Last month in the magazine we were doing up a bathroom on a very limited budget, so this time, we’re going to get rid of all the things you hate from the ground up, including the tiles. And while it might seem back to front, your first job should be to find yourself a good installer, recommended by others and if possible, get to view some of the work done. This is because not everyone has the same view of what constitutes a ‘good job’ – and you will only get to do this job once.
The installation cost will be a substantial part of the budget, and an installer will give you an idea of what design changes are practicable, particularly if you’re thinking you’d like to change the position of the WC. You will also get feedback on your ideas, and probably some useful suggestions, plus square metre measurements for tiles. If you measure up yourself, make sure to add 10% for cutting/wastage or 15% if you go for really big tiles. Cyprus seems to have hundreds of shades of grey tiles at the moment, so if grey (or any specific colour) is not your thing, there are many ways of creating something beautiful or jazzy with plain white tiles, for instance by adding mosaic or stone.
Don’t keep a bath just for visiting grandchildren; they grow up and you grow older. If a long hot soak is not on your agenda, now is the time to replace the bath with a good size shower enclosure, or a walk-in shower with a shower screen on a tiled floor or flat shower tray. Thermostatic shower valves are more expensive than standard valves, and if you’ve not experienced a sudden very high, or low, temperature due to a tap/shower being opened elsewhere, there’s no need to spend extra.
Beware cheap shower enclosures, shower valves, basin cabinets, taps – well, cheap anything unless you find something with a genuine discount. ‘Buy in haste, repent at leisure’ as they say. And it’s best not to get carried away with fashion or trend because fashion often turns out not to be practical, and trends pass.
This is all comfortable research for you so far, so don’t let the actual installation come as a shock! There is no way you can avoid noise, dirt and dust while the bathroom’s coming out, and a longish period of going without the bathroom while the building, plumbing and electrical work is carried out, un(fore)seen problems overcome, tiling, grouting and cleaning, until one day, voila, you have your beautiful new bathroom – and you designed it (mostly) yourself.
By Corinne Twining
Cyprus Living Spaces
