I live in the country and am completely reliant on tank water. I also have a grey water recycling system and can tell how much water has gone through it at any one time as the filters need to be cleaned after so many litres of water go through them. I can almost guarantee that the bath with a couple of grand kids splashing about for twenty minutes having fun will use less water than any of their parents showering does. Even topping it up with more hot water if needed. Unless you are very conservative with your showers baths are not that bad and the value they add to the resale of the average home outweighs any downside. I definately wouldn't buy a house without one. I have had a house that has a bath the size of the shower though, about 1m x 1m by maybe 40cm deep and I think it was called a hip bath. My sister in law has one at her house, she got it from Lanark, as her house only had a shower which is not practical and it was the cheaper option than redoing the whole bathroom. I dont know if that is what you are after or not.

Try Sparkk. www.sparkk.com.au They have a huge range of digitally printed designs that are customizable for fabric and wallpaper. . . all printed in Sydney. Good luck!

Hi Joanna We love both! A common misconception we've found with freestanding baths and spas is that they're simply be too heavy to move around for cleaning purposes. To make cleaning manageable, our 100% Australian made baths and spas are manufactured using Gelcoat composite construction which is extremely strong yet not overly heavy (5mm thickness to ensure structural rigidity and increased thermal properties). So one of our baths is typically around the 40-50kg mark which allows most people to easily slide the bath out from the wall for easy cleaning access. Freestanding stone baths are a different story altogether! Regards, Brad AQVA Luxury Baths & Spas

Thanks for your input. I am as happy as I can be regarding layout. Never having renovated, I just don't know where to start. If I go to a designer, am I limited to their suggestions/suppliers? Do they handle organising the tradespeople? If I visit with a bathroom showroom and really like a vanity or a particular type of shower head and tap handles, etc...when do I run it by a plumber as to suitability for the space/existing connections? Sorry I am sounding naive.... As for the laundry...I know there isn't much room to do anything different to it, apart from having some built in cabinetry put it. Currently as it stands, there is an existing sink/trough that sits in one of those old metal cabinets (fixed), a front loader washing machine and a free standing wardrobe/cupboard. Window and door to yard at one end. (Sorry no pics to hand)