I’ve never had a spacious bathroom, so planning our ensuite has been very exciting. It all started in the early stages, when the drawings were still being completed, when my husband Dave and I made the decision to create a large ensuite/family bathroom in a room that had originally been pencilled in to be a third double bedroom. Thankfully, because this was done at the outset, we were assured by our architects that all the pipework and drainage would be accommodated easily.  

Before we did anything else on the bathroom planning agenda, I came up with a wishlist for the space. I knew I wanted both a contemporary – no feet for me thank you – freestanding bath and a separate walk-in shower. I also love the look of a steel-framed shower screen. Other than that, we were fairly open to ideas, so started visiting bathroom shops – at one point we went into every one we walked past if going down a high street.

We had designs done by a big bathroom chain, but when our builder started work he suggested we visit Bathrooms By Design in Richmond, and they designed a different layout that seemed to work much better. But actually, what made a massive difference was being able to view the bathroom they designed for us with 3D goggles – which was also really fun. 

When coming up with the layout, it was clear it would be fairly dictated by the Jack and Jill design of the doors. The entrance way to our bedroom is a pocket one to maximise space, and then the other leads out to the hallway for guests. The exterior glazing would also have an impact.

We decided that the bath is best placed under the window, which thankfully isn’t overlooked, providing views of the garden when having a soak. We chose a small, stonecast, teardrop-shaped tub because it was big enough to lay comfortably in and looked really smart. However, the builders had to reinforce the floor under it due to its weight – 150 kilos. We then put the sink and toilet on an exterior wall where the plumbing can easily be connected.  

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For the décor, we chose large, white, marble-effect tiles for the floor and walls and black taps and accessories to go with the shower screen. This was a revelation to me as I had thought I’d pick a vibrant, coloured design, but I liked the slick and contemporary look this creates. 

The company also helped us with our downstairs bathroom. We wanted a shower in here, for guests and for future planning. However, the positioning of this was fairly set from the get-go as we wanted to make use of a partition wall.

The sink and toilet take advantage of the exterior wall again, but what I like about this is that when you walk into the room, you are faced with a vanity unit and big mirror giving the illusion of space. We picked grey tiles for the walls and floors, and a mint green design for the shower area, which I think will go nicely with the brassware, which is finished in a brushed stainless steel.  

We very much enjoyed this planning stage, because it’s the first time we’ve really felt like we’re creating a space we’re gong to living in one day – it’s made it feel real. I can’t wait to see how it all comes together.

Read more Our Bungalow Renovation blogs in the series.  

Featured image: We turned a third bedroom into an ensuite with two entrances.

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