Planning a Bathroom Remodel? Your Guide to Layout, Walls, and Other Requirements

Whether you're designing a new bathroom or planning to remodel your current one, it can be a difficult but exciting process. Bathrooms are places that not only need to function well and properly, but also have to radiate a level of comfort and luxury. Add to that the various requirements (and government codes) regarding plumbing and electrical outlets, and you soon understand why bathroom design needs a lot of serious thought and consideration. However, it's not as hard as it'seems. Here is a handy guide to layout, walls, and other requirements.

Asking yourself some important questions

Before anything, ask yourself some questions about the use of the bathroom ? it is, after all, a room that will be used quite often and needs to be practical.

• Who will use the bathroom? A bathroom for two adults will be designed differently than one for four kids.
• How will the bathroom be used? To take a shower? Will you'require a seat to apply make-up? Will there be a separation between the toilet and the bath?
• Where will you store things? Does your bathroom need a lot of storage space?

Layout basics

Once you've answered those questions, you can start thinking about the layout. Make a floor plan. Keep in mind the plumbing and electrical installations and remember that placing the toilet, shower, bath, and sink against only one or perhaps two walls may save a lot of work in terms of plumbing. The purpose of the floor plan is to make sure everything fits and to ensure efficiency when installing.

Walls and fittings

As mentioned before, limiting all your plumbing requirements to one wall will save you a lot when it comes to the budget. Consider also some other aspects: curved walls, arches, and other features and fittings will raise the budget requirements but will add character to your bathroom.

A general theme

Once you've gone through the previous steps ? the architecture and engineering aspects, if you will ? you can start thinking about a general theme and begin the actual design. Begin with a mood or theme (should your bathroom look sleek and elegant or laid back? Do you prefer lively or relaxing?). Based on this, you can choose your colours, tiles, and fixtures (as in a Freestanding Bath or fitted Bath) as you see fit.

Often, an amateur will start the process in the wrong order ? by thinking about a general theme and design, then wondering whether the layout is really practical ? only to discover that they haven?t asked the most important questions, or asked them too late. Always start with the question ?Who is it for?? and with a little imagination, all else will soon fall into place. When you start the design the right way, you?ll actually discover it can be a lot of fun.