White Gloss’ and basin are also from Mereway’s ‘Fusion’ bathroom range. The angled mirror above was created specifically for the wall space in this room.

The flooring was replaced by Karndean wood effect flooring in ‘Distressed Oak’ to add warmth and we used the classic ‘White Gloss’ wall tiles from Villeroy & Boch.

We used the same JIS electric towel rail as in the bathroom and similarly adjusted all the ceiling spotlights to maximise the brightness of the room.

“I’m pleased that despite the challenges of the space that we were working with we achieved two lovely bathrooms that our client is very happy with. The classic style of the furniture and colour scheme we recommended ties in well with how our client is developing the rest of their beautiful Victorian home.”

– Rebecca Brown