Bathroom Renovation

Discussion in 'Renovation & Home Improvement' started by vtt, 20th Feb, 2016.

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  1. vtt

    vtt Well-Known Member

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    We are planning to renovate our bathroom in the Inner West of Sydney. Can anyone recommend any bathroom renovation specialists?
    Thank you
    vtt
     
  2. vtt

    vtt Well-Known Member

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    Nobody? :(
     
  3. Hanison

    Hanison Well-Known Member

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    Try calling the Bahamas.
    They might have all retired after the last boom.
     
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  4. bob shovel

    bob shovel Well-Known Member

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    Nope :(

    We can help with planning though :)
     
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  5. WattleIdo

    WattleIdo midas touch

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    While we're waiting for the right person to notice this thread, how 'bout some pics of the old bathroom and some ideas and pics related to the new? As @bob shovel said, we can elaborate on ideas all day long. :)
     
    Last edited: 24th Feb, 2016
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  6. vtt

    vtt Well-Known Member

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    Ok here's some pics for you. Most were taken when we were ripping out the kitchen so it's not open plan kitchen/bathroom anymore :)

    This is our PPOR, 2 bed Victorian terrace in Inner West of Sydney. We will possibly do a large renovation at some point in the future so don't want to spend loads of money on this bathroom but want to make it functional and aesthetically pleasing so if we get it revalued or sell it we can get a good price. The door is a cavity slider and is in the middle of the wall that is now between the kitchen and bathroom.

    We plan to remove the stunning gold trimmed shower over bath (which is 1100 long by 750 wide - weird? Yes) and replace it with a frameless shower probably 1100 x 800. New fittings in chrome with a big shower head and hand shower attached.

    We are going to remove the vanity which is falling apart (with a cracked sink and dodgy brass finish damaged tapware) and replace with a white shaker cabinet with marble top and chrome tapware. Matching mirror above.

    Toilet will be replaced with a simple white back to wall suite.

    The window on the back wall will be bricked up. On the other side of this window is the laundry. The window in the bathroom on the left of the photo was clearly a door at some point. The bottom half will be bricked up so it is a window again.

    Floor tiles will be small white matt hexagonals with a mid grey grout. Walls tiled to 3/4 high, white subways with white grout and a white coping tile. Above the coping tile will be painted the same grey as we have in the bedrooms. Ceiling will be plastered, white, with an exhaust fan (room has no powered ventilation at present). There will be a tall storage unit to the left of the door when you walk in that matches the vanity.

    Pics of the before are attached along with a very rough floor plan and some inspirational images :)

    Thoughts or comments welcome! image.jpeg image.jpeg image.png image.jpeg
     
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  7. WattleIdo

    WattleIdo midas touch

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    Glad it's not open plan anymore!
    Your plans sound great. I'm also going for a small hexagonal and the subway tiles - probably in a soft white or some kind of light neutral.
    Yes, the gold-rimmed shower frame takes me back.
    Looks like the original bathroom was quite nice for its time. I like the glass in that old window there. imo bathrooms are the most important rooms in the house. Are you keeping the bath and adding the shower or getting rid of the bath?
    I hope someone knows some bathroom people to help you out. :)
     
  8. bob shovel

    bob shovel Well-Known Member

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    Good plan!
    Will you buy everything yourself? Great way to save money. You can get all that off ebay, especially if it's temporary.
    Check your shower sizes, glass is expensive, but off the shelf can be a lot more reasonable! Quick eBay search found this
    Screenshot_2016-02-24-19-40-14.png

    That's 1200 900, there's also a 1200 x 700 on there. I used a seller called osman bathware from memory. I got about that much glass custom sized through my brother in law, cost price and was around $1000.so good saving going standard sizes
    If you buy it all you're just needing someone to put it in. Just measure everything half a dozen times!
     
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  9. WattleIdo

    WattleIdo midas touch

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    Can you change which side the door goes on no probs?
    I'm fortunate (I think) in that my handyman's brother is a plumber.
     
  10. bob shovel

    bob shovel Well-Known Member

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    Yeah they would have stock of different combinations. Just need to be clear when ordering
     
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  11. Chabs

    Chabs Well-Known Member

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    Hey I addressed some of the things in the quote. That shower linked before was a good price if the quality is good. For reference, at my store we sell a 900 x 900 frameless shower for $450. I'm biased, but its nicer than the one linked.

    Large tiles > small tiles for look, they make the space look larger. Sometimes in old houses its a lot easier to use small tiles as the walls don't need to be as straight.

    I know a few renovators who are familiar with the inner-west, if you haven't found anybody, message me your contact and I'll pass it on.
     
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  12. Azazel

    Azazel Well-Known Member

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    Wowsers, that's big difference.
    I thought about going one of those all in one showers for about $700, but this is much better value.
     
  13. dianab

    dianab Member

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    I recently did a bathroom reno, pm if you would like his details.
     
  14. vtt

    vtt Well-Known Member

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    Thanks so much. I like large tiles too but they have two main issues for us 1. Not in theme with the property and 2. Because of the small bathroom size there will be too many cuts on the tiles to get the fall we need in the shower and to the floor grate.

    This will be the 3rd bathroom we have renovated and I've found that grey grout on the floor of the shower/bathroom is by far the best colour. It conceals lots of marks and is the easiest to clean. We had originally thought of doing the floor in penny tiles but they have too much grout which is why we went back to hex. At this stage we aren't sure whether we will go for the larger hex or the smaller but we are leaning to the smaller so we keep it somewhat sympathetic to the era. I love love the big jumbo dinner plate sized hex tiles but they are a bit too modern and don't suit the home.

    As for the vanity, it comes with a marble top (it is actually the one in the picture), we have no option to go with caesarstone. To keep costs down we are using an off the shelf vanity rather than having one custom made (if we did that we would use caesarstone for sure).

    We've had a couple of quotes from bathroom specialists and they are all suggesting a hob around the shower. I really don't want to do that! Is a hob being recommended because it's easier, more practical, less expensive or something else? I would prefer a frameless shower with no hob but if it's going to be twice the price then maybe I'll suck it up and just go with a hob :)
     
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  15. bob shovel

    bob shovel Well-Known Member

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    Hob off! I say
    Why do they want hob?? Frameless done correctly with water strips under the door to keep the water in is soooo much better than an ugly hob
     
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  16. vtt

    vtt Well-Known Member

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    Thanks @bob shovel - spoke to the builder who said he can do it without a hob but it will mean a small step up into the bathroom. I'd still rather than than a hob!
     
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  17. bob shovel

    bob shovel Well-Known Member

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    Ah ok must be to do with the plumbing, raising the floor level to match. the hob just means raising the shower versus raising whole bathroom
     
  18. 5080

    5080 Active Member

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    To do with fall for tiles to drain and waterproofing.
     
  19. Priestess

    Priestess New Member

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    Reading this thread with interest. I am wanting to renovate my bathroom at absolutely minimal cost. Speaking to a reno company recently, I was told they "start at 15-20k plus". I'm obviously aware they can cost this, but they don't have to - and I was somewhat annoyed that they weren't even willing to talk to someone with a smaller budget.

    I went off and found products online that I could buy myself and managed to find the whole bathroom's worth for around $2,700, although that would involve keeping my current tiles which I do not want to do, ideally.

    I will post some pics and some of my various, tangential ideas for saving money a bit later (I'm off to look at some local suppliers and get some advice) but if anyone wants to share tips on getting a reno done budget-style, please do in the meantime.
     
  20. kmrr

    kmrr Well-Known Member

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    Any updated pictures that you can share with us?