1. Tiles Decide how much you want to spend then look for tiles you like and check to
see how they fit your price range. I found this to be the most successful way of finding what I like. I
found that walking through tile shops looking for tiles at the top of my price range thinking they’d be
the best quality, often had me missing mark down specials and really nice tiles for really good prices.
Ask the sales clerk for some samples to take home. The color of the tile will most likely look different in
the lighting setup at home compared to the fluorescent lights at the shop. It’s also nice to have samples
to match against for accessories and if you are looking at getting colored baths etc.
2. Bath Look for a good combination of form and function. Many people for example
have gone out wanting a victorian bath and come back with a free standing stone bath. Don’t be shy
about getting into the bath while it’s in the shop. The last thing you want to do is get into it for the first
time when your bathroom is complete, and then find it’s too high or not long enough for you to soak in or
even that the back angle just doesn’t feel right.
When looking for a bath keep in mind the style of bathroom you want, the size that the bath can be as
well as if you want the bath to be the focal point of the bathroom or not.
3. Basin Here again, look for form and function. It’s pointless having the most stunning
basin but you can’t shave or wash your face in it without having water spilling over everywhere. Take into
account the type of basin, is it a pedastal, couter top, counter sunk basin etc. What’s going to hide the
drain pipe, if it’s a counter top, what cabinet will you put it on and at what height will it stand if you
purchase a pre-made cabinet. Do your taps not only look good with it, but are they compatible.
The bath and basin should ideally have a very similar shape. If you select a square bath ideally the basin
should have a square shape as well. This allows for flow in the design.
4. Taps You’ll need to know what Type of taps you want before you get started on the
plumbing else you may find yourself redoing what’s already been done and then some. Keep your budget in
mind, but again look for what you like and then check the price. Look for a nice solid feel in the tap with a
smooth action. You don’t want to feel something like rubber grinding on steel or something that feels loose,
because it’ll just get looser. Take into account what bath and basin you may be looking at as they may
determine the types of taps you could get.
5. Shower Decide on the size and shape , you could repeat patterns in the tiles in the
shower tiles to draw your eye to the shower or make it a focal point by adding a totally different accent
tile/color to the shower.
6. Toilet Try and match the relative shape of the toilet to other features in the room.
Don’t get the standard oval shape if for instance your basin and bath are square. Try to keep everything
flowing. Look for a toilet that hides the drain pipe pretty well and that doesn’t have huge gaps between
joins and the seat etc. A cheap looking toilet will make an expensive bathroom look cheap.
7. Accessories These are things like Toilet Roll Holders, Towel Rails, Toothbrush holders,
Soap Dispensers etc. There are many styles you can choose from, from wood, chrome, wrought iron,
ceramic etc. When it comes to towel rails though, you’ll need to know before the tiling commences whether
you’re planning to put in a heated towel rail or not in case electricity needs to be run. If you have gone for
a fairly neutral color scheme in your tiles etc, you can use things like you Soap Dispensers to spice things
up. You can also get different colored towels and mats to alter the look of your bathroom from week to
week.
