I've waited 5 years for this

[Nigel Watts]

How will you approach the cupboard/cabinet decision?

The room earmarked for the bathroom is the rear South facing first floor former bedroom of our four storey semi. It has a high ceiling (over ten feet), a rather grand marble fireplace (almost certainly moved from the drawing room at some stage in the past) with a good pair of fitted cupboards each side, probably adapted from a large Victorian wardrobe, and nice detailing around the window and door.

My wife and I have have decided on Modern Minimal rather than Edwardian Country House, so the challenge is how to fit this in sypathetically.

My idea is to create an L-shaped "wall" about six and a half feet high and 8 to 10 inches thick with the long arm of the L against the wall opposite the mantelpiece and the short arm away from the window, near where the door opens, forming a kind of short corridor as you enter the room. The inside corner of the L will be where I fit a large rectangular shower enclosure in a modernist style, such as a Matki, and the on end of the long arm of the L, towards the window, will be a wall mounted loo, with cistern hidden within the thickness of the "wall". I am thinking of a freestanding basin in front of the tall sash window. Light and mirror for this perhaps on a chrome pole fixed to the floor?

The "wall" will be punctuated with rectangular recesses which contain concealed lighting: in the shower to form a shelf for soap, shampoo etc; above the loo, with glass shelves for bog rolls and my wife's lotions etc; on the outside of the short arm of the L with glass shelves for spare towels etc. The "wall" will be tiled, probably with small glass mosaic in a bright colour, to contrast with the white painted room and its Victorian detailing.

Much of the floor space will be left clear for my wife to do her daily yoga (no bath - my wife doesnt like them and I will be using the small bathroom on the 2nd floor, where my dressing room is).

The main challenge I have at present is how to deal with the floor. I dont want to buid up the thickness any more than I have to, but i want something reasonably waterproof, comfortable to walk on and modern looking. I was thinking of rubber but my wife didnt like the sound of it. Existing floorboards are in a poor shape although not irretrievable.

Sorry the answer is so long, but you did ask!

 

[JoceAndChris]

Sounds amazing!

When the room is that beautiful to start with ...it's hard to go wrong, and I think the combination of new and old will look very good indeed.

Glass shelves are OK when used for decorative cosmetics/ bottles, but when they have an entire lifetime of manky make-up and half empty glops all over them they look dreadful, so you'd better let her buy what she likes at Space NK is what I say, and replace it at a whim.

Sorry I have no suggestions for the floor, others may.

Your house sounds so grand and gorgeous, makes me pine for London again!

 

[dragonfly]

re bathstore. I must be very unlucky as the list of issues we have had with their stuff goes something like this:

Mixer tap/shower for bath: Hot tap bent on delivery, they tried to say just send back the tap bit but as it came as a fully assembled unit I didn't feel that we should mess with it. Replaced but within a month (and after all the tiling/sealing etc was done so we couldn't take it off again without ripping off all the tiles - due to position of bath) washer in cold tap failed so that tap is either on or it's off. good job I bought the shower mixer more for cleaning the bath than washing my hair over it!

Bath - Only 2 small plastic wall brackets supplied to fix in place a corner bath. BIL had to get creative on that one to ensure no sinkage when you get in it.

Sink - bought monobloc taps (bear in mind all their sinks and taps are supposed to be mix & match), the handles of which scrape the raised bit on the back of the sink when you switch them on and off.

Shower - curved screen did not fit on frame. BIL had to modify frame for it to fit.

Shower riser thingy - held on to wall with mastic as the screws threaded with only measly pressure

Sink (ok its me and my analness really) - the transfer that says 'Savoy' is not exactly central under the overflow hole.

Radiator - one leg is 1cm longer than the other so even taking into account my wobbly floors it looks wonky.

But it is looking gorgeous - not quite finished the decorating but will post when all is done.

 

[Penners]

Janey

I know how frustrating and stressful you must be finding this. But, if it's any consolation, we've all been there! I'm afraid that period property repair/renovation has a timescale all of its own, particularly when builders are involved.

I think most of us have learned to do a quick mental translation from "builder's time" into Greenwich Mean Time. The formula is:

(Builder's quoted time x 6) + (teabreak x days x 4) + ('wasn't-here-cos-I-had-to-fix-an-old-lady's-roof' x 7) = something like reality.

Try to take it as calmly as you can. :|

 

[JanieB]

This has actually turned out to be in my favour. I wanted to get rid of the nasty, damp airing cupboard that did noone any favours. Put in a smaller hot water storage and gain more space in the very small bathroom with a sloping ceiling.

My youngest son is my "project manager". Sharp intake of breath, not a good idea.

Now he's come up with the brilliant idea of getting shot of the airing cupboard, putting in a smaller tank, and making my (very small) bathroom a considerable amount larger and giving the space for the basin!!!! :roll:

God works in mysterious ways

 

[Gervase]

It could be worse.
You answer the front door one morning to find a plumber standing there. "I'm here to fix the leaky pipe," he announces.
"I didn't call a plumber," you say.
"What?" huffs the plumber. "Aren't you Mrs. Trellis?"
"The Trellises moved out of this house over a year ago," you explain.
"Bloody typical," harrumphs the plumber. "They call you up and tell you it's an emergency and then they move away!"

 

[Penners]

:lol: :lol: :lol:

Ah... Mrs Trellis. Fond memories of dear Humph.

 

[Penners]

Now he's come up with the brilliant idea of getting shot of the airing cupboard, putting in a smaller tank, and making my (very small) bathroom a considerable amount larger and giving the space for the basin

Is it me, or is there something very feminine about the idea of being happy to reduce the hot water storage capacity in order to make room for a larger washbasin? :?