How Our Bathroom Renovation in Ryde Made a 3.3m² Room Feel Bigger
Maree had already started renovating her 2200mm x 1500mm bathroom when she realised there was more involved than expected. Rather than simply finishing what had been started, she brought in Better Bathrooms Australia to rethink the entire room.
Over five weeks, we completed the renovation with a walk-in shower, custom joinery, concealed plumbing and carefully selected finishes.
Quick Overview
- Location: Ryde, NSW
- Bathroom size: 2200mm x 1500mm (3.3m²)
- Services delivered: Full bathroom renovation, bath-to-shower conversion, custom Polytec joinery and lighting upgrades
- Timeline: 5 weeks
The Objective for Maree’s Bathroom Renovation
Maree had started the renovation herself before deciding it was time to bring in a professional team.
Rather than simply completing the work already underway, she wanted to use the opportunity to rethink the bathroom. The brief was for a warm, practical and well-finished room that made better use of the existing footprint.
Our Approach to Planning the 3.3m² Bathroom
We completed the strip-out before meeting with Maree on site to work through the new layout and positions of key fixtures, including the heated towel rail, shower rose and wall mixers.
After exploring several design revisions, we settled on a layout that removed the bath, introduced a walk-in shower and concealed the toilet cistern behind custom joinery.
Once the layout and selections were confirmed, our team managed each stage through to handover. It’s the same considered approach we bring to our bathroom renovations across Sydney, with the layout and selections planned around the room and how the client wants to use it.
You can also see how each stage works on our renovation process page.
The Challenge of a Small Bathroom Floor Plan
At just 3.3m², there was no room for wasted space.
The bath, shower, vanity, toilet and storage all needed to work within a compact footprint, while the lighting had to complement the room without adding visual clutter. Every fixture and plumbing position therefore needed to be considered together rather than in isolation.
The Solution for a More Functional Bathroom Layout
Removing the bath gave us the flexibility to introduce a walk-in shower and reorganise the room around the way Maree wanted to use it.
Several design choices then helped keep the finished layout clean and uncluttered:
- Vertical tiling: Large-format tiles run vertically from floor to ceiling.
- Clean ceiling lines: Leaving out the cornices allows the tiled walls to continue cleanly to the ceiling.
- Floating vanity: The contoured wall-mounted vanity keeps the floor underneath clear.
- Concealed cistern: Custom Polytec joinery hides the in-wall cistern while matching the vanity finish.
- Curved shower screen: The round-edge screen complements the shape of the vanity.
- Layered lighting: A pendant above the vanity and LED backlighting behind the mirror add warmth to the finished room.
Together, these choices allowed the walk-in shower, vanity, toilet and storage to work within the compact floor plan without unnecessary visual clutter.
Standout Features and Finishing Details
The finishes were kept cohesive so the smaller room didn’t become overloaded with competing materials.
- Terrazzo-look floor tiles: Provide the base, while fluted travertine feature tiles add texture to the walls.
- Tiled shower ledge: Provides a practical place for toiletries, with mitred edges and fluted mosaics adding detail.
- Custom Polytec wall: Conceals the toilet cistern and matches the vanity, tying the joinery together. The curved shower screen, contoured vanity, pendant light and backlit mirror complete the design.
What We'd Do Differently
Not much. The finished bathroom achieved the brief and the five-week renovation came together as planned. If we took on a similar compact bathroom, we’d carry forward the same focus on resolving the layout early before locking in the finer design details.
The Results After Five Weeks
Five weeks after taking over Maree’s half-finished DIY renovation, the bathroom was complete.
The bath had been replaced with a walk-in shower, the toilet cistern was concealed within custom joinery, and the new vanity, lighting and finishes gave the room a cohesive new look.
The result is a warm, practical bathroom that feels considered from the walk-in shower and custom joinery through to the tiles, lighting and finishing details.
Before
After
Timeframe
5 weeks
Location
Ryde, NSW
Client
Maree
Enquire Now
Planning a Small Bathroom Renovation in Ryde?
If you’re planning a small bathroom renovation in Ryde, careful layout planning can make a big difference to what you can achieve.
If you’re working with a compact or outdated bathroom, browse more of our bathroom renovation case studies or talk to Better Bathrooms Australia about your space.