A new bathroom is one of the most exciting renovations you can make to your home because it is your chance to introduce a touch of opulence. It is a project that you can undertake yourself if you are competent at DIY. They only thing you should never work on is the electrical installation.

If you are looking at a drab room and wondering where to start, you have come to the right place. You will find some useful tips and tricks here to help you design your own bathroom without the need to consult a professional.

Alterations

Some bathrooms have the airing cupboard in them. It takes up much space, so think about relocating the hot water cylinder to another part of the house. It could even go in the loft as long as you have room to mount the header tank above it.

Floor Plan

When the alterations are complete, measure the walls and draw an accurate floor plan to scale. It will help you to make every decision to do with the layout of your new room. The easiest way to come up with the scale is to divide every measurement by the same number. So, a three metre wall divided by ten would be drawn as 30cm on your plan. The number will depend on the size of the room and the paper you are using.

Photo source: Nancy Hugo

Furniture

Visit showrooms or look online for bathroom furniture. Shop at Unique Vanities for James Martin Furniture, for example, where you will find accurate dimensions for the individual pieces. When you know the measurements, divide them by your scale and draw them on another piece of paper. Do the same for the bath, toilet, shower cubicle, bidet, and any other items you intend to install. Cut the drawings out and place them on your plan. You can move them around until you find the perfect layout for you new bathroom.

Extraction

Ventilation and extraction are vital in modern homes. You might find that there aren’t any in older houses because the toilet used to be in the back yard, and people used a tin bath in front of the fire to wash once a week. Now you take shower every day, and you must get rid of the steam. it is easy to put the extraction fan in the ceiling and vent it through the roof.

Mood Board

When you have finished the plan, you must decide on the decor for the room. Collect samples of tiles, laminate flooring, fabric for window blinds, and anything else that comes to mind. Put them together to see how they match with each other. You might not be able to stick them to the board, but you get the idea. It is a trick used by designers.

When your plans are complete, you must start to think about project management. There will be tasks that you can do yourself, but you might need help with others. Draw a timeline on another large piece of paper and mark every section of the job on it. It will show when you need help so you can book it in advance.

It should only take a few weeks to finish the installation. Yes, it will be hectic and hard work, but it is all worth it in the end. Give yourself a pat on the back for a job well done.