Luxe Bathroom Additions That Aren't as Far-Fetched as You Think
Think you can't have those bathroom features you daydream about? Yes, you can!
Deciding to renovate your bathroom isn’t something you do very often. It’s a lot of work and can be a costly exercise with essentials such as waterproofing and tiling soaking up a hefty chunk of your budget. This puts many people off asking for the dream ‘luxe’ additions that motivated them to update their bathroom in the first place. I’m here to tell you that some of the most common of these additions aren’t as expensive – or difficult to install – as you think.
Likewise, if a full bathroom renovation isn’t in your plan just now, it is possible to incorporate some of these luxuries into your existing bathroom without too much fuss, giving it an injection of glamour and life.
Get expert advice from a bathroom designer in your area
Likewise, if a full bathroom renovation isn’t in your plan just now, it is possible to incorporate some of these luxuries into your existing bathroom without too much fuss, giving it an injection of glamour and life.
Get expert advice from a bathroom designer in your area
Rain shower
Rain showers have undisputed hotel-style appeal, and a much more appealing offer to wake up to than most showers.
If you are planning a complete overhaul of your bathroom, adding a rainwater showerhead mounted from the ceiling is relatively simple. When the bathroom has been stripped back to its bare bones, the plumber can run the plumbing pipes up your wall and across the ceiling to the desired location for the showerhead.
BONUS TIP: Look for a showerhead that has easy-to-clean silicone jets and, most importantly, one that carries a high WELS (Water Efficiency Labelling and Standards scheme) rating. Many of my clients shy away from rain showerheads because they have been led to believe that they are extremely water inefficient. When you are shopping for showerheads, it’s worth noting that standard showerheads use about 15 to 25 litres of water per minute, whereas a three star WELS rated water efficient showerhead uses as little as six or seven litres per minute, saving you a lot of money on your water bill.
Rain showers have undisputed hotel-style appeal, and a much more appealing offer to wake up to than most showers.
If you are planning a complete overhaul of your bathroom, adding a rainwater showerhead mounted from the ceiling is relatively simple. When the bathroom has been stripped back to its bare bones, the plumber can run the plumbing pipes up your wall and across the ceiling to the desired location for the showerhead.
BONUS TIP: Look for a showerhead that has easy-to-clean silicone jets and, most importantly, one that carries a high WELS (Water Efficiency Labelling and Standards scheme) rating. Many of my clients shy away from rain showerheads because they have been led to believe that they are extremely water inefficient. When you are shopping for showerheads, it’s worth noting that standard showerheads use about 15 to 25 litres of water per minute, whereas a three star WELS rated water efficient showerhead uses as little as six or seven litres per minute, saving you a lot of money on your water bill.
If you just want to add some extra luxury to your existing bathroom, a rain shower doesn’t have to be mounted from the ceiling.
You can avoid the aforementioned plumbing, tiling and plastering work by looking for a conventional rail shower fitting like this one, which has a rain showerhead mounted on an arm that protrudes out above your head. These rain showerheads are easy to reach and can be tilted too, which is a great feature that isn’t always possible with a ceiling mounted head. This option also gives you versatility because you can use the hand-held showerhead when cleaning or when bathing or showering little ones.
21 bathroom vanities that steal the show
You can avoid the aforementioned plumbing, tiling and plastering work by looking for a conventional rail shower fitting like this one, which has a rain showerhead mounted on an arm that protrudes out above your head. These rain showerheads are easy to reach and can be tilted too, which is a great feature that isn’t always possible with a ceiling mounted head. This option also gives you versatility because you can use the hand-held showerhead when cleaning or when bathing or showering little ones.
21 bathroom vanities that steal the show
Walk-in shower
A walk-in shower is a lusted after luxury by many of my clients, especially those who are currently living with a shower over their bath or a shower that they have to step into over a raised step (called a hob).
Usually when my clients think walk-in shower, they assume it’s probably not possible in their bathroom, usually due to the limited space they have. But where there’s a will there’s a way, and often the layout of your bathroom can be altered to accommodate a walk-in shower without losing your precious bath.
A walk-in shower is a lusted after luxury by many of my clients, especially those who are currently living with a shower over their bath or a shower that they have to step into over a raised step (called a hob).
Usually when my clients think walk-in shower, they assume it’s probably not possible in their bathroom, usually due to the limited space they have. But where there’s a will there’s a way, and often the layout of your bathroom can be altered to accommodate a walk-in shower without losing your precious bath.
When redesigning your new bathroom, try to position the shower, bath and vanity above an existing floor waste. This will save extra work for your builder and subsequently save you money.
The layout of the bathroom pictured is a great example of how a walk-in shower can work really well, and because it cleverly uses the wasted space in front of the bath, rather than carving out a new zone, it wouldn’t cost any more than installing a conventional shower, or a shower over the bath. Also having no shower tray or raised steps to clean is a huge bonus. A quick mop of the floor on cleaning day and you’re done!
The vanity area is kept dry with the addition of a frameless glass shower screen, which almost disappears from the space, and makes it feel open and spacious.
The layout of the bathroom pictured is a great example of how a walk-in shower can work really well, and because it cleverly uses the wasted space in front of the bath, rather than carving out a new zone, it wouldn’t cost any more than installing a conventional shower, or a shower over the bath. Also having no shower tray or raised steps to clean is a huge bonus. A quick mop of the floor on cleaning day and you’re done!
The vanity area is kept dry with the addition of a frameless glass shower screen, which almost disappears from the space, and makes it feel open and spacious.
Speaking of frameless shower screens…
I’ve had clients who have lived with their ugly shower curtain or tired and grubby shower screen for years because they thought that putting in a frameless shower screen in an existing bathroom would be too difficult and expensive. And it’s true; in the past, the cost of a frameless screen meant that they were reserved for high-end bathrooms with big budgets, however, their increased popularity has helped to bring the price down.
Frameless shower screens add a sleek modern look to any bathroom due to the absence of the surrounding frame, which can sometimes be quite bulky and ugly. It’s also much easier to clean, which you might consider to be a luxury in itself! (Ask about a treatment such as EnduroShield, which is applied to the glass making cleaning even easier.)
Fitting a frameless shower screen can be done quickly and easily by a professional (costing around $200 to $250, depending on the size of the glass). Many bathroom supply shops specialise in supplying shower screens – they can arrange a site visit to your home to measure and will also return to install if you don’t wish to do it yourself. If you buy a DIY kit, they will supply you with all the fittings and instructions you need to install it yourself.
I’ve had clients who have lived with their ugly shower curtain or tired and grubby shower screen for years because they thought that putting in a frameless shower screen in an existing bathroom would be too difficult and expensive. And it’s true; in the past, the cost of a frameless screen meant that they were reserved for high-end bathrooms with big budgets, however, their increased popularity has helped to bring the price down.
Frameless shower screens add a sleek modern look to any bathroom due to the absence of the surrounding frame, which can sometimes be quite bulky and ugly. It’s also much easier to clean, which you might consider to be a luxury in itself! (Ask about a treatment such as EnduroShield, which is applied to the glass making cleaning even easier.)
Fitting a frameless shower screen can be done quickly and easily by a professional (costing around $200 to $250, depending on the size of the glass). Many bathroom supply shops specialise in supplying shower screens – they can arrange a site visit to your home to measure and will also return to install if you don’t wish to do it yourself. If you buy a DIY kit, they will supply you with all the fittings and instructions you need to install it yourself.
Marble benchtops
Natural marble is such a sophisticated and elegant look in a bathroom. But marble can be quite expensive. There are a couple of ways around this.
If you don’t have your heart set on a particular colour, ask your stonemason what marble off-cuts they have. There is often enough stone leftover from the slabs used in a kitchen to make a vanity benchtop, and a stonemason is usually quite happy to part with these off-cuts at a reduced price.
Another option is to have a look at engineered stone benchtops that imitate the look of marble. Not only is engineered stone less expensive than marble, it’s also less porous, which is a bonus.
And last but not least, why not consider a marble look laminate for your benchtop. It’s a fraction of the price of marble, which will allow you to splurge on that beautiful tap you’ve been eyeing off.
Natural marble is such a sophisticated and elegant look in a bathroom. But marble can be quite expensive. There are a couple of ways around this.
If you don’t have your heart set on a particular colour, ask your stonemason what marble off-cuts they have. There is often enough stone leftover from the slabs used in a kitchen to make a vanity benchtop, and a stonemason is usually quite happy to part with these off-cuts at a reduced price.
Another option is to have a look at engineered stone benchtops that imitate the look of marble. Not only is engineered stone less expensive than marble, it’s also less porous, which is a bonus.
And last but not least, why not consider a marble look laminate for your benchtop. It’s a fraction of the price of marble, which will allow you to splurge on that beautiful tap you’ve been eyeing off.
Designer fixtures and fittings
It doesn’t matter how much money you spend on creating a great looking bathroom, if the tap constantly leaks and the water merely trickles out of the showerhead, then you’re not going to enjoy spending any time in there.
Have a look at your ‘wish’ items and then shop around to find more cost-effective (but still good quality) options from different suppliers and manufacturers. Ask your plumber to recommend a supplier as he will most likely be able to get a trade discount for you.
Often you will find that many budget ranges offer designs that have a similar look and style to the more expensive designer range that you initially fell in love with. The price of a sleek mixer tap is now almost the same as the price of an older fashioned basic three-piece tap, so don’t judge a book by its cover.
TIP: As with showerheads, always look for the WELS rating when purchasing new taps. Typical taps will dispense about 15 to 18 litres of water per minute compared to low flow, water-efficient taps, which use as little as two litres per minute.
Top tapware choices
It doesn’t matter how much money you spend on creating a great looking bathroom, if the tap constantly leaks and the water merely trickles out of the showerhead, then you’re not going to enjoy spending any time in there.
Have a look at your ‘wish’ items and then shop around to find more cost-effective (but still good quality) options from different suppliers and manufacturers. Ask your plumber to recommend a supplier as he will most likely be able to get a trade discount for you.
Often you will find that many budget ranges offer designs that have a similar look and style to the more expensive designer range that you initially fell in love with. The price of a sleek mixer tap is now almost the same as the price of an older fashioned basic three-piece tap, so don’t judge a book by its cover.
TIP: As with showerheads, always look for the WELS rating when purchasing new taps. Typical taps will dispense about 15 to 18 litres of water per minute compared to low flow, water-efficient taps, which use as little as two litres per minute.
Top tapware choices
For more inspiration, check out our gallery of bathroom photos
TELL US
What luxuries have you incorporated into your bathroom renovation that you thought were out of the question?
TELL US
What luxuries have you incorporated into your bathroom renovation that you thought were out of the question?
Freestanding baths spell absolute luxury. Picture this: a large engrossing tub, fragrant bubbles, a good book and a glass of wine … heaven! If I lost you while you moved on to think about the cost, read on.
This is where shopping around comes into play. Freestanding baths were once rare and over-priced, but these days many manufacturers offer really affordable options. Yes, there are some very expensive freestanding baths out there, and yes, you are correct in thinking that these designs are generally more expensive than an inset bath that you build in and tile around, but don’t rule them out until you’ve done your research and compared the market around you.
BONUS TIP: Opt for a model that sits directly on the floor like this one, as opposed to one that sits on legs (like a clawfoot bath) so your new luxury bathroom is easy to clean.
Browse a wide selection of bathtubs