25 Step Guide to Designing and Buying a Bathroom
A Professional Designers Guide
Step 11. Final Bathroom Plan
We are very much at the stage where your bathroom layout should be detailed for all of your list of practical needs and . Your quotation also should be well detailed and covering all areas of the contract. If there are any major items on your list that are not covered then your designer has let you down and needs to get on with it. I have categorised the areas that need to be complete and well detailed, before final quotation and signing of contracts. Whether designing the bathroom yourself or using a bathroom company, these categories should be of use to you.
Your final bathroom design
At this stage you need to be ruthless and have discounted all other alternative bathroom plan layouts. Your wish list should have been fulfilled or provided for elsewhere such as towels and cleaning items. If you are still wrestling with basic bathroom design problems such as storage or whether to squeeze a shower enclosure in, then you are not here yet. If you are still considering high gloss doors or a more traditional bathroom then you are not here yet. This is the stage to finalise colour choices and materials such as whether to stretch to Corian instead of laminate for the worktops not whether to have a bidet or not. If all the creative and practical elements are done then it is just the combination of materials and final look that require tweeking ready for your final quote.
Your bathroom designer
Your designer will have helped you to focus on one bathroom design and will have detailed with visuals or elevations your favoured look and combination of sanitary ware and shower enclosure/bath choice, aswell as furniture styles and finishes. It is very unusual that there are any surprises this late in the process if you as clients have been honest about what you want. It is important that all samples including final door choice and colour are available for this meeting. If any item is missing then you are not in a position to proceed to ordering . The clearer the picture is at this stage, and the more confident you and your designer are with what is presented, the easier it will be to confidently commit.It is important for your bathroom designer to have a vision of the completed scheme and be able to convey this in a coherant manner throughout the process. If the ideas are half- baked or unclear then you will be entitled to wait until you are more confident. Most of my bespoke bathroom work is a result of having a clearer understanding than my competition of why I want to use a wetroom idea in a traditional bathroom, or matt black vessel basin and raised toilet in a pure white scheme. It is not enough to just place new items like these ,without there being an over-all concept. Each element builds up a complete picture. The complete picture is a jigsaw and is unfinished until every part is placed correctly. This starts with whether the taps match the shower valve, throught to style decisions about whether the toilet shape is compatable with the basin choice. Designers also need to have a clear picture of tile choices that are compatable and relevant to your scheme . I always have a mental picture of tile ranges that are looking for a home. Often these special tiles are the making of my next scheme, so not keeping up-to-date is a missed opportunity.
Bathroom furniture detail
It is important at this stage that all special bathroom features and styling details are explained. If there are leg details on your vanity cabinet what shape are they: barley twist or plain square ; quadrant curved or stop chamfered etc. Have the doors got a narrow or wide frame ? With standard doors these items are straight forward, but with bespoke made to order there are many areas for items to be made incorrectly. If the door design is unique then it needs to be seen. If the colour is cerise then it needs to be seen. There are no other areas more important than bathroom furniture and door styling and colour . If you have confidence in the bathroom designer and quotation amount, then these items should not stop you ordering, but you should always push for a clear example of what you are getting before manufacture. (it will always be useful as sample stock for the supplier afterwards.)
Bathroom final detail
Bathroom equipment choices should be itemised with code numbers and priced individually. It is always worth seeing your choices, if not on show where you are purchasing, and this is always possible through other retailers locally. You will need to see the bathroom local representatives "showroom display list" for your area. Your supplier should be able to organise it for you. This list will pinpoint any item that you wish to see that are actively on show in your area. There is so much equipment available these days that it has become impossible to show, even with a huge showroom, all of the ranges I actively use.
Discuss and clarify wall and floor coverings
Bathroom wall coverings and flooring should never be taken for granted, ,and as mentioned earlier should always be included in your final decision for the completed scheme. If you are considering natural stone then this will have to be taken into account because of its thickness. Reduced internal door heights by upto 20mm and threshold strips can effect access.. Most natural wall and flooring tiles are more expensive to buy and lay, so this needs to be taken into account. Colour and texture of tiles also has a direct effect on the final look, and too often is left to the last minute, so that the more interesting choices are not available because of delivery deadlines.
Discuss and finalise lighting
Bathroom lighting is mostly left to the discretion of the company with the installation contract. The only problem with this is, that they will often put convenience ahead of content. If you require something interesting, then it is important to source the fixings and alternatives and finalise these details before ordering the bathroom. I have seen lots of bathrooms where the lighting appears to have been an after-thought, and is left to the electrician to work out, usually with whatever is cheap and available at their supplier. Also costs usually escalate when it is decided that extra fittings and switches are required.
Discuss and clarify internals to cabinets
If you require a hidden towel rail or toilet roll holder or pullout clothes basket, then these need to be itemised and priced because they can add large chunks of money when added later.
Discuss and finalise worktops
Worktop choices should be finalised but it is still necessary to know what you are getting. If it is granite what choice is it ? and is the sample a true representation of the suppliers batch ? Granite in some colours can vary widely from batch to batch, so it may be necessary to see the suppliers slabs to confirm quality. Wooden tops look different if they have wide or narrow strips. Are the wood tops to be made out of the same timber as the doors if both are oak. Can you see a large piece of Corian to check colours instead of a 50mm square ?
Final quote detailed
I would expect to see a full bathroom quotation with every confirmed item detailed and agreed. If you have added extras, then make sure these are added and agreed, as stated earlier a better shower enclosure and border tiles can add lots of money. it is always best to have these changes to hand before final contract. An additions sheet can be included after contract and negotiated independantly, but it is better to negotiate your final price with everything included.
Final contract draft
If you have altered the terms of a bathroom contract, or wish to do so then ask for a copy to look at with the final design and quotation. Any items you are unhappy about can be cleared up and fully discussed with solutions agreed, so that the final signing and deposit payment runs smoothly.
Building works and extras surveyed and quoted
It is necessary at this stage to have a firm quotation for all extra works included in your contract or provided by sub-contract independently. If you require a new fuseboard, or meter moving, this can add well over £1000 and should be cleared up. I have seen superb bathroom projects where good-will has been spoilt, by bickering over extras and omissions that were not discussed or agreed.
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