Bathroom redesign help

[Jaded]

I’ll not tell the story of the cat covered in emulsion paint and the shower. It is too early in the morning.

[velosam]

So which Mira shower, I have looked at the site and it's very confusing.  Recommendation is to get the largest power one, clearacale.  What else do I need as I can't understand what the pricing, more powerful ones are cheaper ?  Anyone know an easy why of choosing one?

[chrisbainbridge]

I went for this one https://www.mirashowers.co.uk/showers/electric-showers/mira-sport-max-with-airboost-108kw/.  The airboost is a bit gimmicky but gives the feel of a slightly stronger shower.  I have never had a problem with Mira showers.  They also have their own team of technicians who will visit if there is a problem.

[phantasmagoriana]

Some friends of ours have a bottom washing wand next to the toilet. Mrs H. Is up for this whenever I get around to our bathroom refurb. I would Google a link but  browsing from a bothy with limited interwebs

I hate shower heads that are fixed to the wall, for related reasons.

This. Ours has a big fixed head, with no hose. Gone are the days of washing bikes in the shower. :'( It also makes it annoyingly difficult to rinse the shower itself.

[phantasmagoriana]

I hate shower heads that are fixed to the wall, for related reasons.

I quite like the look of mine.

That shower curtain on the circular rail looks terrifyingly claustrophobic, though!

[Mr Larrington]

Some friends of ours have a bottom washing wand next to the toilet. Mrs H. Is up for this whenever I get around to our bathroom refurb. I would Google a link but  browsing from a bothy with limited interwebs

I hate shower heads that are fixed to the wall, for related reasons.

This. Ours has a big fixed head, with no hose. Gone are the days of washing bikes in the shower. :'( It also makes it annoyingly difficult to rinse the shower itself.

The shower in the guest bedroom at Schloß Von Brandenburg has both, though I couldn’t figure out how to switch it from one to the other.

[phantasmagoriana]

The shower in the guest bedroom at Schloß Von Brandenburg has both, though I couldn’t figure out how to switch it from one to the other.

That's a sensible configuration, provided it does actually switch. I looked at switching ours to a double-header, but it's a concealed valve so wouldn't be a straightforward conversion. Aftermarket adapters exist, but seemingly not in the UK (I found one on Amazon USA, but as yet haven't got round to ordering).

[Tim Hall]

The shower in the guest bedroom at Schloß Von Brandenburg has both, though I couldn’t figure out how to switch it from one to the other.

That's a sensible configuration, provided it does actually switch. I looked at switching ours to a double-header, but it's a concealed valve so wouldn't be a straightforward conversion. Aftermarket adapters exist, but seemingly not in the UK (I found one on Amazon USA, but as yet haven't got round to ordering).

Short sightedly when I had the bathroom done in my Rural Idyll, I opted for a fixed head shower, running from an Aqualisia mixer over the bath.. When I get the necessary tuits, I'll swap the bath tap mixer out for one with a flexible shower head thing, supplementing the fixed head.

[Kim]

Some friends of ours have a bottom washing wand next to the toilet. Mrs H. Is up for this whenever I get around to our bathroom refurb. I would Google a link but  browsing from a bothy with limited interwebs

I hate shower heads that are fixed to the wall, for related reasons.

This. Ours has a big fixed head, with no hose. Gone are the days of washing bikes in the shower. :'( It also makes it annoyingly difficult to rinse the shower itself.

The shower in the guest bedroom at Schloß Von Brandenburg has both, though I couldn’t figure out how to switch it from one to the other.

Compulsory for those to facilitate the selection of squirty bits by a different arcane method each time, in order to deliver a full torrent of freezing/scalding (delete as applicable) water to the back of your head while you're carefully aiming the hose elsewhere.  It's a tradition, or an old charter or something, and I suspect pTerry's Bloody Stupid Johnson was the one wot started it.

[Mrs Pingu]

I've been thinking about bathrooms, specifically how much I should change now while I don't currently have the budget to do the whole bathroom.
Non-negotiable is getting the bath and crappy electric shower replaced with a shower enclosure and mains shower. I'd quite like to get the basin replaced with a vanity if I can stretch that far as well, it's on the same wall as the bath. Not really a problem but the whole bathroom (all 4 walls) are tiled up to about eye level.
Shower enclosure will be shower panel but if I get a new vanity installed I might as well put some nicer tiles behind it. But obviously with the tiles currently going into all 4 corners of the room this makes me concerned about when I eventually get the rest of the room done up I might end up wrecking all the new tiles when I take the old ones off the adjoining wall.....

[Pickled Onion]

Aren't you going to wreck the tiles when you take the bath out? Or is it going to be a bath-sized walk-in shower (these are great, IMO)?

It sounds like you have almost the budget for all of it, and getting it done in two stages is going to be more expensive than all in one go, so I'd be considering a loan to cover the shortfall.

[Pickled Onion]

This is my bathroom which is in desperate need of an upgrade. I can't see any scope for rearrangement but would welcome any creative suggestions.



The biggest problem is getting stuff small enough. 700 square seems to be the smallest standard shower tray.

For the vanity unit one of these would fit, it's a bit smaller. The problem with the one at the moment is it's plastic and the surround is impractical painted wood. I am considering getting a piece of marble or granite and one of those free-standing bowl things. Does anyone have one and are they practical?

[Mrs Pingu]

Can't see your photo, you need to host it on an external site and post a link to it.

My tiles for the shower and the vanity are all on the same wall so yes they will be coming off. It's the ones on the adjoining wall I'm thinking about.

[Pingu]

http://handsonit.co.uk/photos/2023/bathroom.jpg

[De Sisti]

I hate shower heads that are fixed to the wall, for related reasons.

I quite like the look of mine.

That shower curtain on the circular rail looks terrifyingly claustrophobic, though!

Err, I don't think so. . It's a synthetic curtain FFS, not some solid object.

[Mrs Pingu]

http://handsonit.co.uk/photos/2023/bathroom.jpg

I see. Our bathroom feels palatial...

[Mrs Pingu]

@De Sisti, does that curtain not cling to you?

[De Sisti]

@De Sisti, does that curtain not cling to you?

It's two curtains together, so it's a 'bit heavier', stays vertical and doesn't cling to my skin.
The diameter of the circular ring is wide enough to keep the curtains away from my body
when showering.

[robgul]

This may inspire . . .  I just removed the dated vanity and WC from our en suite shower room last week - pics are as the new items installed and the old stuff propped up to photograph for FB Marketplace (Response in 7 minutes from listing, collected within the hour, £50 cash!)

The vanity unit with sink and tap was £275 from IKEA, WC was £150 from Victoria Plum . . . and about £10 of odd bits to fit it all (less the £50 from the sale)   So, pleased with the result for not a lot of money - we did have the advantage that the room was totally tiled on the floor and walls floor to ceiling.  The quirky sign is to cover an aperture with a live electric supply that powered an awful mirror - mirror is now on the side wall)





I've also made a floating shelf from some offcuts of plywood laminated together and a set of brackets that were a £6 from Amazon

[rogerzilla]

The usual reason for circular shower curtains clinging is the venturi effect, especially with some overpowered hotel showers.  All that spraying water pulls air along with it, and the drop in pressure in the "venturi tube" sucks the clammy curtain onto your legs.

[velosam]

Thanks RobGul

Looking at my bathroom (will post some pics later) - the stuff isn't that bad. The toilet is OK, could you a new sink with a cupboard and the shower cubicle only looks poor, because the plastics have yellowed and mould has got between the glass and the frame. 

The electric shower unit definitely needs replacing, but I am now thinking I may get away with a new sink unit and some fresh plastic/ rubber trim on the shower ....thoughts?

[De Sisti]

The usual reason for circular shower curtains clinging is the venturi effect,

It doesn't happen when I'm having a shower. It may also have something to do with the hem
at the bottom of the curtains, as they appear fairly rigid and hold their shape.

[velosam]

My message seems to have got lost.

Thanks for the reply Rob.

This is what mine looks like

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Edb4bIWIxl_ocoeUnaDfG7xLBQqf1xm_

Is that dated?

I think it can use a new sink and tap, but the toilet and shower aren't too bad. I guess the issue with the shower is that mould has got into the bits between the glass and the frame, and the rubbers/plastic bits have yellowed with age (I assume I can just get new ones).

I definitely need a new electric pump thing, new sink (I assume getting another white one, will match the toilet).  I don't mind spending the money and new stuff, as long as its necessary. One of the other things is that I may sell the house the house and move in 3-5 years, depending upon my mother's well being and health. It the only reason I still stay here and that fact that in 3-5 years time both my children will be past 18.

[Mrs Pingu]

@robgul, I think that vanity is the same one I have my eye on (Godmorgen/Odensvik) but in white. We had a Roca Victoria vanity put in the last place but they seem to be around £700 now so that's off the list.
Did you use the supplied Ikea strainer/drain for the basin or get a more standard UK one?

I had a bit of a thought on my tiles issue in that I could just replace everything on that wall with shower panel (would be in the shower anyway but just extend it to behind the vanity) and then there's nothing too breakable for when I cobble together the funds to do the rest of the room). (This plan pretty much only leaves the toilet to replace but I would like one with an insulated cistern to stop 'sweating' so I think that will be quite expensive...)

[robgul]

@robgul, I think that vanity is the same one I have my eye on (Godmorgen/Odensvik) but in white. We had a Roca Victoria vanity put in the last place but they seem to be around £700 now so that's off the list.
Did you use the supplied Ikea strainer/drain for the basin or get a more standard UK one?

I had a bit of a thought on my tiles issue in that I could just replace everything on that wall with shower panel (would be in the shower anyway but just extend it to behind the vanity) and then there's nothing too breakable for when I cobble together the funds to do the rest of the room). (This plan pretty much only leaves the toilet to replace but I would like one with an insulated cistern to stop 'sweating' so I think that will be quite expensive...)

Correct on the IKEA stuff - it's the gloss dark grey - it's the third one of these I've installed . . our previous house about 10 years ago and at my daughter's flat. 
In each instace I used the clever IKEA telescopic waste stuff as it pushes all the pipework/trap etc to the wall and doesn't interfere with the upper drawer (although in the latest job the position of the existing waste quite high up on the back wall meant that I had to alter the top drawer to reduce the size front to back to clear the waste pipes - easy enough inserting a piece of 5 x 1" timber and trimming away the very back corner of the drawer)  For each installation it's been a tiled stud wall so I used the IKEA legs, being concerned about wall-hanging the heavy cabinet and basin.