Sometimes it pays to think outside the box, and if the space you’re wrestling with is a house or apartment, you’ll need to think inside the box too. When a living space is constructed, be it a sizable house or a compact apartment, someone will have decided how many bathrooms it will contain. That differs from how many bathrooms it will require, which is a matter of choice and opinion. The standard allocation for small-to-medium-size places is one, particularly if it was built a long time ago when a bathroom was still seen as something of a luxury. They might have thrown in a downstairs toilet as the height of decadence, but that would be that as regards personal hygiene and bathing options.
The point is, while the average size of a family may have fallen in recent years, and therefore fewer people are competing for the smallest room, standards of hygiene have risen along with expectations. The world is a much more civilized place than it was even 50 years ago, and we are not prepared to put up with conditions and facilities that are now outdated. The trouble with bathrooms is that they need plumbing, and they need equipment. Converting the spare bedroom into an office is one thing, but turning it into a bathroom, that’s something else. And anyway, maybe you need the spare room to be what it always has been: a spare room where you can put someone up for a few nights to enjoy your hospitality rather than forking out for a hotel room.
So what are the alternatives? The loft? Even if you have one with sufficient floor space, you might be looking at putting in dormer windows, and where are you going to put the stairs? It can be done, but it’s probably not ideal.
The basement? Now that’s an idea. You might not want to sleep down there, but putting a bathroom in is an idea with a lot going for it.
In most houses, the basement was kind of an afterthought, an area that happened to be there and wasn’t considered part of the habitable space of the building. You could put stuff down there just to get it out of the way. As time went on and people began to have washing machines, the lower regions were utilized for that sort of thing but, surprisingly, the idea of adding a bathroom to a basement didn’t catch on. It is gaining currency now, though, because having a basement bathroom makes perfect sense.
If you are concerned about the potentially gloomy atmosphere, don’t be. We at Baths R Us have been doing this for more than 25 years and we have the basement bathroom layout all worked out, including extraction, ventilation, and lighting considerations. As for the cost of adding a bathroom, bear in mind that this is not a question of adding a room: you’re not building an extension, because the room is already there, and a good, solid space it is too. It just needs a little TLC. And what could be better than fitting it out as a bathroom?
So, the cost of adding a bathroom in this way is considerably less than if you were building it from scratch. Suddenly it all seems obvious: why didn’t they do this in the first place? Why doesn’t everyone have a basement bathroom?
You’re taking what is probably a charmless concrete piece of nothing and giving it a purpose, dressing it up like a proper part of your home. Not only is this a thoroughly worthwhile thing to do, but it can also be fun, a creative exercise where, with your imagination and our resources, together we can come up with something to be proud of: a room that adds an extra dimension.
What you may already have down there are a few pipes, so when you add some basement bathroom plumbing, your existing basement plumbing has already paved the way.
A Basement Bathroom Adds Value
Your new basement bathroom is to be used and enjoyed by you, right now, but if you eventually decide to sell the place, think of the added value this could give. The realtor will love being able to show it off like an unexpected bonus that elevates the property way above the ordinary. They won’t just point to the stairs and say, “And there’s a basement down there”. They’ll be more like, “And wait till you see this…” It can be a delight, a sanctuary, a place to recharge your batteries, and can come out refreshed and glowing with the joys of life.
How To Make Your Basement Bathroom Cosy and Welcoming
Interior design is all about creating moods, and our designers specialize in bathrooms, which immediately puts you at an advantage. Our website is a wonderland of design options and if you’re looking for ideas, you can spend some time in our virtual gallery, seeing how some of our previous projects have turned out.
What you will see is that the possibilities are endless. A bathroom is not just a room: it’s a blank canvas on which you can create something truly individual and potentially stunning.
The first consideration is to make the best possible use of space, and this is where our experience pays off right off the bat. You tell us what you have in mind. A nice big bathtub in the middle of the room, perhaps. That always gives a touch of class and if the room is big enough, we have some beautiful tubs that can evoke a bathroom in a top hotel in Paris in 1925. The difference will be that yours is more comfortable, and the plumbing will be on a whole new level.
Alternatively, you may choose to go the thoroughly practical, ergonomic route, with the facilities arranged in the most efficient way possible. A bathtub and a shower combined or completely separate, with a toilet and perhaps a bidet – yes, they still exist, even if they are not as popular as they were a few years ago.
Now, what level of sumptuousness are you thinking of? Cleopatra? We can supply the marble tiles, but you’ll have to find the asses’ milk yourself. Or the champagne if you’re really going for the vintage Parisian style.
Stone always brings with it a feeling of solidity, and our tiles can evoke a wide range of materials from around the world. In the old days, they would use local stone or ship something in from Italy or wherever at colossal expense. We can create the same ambiance at a fraction of the cost, and you can make your choice right there in the comfort of your own home, just by scrolling through our Inspiration Gallery.
Once you have identified the general style and equipment you want, we can give you a free quote. And talking of the money side, we have finance options available, because although we keep costs as low as we can, we know it’s a still sizable commitment. If this is a project you want to get done, we will help you to achieve it sooner rather than later.
Contact Us For Help and Advice
If you have any questions for us that are not covered in the FAQs, feel free to call us and we will do our best to help you. Alternatively, if you know what you want, just fill in the online form and we will get you a price so you can make this dream a reality.
Adding a bathroom to a basement is a brilliant idea, so let’s put our heads together and maximize your space in the best way possible.
