Changing Rooms, En-suite Refurbishment

When re-decorating a room it’s all too easy to replicate the existing layout.  A different colour scheme, yes and new furniture perhaps and a replacement light fitting but largely the layout and often the lighting remain the same.  And there are plenty of good reasons for this.  If a layout works then why change it?  When redesigning a room I will always ask clients what works for them and what does not.  Invariably people have a bug bear about a room but will also often tell me that they like the TV in that corner or that the current seating configuration is perfect for family living.  Sometimes though, it is worth stripping back the whole room, in your head that is.  Ask yourself this, if you were to remove all the furniture in the room and then only return the pieces which really work for you and its function, what would be left and how would it be set out?

The shape of the room and its structure can in some cases be worth challenging.  Doors can be re-hinged, walls can be knocked through or in some cases added, sockets can be moved, TV points changed and also removing boxing can uncover some previously hidden floor space which can instantly transform a room.  Boxing around should be there out of necessity, to hide something, usually pipes and is common in older properties.

On a recent residential project we came across some rather over-zealous boxing.  When we first looked at this room David immediately questioned the logic of it being so deep around the window.  It made what was a good sized en-suite, quite dark and the furniture within the space looked rather shoe horned in.  The decor of the existing en-suite was not to our clients’ taste nor did the layout work for them so a full scale re-think was required.  When strip out began and with it the removal of the boxing around the window we uncovered an extra 15 square feet of space and really opened up the back window wall.  This extra space not only restored the proportions of the room but offered up many more layout options, enabling us to completely change the layout and tick all the boxes on the clients’ brief.  We moved the bath from the opposite wall to the window and fitted a larger shower where the bath used to be.  We were also able to accommodate a double sink and masses of storage.

Here are a couple of before and after photos that were shot at the same angle. After photos taken by Claire Goldsmith Photography.

Before / After

Ensuite before

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ensuite after

 

Before / After

changing rooms en-suite refurbishment before

changing rooms en-suite refurbishment after