Vicky & Dave · Bathroom transformation
A small room.
A bigger idea.
A bathroom for Vicky’s active life, with a more generous shower, a hidden home for wetsuits and details that make every inch work harder.
Good design and a hands-on approach brought this transformation together. Follow the original photographs from strip-out to the finished space.
“What could this room do differently?”
That is where the design begins.
The original 2019 blog introduced Dave and Vicky’s bathroom and Dave’s DIY work; the magazine photographs also capture Vicky getting involved. Here, we look more closely at the decisions behind it: a cramped shower footprint reconsidered, useful storage created and a window incorporated into the new shower setting.
For Vicky, a triathlete, the cupboard was particularly personal. It gave sporting kit a place of its own. The transformation was about fitting the room to daily routines, as much as changing its appearance.
From the 2019 magazine · Behind the scenes
Vicky gets
hands-on.
The photograph catches Vicky helping strip the room back. These moments matter: the work, the decisions and the shared effort behind the finished bathroom.
With Vicky involved in the transformation and Dave taking on the renovation work described in the original blog, this was a very personal project.
Read the room first.
The original basin, toilet, bath and compact shower divided a small room into separate pieces. Before choosing new finishes, the important question was how the whole space could work better.
The starting photographs make the change easier to understand: the project needed a different arrangement, not simply replacement fittings in the same positions.
Give the old shower
a new purpose.
Removing the small shower cubicle opened up a different possibility. Its footprint could become a cupboard, while a longer shower would use the window wall.
The strip-out is a useful part of the story. It reveals the services and structure that have to be understood before a new layout becomes a finished room.
Think behind
the finished wall.
The wall-hung WC needed its concealed support frame planned before the wall was closed. The photographs show that hidden preparation beside the fitted toilet and basin.
Taking the furniture off the floor makes the floor line more visible. The mirror and lighting then work with that lighter arrangement, rather than competing with it.
Design lesson: resolve the frame, services, access and fixing positions before closing the wall.
A mirror with
another job to do.
The old shower space became a cupboard, concealed by a mirrored pocket door. Sliding the door away reveals the storage without a hinged door swinging out across the bathroom.
Inside, the wetsuits tell you exactly who this room belongs to. Closed, the mirror reflects the shower and helps the space feel more open. One considered detail solves two different needs.
Let the window
belong to the shower.
The new shower extends along the window wall. Nuance panels bring the dark, flowing surface around the enclosure, contrasting with the pale sanitaryware and the daylight.
The original article identified fitting the panelling around the window reveals and ceiling lines as one of the most demanding parts of Dave’s work. The photograph catches that careful fitting process, then shows the completed shower.
A uPVC frame is only one part of this detail. The reveals, junctions and seals need to be designed for the shower environment and fitted to the panel manufacturer’s instructions.
Finish with the
whole room in mind.
The wall-hung fittings, large mirror, discreet lighting and mirrored cupboard work as a single composition. The shower gains presence, while storage disappears into the room.
The original blog credits Dave with the renovation work, with a plasterer brought in to help. The magazine photographs add Vicky’s hands-on contribution to that account. It is a story of preparation, patience and knowing which help to bring in. For another personal renovation journey, explore Polly’s Place.
Your own project
Start with a plan.
Make it your own.
This is a photographic guide to the project’s design and sequence. For your own installation, use the current product instructions and appropriate qualified trades for specialist work.
From our archive: One Man. One Bathroom… DIY skills put to the test!, 2 March 2019. Original blog photographs and images from the 2019 Revealed archive, pages 36–37, with additional design recollections from Lisa. Nuance fitting resources ↗