Great Bathroom Ideas

Posts Tagged ‘cloakroom suite’

Whether you are installing a new cloakroom into your house, or simply replacing an old, worn out cloakroom suite, the sheer choice of sanitary ware available out there can make choosing a new cloakroom suite a confusing project. Hopefully, the following points will help you in that choice.

How can it be so confusing, you ask, when all you’re really looking for is a washbasin and toilet? You just wait and see! Also, don’t forget that, if you have enough space, you can add to the value of your property by installing a shower and some storage facilities to the cloakroom too.

Let’s get back to the basics, though, and think in terms of the essentials first.

There are two major considerations that cannot be overlooked – the budget you have available and the space you have to fill. And don’t forget to factor in installation! If you have a fair command of DIY techniques, it might be that you can install the new cloakroom suite, thereby saving money or increasing the cost of what you can afford in terms of sanitary fittings and dcor.

When it comes to style it really is a case of each to their own – whether you are a traditionalist or a lover of sleek, contemporary looks you are bound to find a suite to suit. Here’s a quick guide:

If you’re a traditionalist, you will be drawn to bathroom furniture with curves and rounded edges. Toilets and basins will be supported by pedestals and white or cream will probably be the order of the day.

If, however, your personal style is more contemporary, you should be thinking more in terms of wall hung basins and toilets – with no old-fashioned pedestals. Modern lines are angular and sleek; taps are wall-mounted or lever-operated and cisterns and toilet pans are seemingly unconnected! Some washbasins are simply mounted on existing pieces of furniture. The beauty of modernity is that it fits into smaller spaces, which is possibly why contemporary cloakroom suites are so popular.

Whatever your style-choice, choose the very best you can afford within your budget, always remembering that you are aiming for function as well as beauty.

If you are installing a new cloakroom, you will very quickly find yourself wondering how on earth you ever managed without it.  If you are renovating an existing cloakroom, you already know what a useful addition to your home this usually very tiny room can be. Whichever of these categories you fall within, however, you might well find that there is now so much choice out there that you don’t know where to start.  The purpose of this article is to give you a push in the right direction.

How can it be so confusing, you ask, when all you’re really looking for is a washbasin and toilet?  You just wait and see!  Also, don’t forget that, if you have enough space, you can add to the value of your property by installing a shower and some storage facilities to the cloakroom too.

Before you think about extras, however, let’s get down to brass tacks and think about the basics.

The basics are, of course, budget and dimensions.  You can find cloakroom suites for rooms of almost any dimension but it won’t harm to abide by that old rule to ‘measure twice and cut once.’  When it comes to budget, don’t forget the cost of installation; if you can fit the cloakroom suite yourself, then you’ll just have that much more money to play with when it comes to choosing the suite itself.

Style is such a personal thing but the truth of the matter is that your choices really boil down to traditional or contemporary.  Whichever side of the traditionalist fence you fall, there will be something out there to suit.

If you’re a traditionalist, you will be drawn to bathroom furniture with curves and rounded edges.  Toilets and basins will be supported by pedestals and white or cream will probably be the order of the day.

Contemporary, modern styled cloakroom suites can be something of an eye-opener, and they can also be particularly useful where space is limited, which is probably why they sell so well. Toilets and hand basins forgo the pedestal and are hung from the wall, placed on existing surfaces, or on suitable pieces of furniture.  Taps are either lever style or also wall mounted.  Shapes tend towards the angular, although there are some beautiful cloakroom suites available that combine curves with minimalism to great effect.

Whatever your style choice, be it contemporary or strictly classical, the major point to remember is that the room you are styling must, above all, be functional.  This is the time to strive for that most elusive of blends – the combination of form with function.

A cloakroom suite normally houses a handbasin and toilet and is an extremely functional and convenient facility for family and guests. During designing and construction of a new property the installation of a cloakroom suite is a comparatively effortless undertaking. To add the facility to an present house can appear a problem but the effort required will result to an ideal add-on to any property and justify the effort. 

Valadares Nautilius Cloakroom Suite £978

Depending on the size of the space  in addition to the handbasin and toilet you can also have a shower fitted which will enhance the value of cloakroom suite more so particularly if you have children.

Planning the layout of Cloakroom Suites:-

Finding a suitable place to squeeze in a cloakroom suite requires satisfactory planning and vision. If space is a constraint, then the usual location is the available space below the staircase. You might debate converting an  corner of your sitting room into a cloakroom suite.

But, if your cloakroom suite is not just an afterthought and you have space for an ample sized one, then this room offers as much of a fashion statement as the rest of your house.

Twyford Alcona Cloakroom Suite £259

 The most popular alternatives are handbasins with inbuilt vanity units and back-to-the-wall toilets. They come in a variety of colours or theme co-ordinated sets. You can focus on classy bathroom furniture, like a sink vanity, shelves and storage cabinet or a clothes rack, to complete the look. The cloakroom handbasins come in compact space-saving designs with a storage cabinet below it. This maximises free space, covers all the unsightly plumbing pipes and gives the cloakroom a tidy and minimalist look. Wall-hung cloakroom sinks are another option and provide a similar effect. Likewise, cloakroom toilets also come in slim and  designs, and depending on individual preference, you can select either a back-to-the-wall toilet or a wall-hung toilet.

View our full cloakroom suite range