Bathroom Renovation in London: A Designer’s Guide to Getting It Right

A bathroom is the smallest room most clients ask us to design and very often the most complicated. In a few square metres you have water, electrics, drainage, ventilation, heavy stone and joinery that has to survive steam every day. And in London, you are usually doing all of it inside a period house or a flat with neighbours on every side.

We have designed bathrooms for London homes for more than 18 years, from tiny Victorian WCs to principal suites with walk-in showers. These are the things we wish every client knew before they started.

1. Start with the layout, not the tiles

It is tempting to begin with a beautiful tile. Start with the plan instead. Where can the shower go? Can the bath fit lengthways? Where does the door swing? Is there room for a double basin, or would one generous basin and better storage work harder?

The biggest constraint is usually drainage. A WC needs a large waste pipe with a proper fall, and in London flats and terraces that often decides where it can sit. Moving it is possible, but it needs to be checked early, not discovered on site.

2. In a flat, check your lease before you plan

If you own a leasehold flat, you will usually need your freeholder’s consent (a licence to alter) for a bathroom renovation, especially if you are moving wet areas or touching the structure. Some leases also restrict hard flooring because of noise. It is far better to know this before the design is finished.

3. Waterproofing is the bit you never see and always need

Walk-in showers and wet rooms need proper tanking under the tiles, correct falls to the drain and a well-chosen drain position. This is where good drawings matter. Our tiling setting-out drawings show the falls, the drain, the niche positions and where every cut lands, so the contractor is not making it up on the day.

4. Choose materials for how they live, not just how they look

• Natural marble is beautiful and unmatched for warmth, but it needs sealing and gentle cleaning products.
• Porcelain is tough, low maintenance and now comes in convincing stone and terrazzo looks.
• Encaustic and zellige tiles bring pattern and character, ideal for floors and feature walls in period homes.
• Timber works in bathrooms when it is the right species, properly finished and kept away from direct water.

Grout colour matters more than people think. A contrasting grout makes a pattern of the layout. A matching one lets the material speak.

5. Brassware sets the tone

Taps, shower valves and accessories are small, but they are what you touch every day. Decide the finish early, whether brushed brass, nickel or matt black, and keep it consistent through the house. Concealed valves need to be chosen before first fix, because they sit inside the wall.

6. Light it in layers

A single ceiling downlight makes any bathroom feel clinical. We plan for a soft general light, good face lighting at the mirror, a low-level light for night time and something decorative where the room allows. Every fitting has to be rated for its zone, which is why lighting belongs on the drawings, not left to the electrician.

7. Storage is what makes it feel calm

Recessed niches in the shower, a vanity with drawers that actually fit bottles, a mirrored cabinet set into the wall. Bespoke joinery is where a designed bathroom really pulls away from an off-the-shelf one.

8. Think about heating and ventilation early

Underfloor heating makes stone floors a pleasure rather than a shock. A heated towel rail does double duty. And a good, quiet extractor is the difference between a bathroom that stays beautiful and one that slowly grows mould in the corners.

9. Leave time for lead times

Natural stone, bespoke vanities and some brassware can take weeks to arrive. Ordering late is one of the most common causes of delay on site. We track lead times from the moment a scheme is signed off, so the contractor is never waiting on a missing basin.

What drives the cost of a bathroom renovation in London

The biggest factors are whether you are moving drainage, how much bespoke joinery is involved, the materials you choose and how much stone needs cutting and fixing. Access matters too: a top-floor flat with no lift costs more to work in than a ground-floor extension. A good design package reduces cost surprises because the decisions are made on paper, not on site.

Designing your bathroom with us

Kia Designs is an award-winning London studio. We design bathrooms as stand-alone projects and as part of whole-home renovations, and we are happy to work with your own builder. You can see more about our bathroom design and renovation service, browse our portfolio, or get in touch to talk about your project.