Making more from less - tips for renovating a small  bathroom

This article features in the May edition of Ponsonby News.

A compact space is no barrier to creating a great room that you can really enjoy when it comes to renovating your bathroom.

"Doing your homework before you embark on any renovation project is crucial", says Steve Hopkins, managing director of home maintenance and renovation firm Jack.

"Many central Auckland homes feature smaller bathrooms and ensuites and one of the key challenges of upgrading an existing bathroom or constructing a new one is making the best use of the space available. Good choices around fittings and fixtures can transform a bathroom. Those that save space or give the appearance of more space, such as wall hung vanities, work well in smaller bathrooms."

"Spending a little more time to find the right toilet, vanity or showerhead can be a great investment. It could add a bit more to your budget but it will add a lot of style and value to the finished product."

Jack has builders, plumbers and electricians who provide both labour only and full renovation management services. The company is regularly called on to give advice and has a free information toolkit, The Pack from Jack, available to help home renovators get started with their projects. They suggest that if you need ideas, talk to a builder, interior designer or architect. Look at magazines, the internet, bathroom show homes and open homes to get inspiration.

Last month Jack completed the installation of two bathrooms in Maureen Sinton's Ponsonby townhouse. The bathrooms were decked out in their original 1980's decor so when the main bathroom sprung a leak, Maureen took the opportunity to renovate.

"The bathrooms are both quite small and the dark red and blue colours made them seem smaller and I wanted to create bathrooms that people wanted to go into, not come out of," Maureen says. "I decided to stick with the original layout because it seemed a lot easier to replace what was already there."

Maureen project managed the upgrade herself. She sourced the fittings and fixtures, which Jack installed. For the downstairs bathroom that meant a new shower bath, vanity and toilet while the shower, vanity and toilet were all replaced in the upstairs bathroom. Both bathrooms now feature wall to wall white tiles, contemporary tap fittings and large mirrors to add more visual space. In the upstairs bathroom and to save more space, Maureen opted for a Catherine David shower curtain instead of a shower door.

"Jack did a fantastic job and they gave me some good suggestions along the way. The fittings and fixtures suit the bathrooms perfectly and the end result is much better than I imagined," concludes Maureen.

Graham Crust, of Graham Crust Architects Ltd, says practical factors should be considered early in the bathroom design stage. "Good ventilation and daylight is essential in a smaller bathroom as is maximising storage space. Don't forget to think about how the bathroom will be cleaned as well. You don't want to find out once it is complete that some places are tricky to reach because everything is quite close together."

"As far as aesthetics are concerned, in-wall cisterns save space and look good while frameless shower screens and careful use of colour will help open a room up," Graham says.

Custom Residential owner John Wills says "If you're renovating to sell, it's good to have an idea of what will appeal to prospective buyers. There should be plenty of mirror space, neutral colours and as much natural light as possible; these things will make the bathroom feel bigger."

"It's not always possible, but having a bath for children is really important to people in our area. Not having a bath can be a show stopper in many cases. Quality fixtures and fittings and storage are also things that people look for," says John.

At Jack they believe there are a number of options for getting the work planned and carried out depending on preference, budget and the extent of changes being made.

"If you decide not to change the footprint of the bathroom, the most straightforward thing is probably to replace the existing fittings and fixtures and a building firm would be able to do this for you. If you're planning an extensive overhaul, you might want to consider having an architect design the bathroom for you." says Steve.

"Re-modeling bathrooms can be complex because of all the different trades involved. Typically as a minimum you'll need a plumber, builder, electrician, tiler and waterproofer so many people choose to employ a project manager.

"If you're new to renovating or are unsure of what professional help you'll need, we always recommend you talk to your architect or builder. They can help you get started on the right track."