Choosing your new bathroom furniture is perhaps one of the trickiest aspects of remodeling a bathroom.
To avoid pitfalls, decide first of all on the items you would prefer. Your storage style should influence the decisions you make at this stage. If you’re a neat and tidy organizer and want easy access to all your accessories, drawers may be the best solution for you; if you are a bulk shopper and buy lots of large items and 2-for-1 offers, you may be better with some large cabinets.
Decide whether you prefer under basin storage or wall hung medicine cabinets; choose whether you prefer the streamlined look of a back to wall toilet (and therefore would benefit from a WC unit) or whether you’d rather have a regular close coupled toilet.
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Next, measure your bathroom precisely, and decide on your preferred layout. This is the point where you’ll find out whether you can accommodate all the items you’d like, or whether something needs to give: maybe you’ll have to dispense with that extra storage unit, or opt for a smaller basin and WC combination unit in order to get everything in. There are websites where you can map out a few different layouts for your bathroom, which will help you visualize how your bathroom could turn out; alternatively, make a scale drawing and cut out some scale sanitary-ware and furniture that you can play around with until you find a layout you like.
At this point, you can start hunting in earnest for your bathroom furniture. You’ll have an idea of the styles and finishes you prefer, whether that’s wooden or laminate finishes and a contemporary or traditional style – and now you’ve figured out what you need, and what size your furniture items will need to be in order to fit your proposed bathroom layout.
Do be as flexible as possible, though: as you look at the ranges of bathroom furniture on offer in the shops, you’ll realize that not all ranges offer the same variety of size options. Make notes, take photos, and never buy on the spur of the moment. Once you’ve made a decision that balances style against practicality, measure again to be sure that everything will fit where you’ve planned.
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Your bathroom furniture, when you’ve chosen and bought it, may arrive flat packed for home assembly. It’s best to check in advance whether this will be the case – especially if you’ve booked a plumber to come and install your new bathroom fittings. You don’t want to be paying a professional to sit around waiting while you self-assemble a load of furniture!
You may feel confident enough to install your own bathroom furniture. Always make sure, if this is the case, that you follow any specific manufacturers’ installation instructions, especially where plumbing is involved. Measure carefully and only make cuts into your new furniture when you’re certain your measurements are accurate, and remember to take extra care when drilling fixing holes in tiled walls for your new bathroom cabinets. Tiles can crack under too much pressure – a hard drill bit and softer pressure is a winning combination with tile.
Creating the mood and feel you are after in your bathroom will be determined by a few things. The furniture plays a big part of it but the tiles and décor in the room will hold it all together. Be sure to chose colours and types of tiles that will compliment the style of furniture you are wanting to choose.
Deciding on bathroom furniture is difficult in itself. To be able to tie it in with the color scheme and a hardware theme is to much. The bathroom I leave to a professional.
I agree with Bernard. Nice furniture is a big part of it but the color of the tiles really sets the mood for everything else.
Great article. I like how you placed an emphasis on never buying anything spur of the moment, and being meticulous about your calculations. I am such an impulse buyer, that I definitely need this advice!
Do you recommend ever mixing styles or laminates of different pieces of bathroom furniture?
I agree with you guys. Making our bathroom very nice and neat, specially by installing furniture, will not only make our mood but to the guests as well. Nice tips.
Good to have bathroom furniture. The best place in a house where one spends least time but the most private of them. Should have great Bathroom Designs