If you are renovating a bathroom you’ll want to make sure you get it right first time as it can become costly to rectify if anything goes wrong. With so many things to consider, from tiles to taps and tubs, not to mention the number of specialists you may need to involve for the plumbing and electrics, there is a lot to consider in a relatively small room. If something doesn’t go to plan, your dream bathroom vision may not match up to the reality of the finished result.
It’s always best to do your research, so to help you figure out how to approach designing one of the most used rooms in your home, the House & Garden team has shared their biggest bathroom renovation regrets, and what they learned along the way. Read on to find out where they went wrong and the things they’d wish they known beforehand, to help ensure that you don’t make the same mistakes.
A glass sink is rarely a good idea
When my husband and I renovated the bathroom in our first flat, we put in a glass basin. It felt quite cool and modern at the time, and as the bathroom was on the small side, we thought the clear basin would make it look bigger. But we live in London, in an area with very hard water, and our error was apparent almost immediately. The basin looked constantly smeared and scaly, unless we dried it with a towel every time we used it, which obviously we didn’t. We’ve moved house and done up a couple of bathrooms since then, and have never made that mistake again.
Jessica Doyle, features director
You still need a bathtub – don’t kid yourself
It was a mistake to get rid of the bathtub. My bathroom is pretty teeny so my idea was to sacrifice the small tub in favour of a larger shower. It would feel more spacious, I thought. It would feel more modern. Who needs a bath, anyway? It turns out that I do, around three or four times a year: maybe once with glass of wine and a book, definitely when I’m feeling poorly and sorry for myself, and also on those damp, cold winter days when the only way of getting the chill out of your bones is to have a bath. But no, I have a shower. It’s a great shower, don’t get me wrong. But it ain’t a bath.
David Nicholls, former deputy editor
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