Cloakroom-Suites.co.uk

Cloakrooms are one of those home improvements that, once you have one, you can’t imagine how you managed to live without it. The UK building industry have finally realised the usefulness of a downstairs loo, which is essential what a cloakroom is, and all new builds must now have one. However, whether you’re designing and fitting a cloakroom from scratch or renovating an existing one, the sheer choice of cloakroom suites on the market can be somewhat confusing.

How can it be so confusing, you ask, when all you’re really looking for is a washbasin and toilet?  You just wait and see!  Also, don’t forget that, if you have enough space, you can add to the value of your property by installing a shower and some storage facilities to the cloakroom too.

Before you think about extras, however, let’s get down to brass tacks and think about the basics.

The basics are, of course, budget and dimensions.  You can find cloakroom suites for rooms of almost any dimension but it won’t harm to abide by that old rule to ‘measure twice and cut once.’  When it comes to budget, don’t forget the cost of installation; if you can fit the cloakroom suite yourself, then you’ll just have that much more money to play with when it comes to choosing the suite itself.

Style is such a personal thing but the truth of the matter is that your choices really boil down to traditional or contemporary.  Whichever side of the traditionalist fence you fall, there will be something out there to suit.

Traditionally styled cloakroom suites generally are rounded in shape or have curved edges.  There’s nothing ’shocking’ – all is as it should be, with pedestal mounts and classic good looks.

Contemporary, modern styled cloakroom suites can be something of an eye-opener, and they can also be particularly useful where space is limited, which is probably why they sell so well. Toilets and hand basins forgo the pedestal and are hung from the wall, placed on existing surfaces, or on suitable pieces of furniture.  Taps are either lever style or also wall mounted.  Shapes tend towards the angular, although there are some beautiful cloakroom suites available that combine curves with minimalism to great effect.

Whatever your style choice, be it contemporary or strictly classical, the major point to remember is that the room you are styling must, above all, be functional.  This is the time to strive for that most elusive of blends – the combination of form with function.