Gone are the days when Kerry Madubuko would dash into the bathroom then get out as quickly as she could.
Nowadays she loves luxuriating in a glorious bubble bath or the invigorating feeling of fresh water cascading down on her in the shower.
And shes not the only one. Ever since they renovated this important room, her husband and children adore using it too.
Kerry Madubuko pictured with her three children outside their Georgian home
Its such a relief to have a functional bathroom after so long, says Kerry. Its a real pleasure to be in – we used to try to hurry up and get out.
For the past two years – ever since moving into the Georgian house – her heart has sunk every time she walked in.
It was half-finished when we bought it, in a real state, she says. The basin and toilet werent attached to the wall properly, there was damp, some of the walls werent painted – it wasnt functioning as a family bathroom.
Kerrys bathroom was damp, unpainted and barely functional for the family of five
This summer, having struggled with it for long enough, it was time for a big renovation.
I went on social media for inspiration, says product developer Kerry. I was going for something light and bright because, while its a family bathroom, its quite small.
I settled on mainly white with green highlights and brass fittings.
Then she logged on to B&Qs free online design tool that lets you put in your bathroom dimensions and play around with the layout using different suites, storage, tiles and accessories, helping you to visualise them in 3D.
It allows you to swap things in and out with the click of a button, says Kerry. Its easy to play around and look at different things together.
She then booked a free in-store design and planning appointment with a design advisor who suggested subtle changes to her plan.
Kerry booked a free in-store design and planning appointment with a design advisor who suggested subtle changes to her plan
He took me round to different areas of the store and looked at what Id chosen. He showed me things I liked more or thought would work better.
That included wall hung storage and feature lighting instead of spotlights.
Kerry was so impressed by B&Qs service, she decided to use their approved installers to fit the bathroom
Kerrys stylish new bathroom is bright and sleek and a pleasure to be in
The free in-store design and planning appointment helped Kerry decide on feature lighting instead of spotlights
The new bathroom features green and white tiling with gold fittings for the bath
I think getting to grips with the layout at home and then pinning down the design in store and adding the final touches is a good way to do it.
It made the whole process really streamlined and easy. My appointment only took an hour.
B&Q had everything Kerry needed, from tiles to the sink, taps and fittings, to the finishing touches like a stylish mirror and free standing storage (pictured in the reflection)
Kerry was so impressed by B&Qs service, she decided to use approved installers to fit the bathroom.
Having them recommended makes you feel a lot more confident, as does the workmanship guarantee, she says, and they were really good.
Our bathrooms now great, its a huge improvement and were really pleased with it. The children love it!
Its a pleasure to be in and feels a lot more luxurious than it was. Id recommend B&Q – theyve been really great.
Vanessa McGuigan, pictured with her husband, lives in Surrey
The original ground floor bathroom was not very accessible for any visitors with reduced mobility
Vanessa McGuigan feels the same. She decided to revamp the ground floor bathroom of her four-bedroom home in Surrey to make it a bit more accessible when her father-in-law struggled to get into the shower on a visit.
The limited space of the bathroom meant Vanessa found B&Qs online design tool very helpful in allowing her to see what would actually fit
The mum-of-two found B&Qs online design tool invaluable. Im not good at visualising spaces, she confesses. I fill them with too much but it let me know if there was a clash in terms of space.
It was quite fun and you can get carried away!
Vanessa wanted a bold look and chose a striking black and white design with blue highlights.
The new bathroom has a real wow factor as well as being easier for their parents when they visit
B&Qs design advisor Dave had even more great ideas during her free in-store design and planning appointment.
He looked at the practicalities and had the know-how on all the products and what we could do in the space, she says.
Dave, the designer, suggested a glass shower door, she says, one thats light and has a fold-in door for improved accessibility.
He also told me which tiles worked with underfloor heating, showed me storage ideas and gave me practical advice, adding things I wouldnt have thought about – a shower tray, plug and drainpipe. I left confident I had everything I needed.
The fitter was lovely – clean, timely and he did a great job of the installation, says Vanessa
As well as looking a lot more sleek and stylish, the shower now has a grab rail for their parents
Now its been fitted, Vanessa couldnt be happier. Were amazed at how good it looks, she says. The fitter was lovely – clean, timely and he did a great job of the installation.
Now her bathroom has the wow factor she was looking for.
And the grab rail in the shower is going to make it so much easier for our parents when they visit, she says. The whole room looks cleaner, nicer and is easier to maintain. Its fantastic.
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