Avoiding the dash to the outside loo was the catalyst for this bathroom renovation

"The only toilet was out on the back deck, and that could only be accessed from outside," she explains. "Also, in the existing bathroom, the terrazzo floor had numerous cracks, the bath was green and the walls were a pink laminate – it was in desperate need of a renovation."

But fitting a bath, new vanity and toilet into the existing space would take a little creativity. To this end, Alisha called on Mick from Brisbane Bathroom Builders, who not only came up with a new layout, but also designed and built the new vanity and shaving cabinet himself.

"I searched high and low for a vanity unit that would suit the space, but couldn't find anything I liked at a reasonable price," says Alisha. "After discussing my dilemma with Mick, he offered to build one for me. His design is great and includes two areas for towels to be rolled up in, since cupboard space in my house is also a concern."

As Mick explains, when designing the vanity and cabinet, he wanted to use as much natural timber as possible so as to carry the Balinese feel of the rest of the house into the bathroom.

"I used a combination of stains: a natural colour to match the existing architraves, and a darker stain for a bit of a contrast," he says.

Mick also stripped back the original timber window to match the cabinet.

"Being in a wet area, the window did require a lot of pre-treatment work," he explains. "I gave it something like eight coats of Intergrain and it was all waterproofed around the frame. Timber isn't always ideal in wet areas, but if it's dried off after each use, it should be fine."

To complement the warm, natural tones of the timber, Alisha chose an earthy, cobblestone look for the tiles. Mick suggested she also run a feature tile around the room to give the impression of length and depth – what he calls the 'railway effect'.

"I'm not a huge fan of feature tiles because I think they can date, but I think these tiles, because they're natural and subtle, will stay in vogue for a long time to come," he says.

Although the renovation wasn't a simple retrofit and required plumbing to be repositioned to accommodate the new fittings, Mick says the whole project ran fairly smoothly because there was ample space under Alisha's home to access the pipework. And any inconvenience for Alisha was kept to a minimum because Mick arranged for a portable amenities block with a shower, toilet and vanity to be installed at her home for the duration of the job.

"It was a little strange at first, showering in a temporary bathroom on the driveway, but it was very private and definitely made life easier," she says. 

Mick Burgess

Brisbane Bathroom Builders

What was wrong with the old bathroom?

The biggest problem was there was no toilet. The only toilet was out on the back deck, and that could only be accessed by going outside, which is not ideal in winter, even in Queensland.

Tell us about the vanity and cabinet.

Alisha had a lot of trouble finding a vanity unit that would fit the space, so I ended up designing and building one myself, as well as the mirrored cabinet. I chose a natural timber stain to suit the existing architraves, as well as a darker stain to create a bit of contrast.

What are the advantages of a custom-made vanity?

It's definitely more expensive to get a custom-made vanity unit but, in Queensland especially, there are a lot of small bathrooms and you can do so much more for the room if you get one custom made. It can really open up a lot of avenues that are otherwise restricted.

Does timber in wet areas need to be treated in a special way?

Timber in a wet area is obviously not always an ideal thing. But if you look after it and dry it off each time you use the bathroom, then you generally won't have a problem. The vanity is solid timber, so it will never have a problem as far as water damage goes.

Were there any challenges along the way?

Not really. The main challenge was trying to get everything in and come up with the ideal layout. Once we had that right it was fairly smooth sailing. We did have to shift around plumbing, but most Queensland homes have fairly good access to plumbing from underneath, so that was a breeze. 

Alisha

What was your old bathroom like and what was wrong with it?

The old bathroom was the original 1960s bathroom. The terrazzo floor had numerous cracks, the bath was green and the walls were a pink laminate. The bathroom had been leaking for some time and was in desperate need of a renovation.

What was your brief to the designer/builder?

As the bathroom is quite small, I didn't think there would be any other way to arrange it. I really wanted a larger bath, a toilet installed (our only toilet was outside) and a wall cabinet. I didn't think it would be possible due to the small size of the room.

How did you come up with the design?

Mick from Brisbane Bathroom Builders came up with a plan that included everything that I wanted. By changing the normal door to a bi-fold, it opened up one extra wall. He turned the shower and bath against the opposite wall, which allowed room for the toilet, vanity and towel rail.

How did you go about choosing the fittings, finishes and colour scheme?

I wanted a natural, earthy look for the tiles. Mick suggested I run a feature tile around the room to give the impression of length and depth to the room. As the rest of the house has a lot of timber and a Balinese feel, I wanted a few timber features to carry that theme into the bathroom.  

Any advice to others who are renovating?

Find a builder that you feel comfortable with and is a specialist in this area. My bathroom wouldn't be a favourite room if I had insisted on sticking with my original plan.