'We considered splitting it in two to create an extra room, but we now relish being in this enormous, luxurious space'

When renovating a home, rooms with awkward layouts may initially feel like they are impossible to redesign but, with a little creativity and perseverance, they might end up becoming one of the best rooms in your home. This bathroom makeover is one such example - faced with a long galley shape in pretty poor shape, it's now the owner's favourite room.

‘One of the key selling points of the house when we bought it was the huge and strangely shaped family bathroom,' recalls the owner. 'It was so big we could have split it and added another bedroom!’

After two long years of the whole family sharing the small en suite while the rest of the house was renovated, the owners were desperate to tackle the family bathroom. It was a filthy carpeted room with metallic wallpaper, broken tiles, and a bath plonked awkwardly in the middle.

‘We had some friends come over to help us deep clean the house, and they all said that this room was the worst,’ recalls the owner. ‘We were filling vacuum cleaners with talcum powder and goodness knows what else from the carpet.’

But that didn’t stop the couple from having the vision to transform the room into a luxurious sanctuary. ‘We had big plans for the space, but we were knocked off our chairs at the eye-watering sums to convert part of the space into a bedroom,’ adds the owner.

After deciding to stick with the one large bathroom idea, the owners wanted some creative input and tasked Ripples with the job of transforming their cold, dated, and slightly ramshackle bathroom into a sumptuous space the whole family could enjoy. ‘Ripples took control of the design and liaised with the building contractor so it was a very smooth process,’ says the owner.

‘We could have saved money by doing some bits ourselves, like sorting the materials, but we liked the idea of having a central point to manage the project and it worked really well for us.'

'It's such a large room - disproportionately large to the rest of the house - and while it's a big bathroom, it's been compartmentalised really well, with a wall separating the shower and bath from the toilet and sinks.’

‘I’m surprised at just how much joy this space now brings us,’ he says. ‘It's so calming. Before, I would go to the gym to try and blow off steam. But, now, I often just sit in the bathroom and it's a wonderful quiet space to unwind in. Our ensuite is still stuck in the 1970s, so we’ll definitely be getting Ripples back to do that soon!’

The details...

Twin basins with matching lights and mirrors create a balanced and luxurious feel. ‘We always wanted a double sink and vanity; partly to try and fill the space, but mainly for that hotel-style bathroom look,’ says the owner. ‘The kids have got a sink each with their own toiletries and towel on either side.’

‘The Velux window originally here was so old that when we had it replaced, the Velux expert mentioned he’d never seen one this old and that it must’ve been an original,’ says the owner. ‘It made sense to position the bath here so you can gaze up to the sky while you soak.’

‘The original design had just one tall storage unit to keep the space looking clear and clutter-free,’ says the owner. ‘But being a young family, we knew we'd need to maximise storage so we decided to prioritise function over form and invested in two.’

A stud wall helps divide this larger-than-average space into distinct, manageable zones, creating cosier corners for bathing and showering. ‘We considered splitting this room in two to create an extra bedroom,’ says the owner. ‘But we now relish being in this enormous, luxurious space.’

‘The shower is phenomenal. I always wanted the best possible shower now we're in our forever home,’ explains the owner. ‘Plus, we wanted to create a spa-like environment and the wooden wall panelling really helps recreate that relaxing spa feel both my wife and I love so much - we’re in spa hotels a lot; we pick the hotel based on how good the sauna looks, so it was an important aspect to this bathroom’s design.’

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