A bathroom renovation in a 1950s home

"The house had an outside toilet, so we had to somehow squeeze a toilet into a room that was already small, and we had no idea how we were going to go about it," Jason explains.

So he called in a designer to help find the best way to use the space, which Jason says proved to be his saviour. 

"Paying to have an expert come in and draw up a set of plans that had been carefully measured and that I could just hand over to the tradesmen made sure we didn't end up with any nasty surprises," he says.

Jason is also reasonably handy around the house, which helped him and his wife save a few dollars on the renovation. "I ripped out the old bathroom myself the night before the builders arrived."

But what Jason uncovered would cost more money than he had budgeted for. Beneath the floor tiles he discovered the pipe taking the shower water out had rotted away, which in turn had rotted the entire floor.

"We had no choice but to replace the floor, but we wanted to make sure we did the job right, so we had no hesitation in doing so. My wife and I had to shower at my mother's house for a few weeks while the bathroom was out of action, but we knew it would all be worth it in the end."

While shopping for a new bathroom, Jason and his wife had decided to stick with neutral colours, so had white tiles laid, with a small dark feature tile edging the room.

They also saved space by choosing a three-quarter bath and putting the shower over the bath instead of keeping it separate as in the old design.

As a result, the new bathroom looks far larger than the old one, with white walls, a small flecked feature tile and a huge sunken basin among the design features. The room is also filled with light, provided by a large window and two downlights. 

"We just love the new bathroom. It is easily the best result of all the rooms we've renovated in the house so far, and having a nice bathroom makes life so much more pleasant."

Andrea Wilkinson

Andrea Wilkinson Building Design

What was the client's brief to you?

The addition of a toilet was the most important part of this renovation, but they were also after a lighter room, better storage space that would offer them some luxury. We also discussed the need to maximise the bench space and add a large mirror to create the illusion of space.

How difficult was it to redesign such an old bathroom?

Not at all. In a house of this age, it is fairly safe to assume that all linings and plumbing will need replacing, so starting with a clean slate is only restricted by your imagination, budget and time frame.

What was the biggest challenge along the way?

The existing window position and size needed to be retained to avoid altering the external appearance of the home. This reduced our options of locating certain fixtures near the window, due to their height.

How would you describe the overall functionality and look of the bathroom?

This room is now a really beautiful space that will survive the test of time. With stark white walls, textured tiles and large grey floor tiles, the colours are neutral, so won't date in a hurry. It will also make a great family home one day.

As a designer, what was your favourite part of this project?

Coming up with a practical solution which suited the owners' needs. Observing the smiles on their faces always makes the project worthwhile.

Jason

What was the original bathroom like?

It was a very old and ugly 1950s original bathroom with a pale green bath and basin and floral purple wallpaper. It was a complete disaster zone.

What was your brief to the designer?

First and foremost, we wanted to be able to fit a toilet into the bathroom, which we knew would be a challenge. We also wanted a bath of some sort for resale of the property.

How did you choose the colour scheme and materials?

We had bought heaps of bathroom renovation magazines and visited showrooms to get some ideas of what we liked. We bought the best we could afford of everything, and decided early on that it would be wise to stick with neutral colours so the bathroom didn't date in years to come.

What's your favourite part of the renovation?

The beautiful polished concrete benchtop, which we had made locally. Easily the best investment we made, because it's the feature piece.

Are the wet areas easy to maintain?

It's wonderfully easy to clean and maintain. The best part is that the tiles go almost the entire height of the walls, and only need a wipe to clean.