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Your complete guide to bathroom design and installation
Room planning

Your complete guide to bathroom design and installation

Posted by Adam Chard in Room planning | 3 years ago 6 min read

Looking to revamp your bathroom but don’t know where to begin? We take you behind the scenes of a real life bathroom design and installation project, showing you exactly how everything works and how much it may cost.

Update: December 2023

Since publishing this blog post, we no longer offer a bathroom installation service. However, we can still bring your dream bathroom to life, with our free, no-obligation Bathroom Design Service. Why not enquire today by clicking below?

Enquire about our Bathroom Design Service


Introduction

In this blog post, we take you behind the scenes of a real-life bathroom design and installation project, from start to finish.


From the start…

Whilst there are many reasons why our customers need a new bathroom, many people simply find their current bathroom looks outdated and wish to modernise. In some cases, our customers are looking for a more accessible layout that is easier to clean and maintain.

In this case study, we’ll be looking at the bathroom of Victoria Plum customer Rosemary from York.

Rosemary's old bathroom

Rosemary’s old bathroom was in need of an upgrade

Design and Installation Customer Adviser Lydia, says:

“As with all our customer enquiries, we got back to Rosemary within 24 hours and booked in her consultation. This was a chance for us to discuss Rosemary's needs and identify any special considerations like awkward placed plumbing, low ceilings, etc.

Rosemary sent us a basic plan of her bathroom drawn on paper showing the room dimensions. This was a massive help, allowing us to come up with ideas ahead of the consultation.”

Measuring your bathroom

Find out how to measure your bathroom with our handy guide


The consultation

Design Consultant Jon explains.

“During the consultation, over a lovely cup of tea (of course, that certainly isn’t necessary!), I do start off by asking a lot of questions, which gives me a much better understanding about who will be using the bathroom, when, how often and what the general needs are.

We discussed what type of products Rosemary wanted in the bathroom, for example, just a bath, a multi-functional shower bath, just a shower or anything else. Rosemary wanted to move away from her current shower bath set-up, with a separate shower enclosure and luxurious freestanding bath.

We then moved on to style. Most of our customers prefer a more modern bathroom (also known as a “contemporary” style) but a smaller proportion prefer a timeless, traditional look, which fits in especially well with period properties. Once I had all this information, I was able to feed back to our design team.

Throughout the process, I am the main point of contact for the customer and they can ring me or message me at any time to answer any questions they may have.

Of course, after the Coronavirus outbreak, we had to change our approach to the consultation, to safeguard both our customers and colleagues. As long as we have some basic measurements and photos, this can now take place over the phone, rather than face-to-face.”


The free no-obligation design

The next step of the process saw Jon discuss the main points of the consultation with one of our experienced bathroom designers, Mike, who takes up the story.

“As one of the designers here at Victoria Plum, I took all the information and dimensions we’d been given and set to work creating the design.

We use highly sophisticated, state-of-the-art design planning software, to create incredibly realistic 3D bathroom designs. Together with the consultant, we choose products which not only fit the space but also fit with the customer’s desired style.

A full bathroom design can take around 5 to 10 days to complete, depending on the complexity of the project. Once we are fully happy with the design, the Project Coordinator then presents this back to the customer.”

Rosemary's bathroom design

We create each ultra-realistic design free of charge. It is yours to keep and there is no obligation to buy

After sharing the designs with Rosemary, Jon then discussed the various different product options available and the potential costs.


The installation

Liz, Head of Installation Operations, takes up the story.

“Once we were sure Rosemary was fully satisfied with the design, we arranged for one of our surveyors to view the bathroom and ensure there were no potential issues, for example, with plumbing, electrics or access. We then arranged for one of our fully accredited and insured installers to begin the work at a time and date that suited Rosemary. We have a national network of installers, managed directly by us, meaning full accountability for workmanship and quality.

Our bathroom installers are all members of BiKBBI (the British Institute of Kitchen, Bedroom and Bathroom Installers)—a professional body which promotes excellence in home installation, meaning they are all bound by strict guidelines and codes of practice."

Rosemary's bathroom design

Another view of Rosemary's contemporary bathroom design

Removing the old bathroom can be a messy and dusty old business, so we ensure all other parts of the home are unaffected by keeping doors shut and making sure any valuables are moved beforehand. For waste removal, we use an ethical service provided by Hippowaste. All waste is put into a large foldable bag (no need for a skip) before being sorted into recyclable and non-recyclable items.

To ensure the health and safety of both the customer and our installer, we ask that both fill out a quick Coronavirus survey beforehand. If anyone involved in the process displays symptoms or is confirmed with Coronavirus, we will postpone installation. Social distancing is exercised at all times by our installers during the process.”


The finished bathroom

Liz says “Everyone looks forward to completion day—it is a culmination of all the hard work that everyone has put in. First and foremost, the customer gets to finally enjoy their brand new bathroom and with Rosemary, it was no exception.”

“After leaving things to settle for 24 hours, we asked Rosemary to “test drive” her new bathroom for a period of 7 days to ensure everything was to her complete satisfaction. Once Rosemary was happy, we then activated her 2 year installation guarantee, giving her complete peace of mind.”

Rosemary says “Installation was finished just before Easter, and as we've used it since then we have really appreciated some of the design features that we hadn't thought of, but you suggested. The wall hung cupboard is a great boon, and the towel rail over the sink has saved floor space. We even borrowed your idea of putting plants in the space between the free-standing bath and the wall, and it looks great!”

Rosemary's finished bathroom

Rosemary was delighted with her finished bathroom


Bathroom design and installation cost

To help make paying for your bathroom more manageable, we offer a range of flexible finance options.

For further advice, why not read our guide to bathroom installation costs?


Enquire about our free Bathroom Design Service

To kick off your bathroom design and installation journey, why not enquire about our free, no-obligation Bathroom Design Service? With ultra-realistic 3D images, a 2D floorplan and a bespoke list of products to pass on to your installer, why wait? Click below to begin.

Enquire about our Bathroom Design Service

Author, Adam Chard

Posted by Adam Chard in Room planning | 3 years ago

A born & raised West Countryman, now living on the Yorkshire Coast, for over 10 years Adam has been bringing home interior ideas to life at Victoria Plum. Adam’s favourite interior styles have been shaped by both urban and natural influences.

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