This is not meant to be a definitive list, but it does cover all of the major points you will need to consider. It should help prevent you missing some important details, and may even give you new ideas, which you may not have thought about yet.
OK, so you have a bathroom and you want to redesign it. Perhaps you've just moved in to a property, or you might just want to revamp your existing bathroom to create a new atmosphere. Well, what next? It's all about planning!
There is a big difference between having a vision of your ideal bathroom, and getting that idea realised.
To help you, we have put together a list of some things to think about whilst planning your new bathroom.

You do not need to install the new suite in the same position as the original. You do not even need to use the same room and you can always add or remove walls, doors and windows. You can design the grand bathroom you dream about - but its actual installation will depend upon how much money and inconvenience you are willing to tolerate.
There are four stages to planning a bathroom:

• Measuring up and noting the position of the existing services, windows and doors.

• Working out the plan to get the bathroom fixtures where you want them.

• Deciding upon any structural work, which needs to be carried out - new or moving walls, doors or windows.

• Deciding on any changes to the services (electricity, water, drains) you need.

The following is intended to help you with the actual planning, but they are only suggestions and may not be practical in all situations, you will often have to compromise. The golden rule is - keep the design simple - and remember that the bathroom can be a selling point for a house but you need it to suit you while you are living there.

Planning your layout
Designing a new bathroom layout, remember there are no absolute rules, after all it is your bathroom.
First of all, list items you want included in your bathroom, these are the most likely ones you will want to include.

• Bath
• Shower
• Hand basin
• WC.
  Then decide on other fixings you may want:
• Electric shaver point
• Mirror (with light?)
• Extractor fan
• Radiator/Ladder Rail
• Bathroom cabinet
• Medicine chest
• Laundry basket
• A chair or stool
• Shelves

Think how you can rearrange the bathroom to make it easier to use, begin to think about relocating the position of the existing services. All services and window/doors can be repositioned - it is just that additional work is involved; the rough order from easiest to most difficult is - electricity, water supplies, drains (above floor), blocking up doors/windows, drains below suspended floors, drains below solid floors and moving doors/windows.

Bearing all this in mind, 'play' with the layout to achieve your dream bathroom - then look at any relocation of services required - are you happy with the amount of work involved? You may decide it is too much work and will have to compromise.
When you are happy with a basic floor arrangement, think about the wall area and where you can fit any wall mounted accessories to wish to include.

Choosing bathroom fixtures/decorations.
The colour and style of a bathroom suite are personal matters but:

• Think twice before selecting exotic colours or exaggerated shapes; you could tire of them in a very short time.

• Often colours come and go in fashion (and availability), and the exact same colour may not be available from different manufacturers. By choosing standard white as the suite colour you can almost guarantee that you will be able to find a suitable replacement for any item needing replacement in future. You will also be able to select different items from different manufacturers - remember, while complete suites are often promoted, you can purchase each item separate if you require.

When selecting decorating colours, take into account the natural light of the room, you do not want the room to be too dark or cold. White fixtures do not mean that your bathroom has to have a cold feeling, you can introduce a bold colour scheme with tiles, paint, wallpaper and fabric to make your bathroom distinctive. You can afford to be adventurous in decorating the bathroom as you do not spend that much time there and can use a colour scheme which might be overpowering if you had to look at it all day. One or two rolls of wallpaper may be enough to decorate the room so don't be too limited by the price of the paper. Try to select vinyl or wipe clean wallpapers as these stand up to the ever-present condensation.
The bathroom does not have to be basic and clinical;

• Add an interesting piece of wood or cane furniture, or a small upholstered chair. A wooden bath side panel will add a natural effect.

• Use an all over pattern or the same colour for walls, ceiling, flooring and curtaining to integrate the room.

• Choose curtains and wallpaper, which incorporate the colour scheme of your fittings.

• Hang pictures on the wall and keep indoor plants on shelves as many of them thrive in a steamy atmosphere.

With a bit of ingenuity and style you can turn a utilitarian room into something quite special and stamped with your own taste.

1. Mirrors or mirror tiles make a small bathroom look bigger. Only use mirrors specifically sold for use in bathrooms, as other mirrors may quickly become damaged by the inevitable condensation.

2. Before purchasing any new bathroom suite, check that the size of the various pieces will not only fit into the bathroom but will allow you to manoeuvre each piece through the home - you may need to move the pieces around corners on the stairway or through awkwardly positioned doorways.

Rules and regulations
Check with your local authority about rules and regulations relevant to bathrooms and WCs. In the UK:

• External ventilation is required for a bathroom and WC.

• A bathroom containing a WC, or a WC in a room on its own, must not open directly off a kitchen, living or dining room, but it can open off a room that is used only as a bedroom or dressing room.

• If the only bathroom in a dwelling leads off of a bedroom, it must have another access door not through the bedroom.
  

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