Most people come to us because a bathroom has let them down. A leak, a cracked tray, a suite that's seen better decades. This project started somewhere different. A couple in Wootton, Northampton, wanted both of their bathrooms ready for the years ahead, so that getting in and out of the shower or sitting down safely would never become a daily worry.
The result is a matching pair: a generous main bathroom and a cleverly reworked en-suite, both finished in the same calm stone-effect tiles, natural oak furniture and brushed brass. Here's how the two rooms came together, and why some of the most important decisions are the ones you might not notice at first glance.
The finished rooms: the main bathroom (left) and the en-suite (right), tied together by the same travertine-effect tiles, oak and brushed brass
How does bathroom design work when you bring your own fitter?
This was the customer's first time working with us, yet they were happy to go ahead with both bathrooms from the outset. That confidence came from a recommendation by someone they already knew and trusted. Joe Cox of JME Joinery & Carpentry Ltd is a very experienced fitter who works closely with us, and he regularly points his clients our way so we can measure and design their rooms while he takes care of the site survey and installation.
That arrangement gave the homeowner a clear split of responsibilities from the start. Genna, our designer, visited the house to measure up and talk through what was needed, then put together full plans for both rooms. Joe then fitted them back to back over the summer, finishing one before moving straight on to the next, so there was always a working bathroom in the house.
What does designing 'with mobility in mind' actually mean?
Future-proofing was the heart of the brief. Rather than waiting until a bathroom becomes difficult to use, the couple wanted features built in now that would keep both rooms comfortable for a long time to come.
That shaped almost every choice:
- Comfort height toilets in both rooms, which sit a little higher than standard and make sitting and standing easier.
- A fold-down shower seat in the en-suite's walk-in shower, tucking up neatly when it's not needed, plus moulded seating in the main bathroom's corner bath.
- Anti-slip shower trays underfoot, for extra grip on a wet surface.
- Thermostatic showers in place of the old electric ones, keeping the water temperature steady so there are no sudden hot or cold surprises.
The clever part is that none of it looks clinical. The shower seat folds flat against the tiles, and the toilets are elegant, modern pieces rather than anything that says "adapted bathroom". Nobody walking in would guess these rooms were planned around ease of use. They simply look like lovely bathrooms.
How did the design come together?
When the homeowner first visited us, she didn't have a set style in mind. Genna showed her around the showroom and talked her through different options, and a look gradually took shape from there. A few things quickly became firm favourites: brushed brass fittings, wood-effect furniture and a corner bath.
The tile choice was the easiest decision of all. She'd spotted the Sensi Roma Ivory on display and made her mind up on the spot.
A close-up of the ABK Sensi Roma Ivory tile, showing the soft banding and pitted texture of travertine
Matching the two rooms was her idea too, and she asked for them both to be done the same when Genna came round to measure up. As a result, both rooms share the same tiles, the same natural oak furniture from Deuco and the same brushed brass finishes. The differences come from the rooms themselves: one is bigger, one has a bath, and each has its own style of shower.
Why go neutral with a travertine-effect tile?
The homeowner wanted something with a timeless feel, and that ruled out anything too colourful or heavily patterned. Bold trends have a habit of looking tired within a couple of years (remember the rush for pink bathrooms?), while natural stone looks have stayed in fashion for, well, centuries.
Sensi Roma is an Italian porcelain from ABK, inspired by travertine. The print quality is excellent, so it reads as real stone rather than a printed copy, with soft banding and the occasional pitted detail you'd expect from the genuine article. Being porcelain, it's also far more practical than natural stone for a busy bathroom.
In both rooms, the large 60 x 120cm tiles run across the floor and up every wall, with no contrasting feature tile anywhere. Using one tile throughout keeps grout lines to a minimum and lets each room feel calm and uncluttered, with the oak and brass providing all the warmth and contrast needed.
Large-format tiles like these are only as good as what's behind them. Joe built up the walls with Hardie Backer boards, used Laticrete tanking for waterproofing, and fixed every tile with Benfer adhesive. We supplied it all alongside the tiles, together with the grout, silicone and trims, so everything for the job came from one place. If you're planning some tiling of your own, our tile fixing products and tile fixing tools are a good place to start.
How did each bathroom change?
The two rooms started from very different places, so each one needed its own approach.
What changed in the main bathroom?
The main bathroom is a good-sized room, but its old layout didn't make the most of it. A straight bath ran along one wall, and the shower was squeezed into a narrow cubicle behind a tiled nib wall, powered by an electric shower that had clearly done its time. Add in a textured swirl ceiling and decorative border tiles, and you had a room that was very much of its era.
The main bathroom before: a straight bath, a cramped shower cubicle and patterned border tiles
The new layout swaps the straight bath for an Idaho corner bath from Qualitex, which the customer particularly wanted. Its curved shape has seating moulded into the design and frees up floor space in the middle of the room. The cramped cubicle has gone too, replaced by a roomy Merlyn Arysto Sleek quadrant enclosure with a brushed brass frame, an anti-slip tray and a thermostatic shower from JTP's Vos range with both an overhead drencher and a handset.
The finished main bathroom: an oak vanity and mirror cabinet beside a tall brass towel rail (left), and the corner bath with its brushed brass quadrant shower (right)
The basin now has its own wall, with a Deuco Elan two-drawer vanity in natural oak below and a matching double mirror cabinet above. A tall brushed brass towel rail completes that side of the room, and the old swirl ceiling has been replaced with a smooth finish and recessed spotlights.
If the Elan vanity looks familiar, it also played a starring role in our Walnut Tree bathroom makeover, where it sat alongside a similar stone-effect tile.
How do you stop a long, narrow en-suite feeling cramped?
The en-suite was the trickier of the two rooms. It's long and narrow, entered from the bedroom through a short passage, and its original layout made it feel even tighter. The shower sat inside a framed enclosure with a section of wall beside it, the toilet was tucked against the far wall next to a radiator, and a pedestal basin stood just inside the door.
The en-suite before: a framed shower enclosure, a pedestal basin and half-height tiling
Genna made two key changes to open it up. First, the section of wall beside the old enclosure came out, and a brushed brass Iconix wetroom panel from Bathrooms to Love went in instead, creating a walk-in shower on a larger 1500 x 900mm anti-slip tray from Kartell. A hinged return panel at the end can be folded in or out, so the space stays easy to get in and out of.
Second, the toilet moved to the other side of the soil stack, into the spot where the radiator used to be. It sounds like a small shift on paper, but it clears a much better walkway through the middle of the room.
The finished en-suite: an oak toilet run with storage above and a compact basin (left), and the walk-in shower with its fold-down seat and recessed niche (right)
Walk-in showers are increasingly popular wherever there's room for one, and with good reason. With no doors or rollers, there's less to wear out over time and far less to clean. They also suit a minimal look, which matters in a smaller room where every extra frame adds visual clutter.
Storage was high on the homeowner's wish list, so the toilet now sits within a run of Deuco M-Series furniture in natural oak. The cistern is concealed behind it, with a slim worktop above and a double wall cabinet over the top, giving plenty of space for toiletries without eating into the floor. A compact Elan vanity, a round brushed brass mirror and a slim ladder towel rail make the most of the remaining wall.
Is it worth doing both bathrooms at the same time?
For this couple, it made a lot of sense, and there are good reasons it might for you too. The biggest benefit is that all the disruption happens in one stretch. It lasts a little longer, but once it's over, it's over, rather than going through the dust and upheaval twice.
There are practical savings as well. One skip instead of two is an obvious one (the neighbours will thank you too). When both rooms use the same tile, offcuts from one can often be put to good use in the other. And because the rooms are fitted back to back rather than at the same moment, you're never left without a bathroom.
How did the plans compare with the finished rooms?
Before any work began, Genna created detailed renders of both rooms, so the homeowner could see exactly how everything would look and where each item would sit. Here are a few of them alongside the finished photos above.
Render of main bathroom, top-down plan view
Render of main bathroom, view towards the window with WC and corner bath
Render of the en-suite layout from above, including the entrance passage from the bedroom
Render of the en-suite looking from the shower end towards the window
What did the customer think?
A few weeks after both rooms were finished, the homeowner left us a review on Trustpilot:
You can read the review in full on Trustpilot, along with plenty more from our customers.
Could your bathroom be ready for the future too?
A bathroom that works for you now and later doesn't have to look like a compromise. Our design service covers everything from measuring up to full plans, elevations and renders, with every detail specified, from radiator sizes to valve positions. Our own team can then fit the whole thing for you, or if you already have a fitter you trust, we're happy to work alongside them and answer their questions throughout the install.
We work across Milton Keynes and beyond, including Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire, and further afield to places like St Albans and Banbury. Pop into our showroom to see a range of tiles and furniture for yourself, or get in touch to talk through your plans.
And if this project has given you some ideas, our blog has plenty more real bathroom transformations to browse.
