Bathroom Ideas – Things to Avoid

I like to think I am good at delegating. Others in my life say I have taken the verb ‘delegate’ and panel-beaten it into a shape to fit a definition that more serves my own ends.

They feel delegate for me means ‘pass on, not do yourself or avoid’, a take on the classic mañana response to getting things done in Spain. I was understandably wounded by this attack, but did see how they might have come to this conclusion.

One area which I tend to avoid like the plague is bathroom design as, despite my knowledge in that sector, I can never win, and am constantly shouted down. Thing is, I am undoubtedly to be pressed into service at some point, having just bought a new house. Frankly, I am a bit scared of messing stuff up.

So, to help you (and myself) avoid this kind of thing, I have put together a list of bathroom ideas to help you with three classic decorating and renovating mistakes that you should avoid. Wish me luck, as I do you.

Budget

The number one overwritten and overdrawn thing, in my experience. A budget should be something with contingencies and extendable boundaries built-in, something that can swell and evolve like that pair of jogging bottoms you wear when you’re tackling a big meal.

This is because unforeseen things will crop up – better bathroom cabinets needed, skirting requiring replacement – adding costs and time to your project.

Clutter

Right, down to real bathroom design matters, and this is probably my number one bugbear. A good example is my auntie’s house, whose bathroom accessories reflect a small curiosity shop full of gewgaws and little models and horrible trinkets – it’s like you’ve been crowded into a seaside town’s tackiest souvenir shop where the stock has somehow achieved malevolent sentience.

Less really is more, so don’t cram every available space with stuff. Let the bathroom furniture breathe and stretch, it’ll look so much better for it.

Scale

Yes, those gigantic, statement oval column vertical radiators do look stunning on the wall of the showroom, but when trying to be wedged into your bathroom like two nuclear class submarines into a phone box, you will regret your purchase.

Do plan ahead and work to your dimensions, not your imagination. Research as many small bathroom ideas as you can beforehand, otherwise you will waste time and precious funds on things that will overpower or simply not fit in your room. To avoid any bathroom disasters in future, read through our Buying Guides, which give clear definitions of all our individual bathroom fittings.