Choosing a Custom Bathroom Designer

A bespoke bathroom is the ultimate high-end statement when remodelling your home. But how do you go about finding the right company to help you craft the perfect made-to-measure space? Let’s take a look.

Contents

What kinds of custom bathroom designers are there?

Why choose a factory producer for a custom bathroom?

Why choose an artisan to build your bathroom?

When should you get an architect or interior designer involved?

What kinds of custom bathroom designers are there?

Broadly speaking there are four kinds of companies that can help you to put together a made-to-measure bathroom. They are:

• Artisans

An artisan is a craftsperson who will measure up your bathroom and build one-off products based on your design brief and the available space. This person might, for instance, hand-craft and fire their own ceramics or sculpt basins from large hunks of marble. The benefit of working with a craftsman is that there are no limits as to what you can have other than your imagination. The drawback is that it comes at a price.

• Interior designers

An interior design company will customise your bathroom in the sense that they’ll put together its elements just for you—everything from the placement of the furniture to the style of lighting and tiles. That doesn’t necessarily mean that the bathroom will contain custom-built fixtures and fittings, though. An interior designer might well choose off-the-shelf products from a reputed manufacturer.

• Architects

Hiring an architect to help remodel your bathroom is something you might do if there are structural issues to consider, such as tearing down walls to increase the size of the space or reformulating the shape of the room and its elements. Again, as with hiring an interior designer, it’s less about having made-to-measure products than it is about customising the space to your specifications.

• Luxury bathroom factory producers

Today, you will find that there are luxury bathroom manufacturers who craft bespoke, made-to-order products based on very exacting customer requirements. Riluxa is the first one to offer this type of bathroom online at the click of a button. This is a “best of both worlds” solution for people who want unique bathroom fixtures built to very specific dimensions and specifications, but also want the simplicity of ordering like they would from any retailer.

Why choose a factory producer for a custom bathroom?

If you are looking to remodel your bathroom in a truly unique way, it might seem counterintuitive to do so with products made in a factory. However, because modern factory methods are so flexible—particularly using materials like Corian®, Silestone® and other solid surface materials—you can now craft pre-design your bathtub, basin, shower and cabinetry to the last detail, making them true one-offs, built just for you.

The benefit of doing this is that you’ll retain complete control of the design process. Rather than collaborating with another person to help you realise your vision, you’ll actually collaborate with a manufacturer—picking their designs and having them crafted to your specific wants and needs. It’s the chance to flex your own interior design muscle while retaining the comfort that the products you choose will work perfectly in the space.

One of the most attractive aspects of DIY custom bathroom design is the price. The budget for your made-to-measure washroom can be put entirely into buying the fixtures and fittings and having them installed. No extra design or spatial planning costs and no significant outlay on paying an artisan for their lengthy time and labour investment.

Why choose an artisan to build your bathroom?

It should go without saying that paying an artisan to handcraft your bathroom should result in a jaw-droppingly unique space. It will take much longer than if you were to order the products online or buy them from a big box retailer, but they will be yours and yours, alone. If you have the budget to do it, then it’s well worth the consideration.

Bear in mind that replacing a broken element of a bespoke bathroom could prove tricky—particularly if the craftspeople made that element themselves. Even something as simple as an off-the-shelf door hinge will stand out like a sore thumb when it replaces a beautiful handcrafted one. If you choose to invest in a craftsman, get them to make spare parts and purchase them up-front to ensure the longevity of your bathroom.

Choosing an artisanal bathroom is also a great idea if you have a very particular taste and are looking for incredibly detailed elements that will show off your personal design flair. Just remember that not everyone will share your taste, so think twice if you’re looking to sell your house anytime in the next decade. If you’re moving into a forever home, though, an artisan bathroom can make it truly your own.

When should you get an architect or interior designer involved?

An architect or interior designer is unlikely to be able to give you that 100% bespoke finish that you’re looking for on their own. That’s because they are, essentially, spatial designers—they design the environment; they don’t manufacture the products that go in it. However, if you have the budget to employ them, they could really help you to realise that customised finish.

An interior designer, for instance, could help you to choose the colours and materials of your new custom bathroom furniture as well as which styles, shapes and colours of tiles to pair them with. Meanwhile, an architect could help you to redesign the entire space—say if you decide to extend the bathroom or add in any structural features. They can also help you to plan for the right dimensions when buying furniture.

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