Hi there - exactly the same thing happened to us and I was devastated to see the aluminum strip. like you, this wasn't discussed. So disappointing when you pay so much for a new bathroom. Can you tell me whether you ended up painting over the strips? I'd love to hear what you ended up doing and how it looks, four years on. My sister says she is sure we can paint over them. But I"m so disappointed as it's not the look we were after. We are stuck with our bathroom company who are also doing our bigger downstairs bathroom so at least I can make sure they use white edging around our window. many thanks

What's the window doing? If you do a window to the floor then a free stander will look awesome - cleaning factor? well, that ultimately depends on your opinion/priority/thoughts on that vs the aesthetic/look - that's the question you need to answer....& do you have a view out of your bathroom? If the window is a high level window then you could realistically go either way successfully....we seem to find freestanders are chosen more so than not, despite the cleaning behind factor..... my clients went for a freestander for this little bathroom and visually by just keeping it off the wall the tight space feels more open than it would have been with either a hob or back to wall. Just make sure you have enough room to get behind it to clean and all good :) PD

You could consider custom joinery that actually looks freestanding - purposefully creating a gap from the edge of the fireplace surround to the wardrobe & on the wall side also. This would also mean that it really does not matter if the front of the cupboards do not align with the front of the fireplace. Adding a nicely detailed leg, and a feature handle (you can get some really unique Australian made ones these days) to give some visual interest to the otherwise minimal finishes. Keep it simple & classic so it ages with your child's taste and preferences. As an example, The Design Files recent article has an image of a cupboard in a lounge area, that could be adapted to two double door units on either side of the fireplace https://thedesignfiles.net/2019/10/interiors-house-p-cjh-studio/. Seems perfect for a child of any age, or even if you want to convert the room to a more 'grown up purpose' once they leave home ;-)

You will need a bath with three or four tile flanges to match the one in the first photo. It has to do with complying with the building regulations for waterproofing and protecting the timber framing that is under the tiles. If the edge of the bath where it meets the tiles is not properly protected from water seeping through then concealed wet rot could start, and eventually everything will need to be ripped out, and built again. Sometimes even the timber floor joists under the bath rot out and need to be replaced. So I would do your research and co-ordinate carefully with your builder to ensure that the details are correctly built. Some builders will not go to the trouble of getting it right as they don't care if your bath falls through a rotten floor in ten years time. Quite often your choices in the bathroom should also take into account the long term functionality of the bathroom, rather than just the aesthetics. Best of luck with your research, Dr Retro of Dr Retro House Calls/Dr Retro Virtual Visits.