How to transform your bathroom by updating your fittings

What’s the most important part of any bathroom renovation? You might think it’s the tiles, or the colour, or maybe even the lighting, but you’d be wrong.

It’s the fittings and fixtures. 

Your sink, vanity, toilet, mixers, shower and other accessories are what makes your bathroom functional – and they’re an essential part of any design too. To help ensure you make the right choices, we’ve put together a quick guide. 

Consider your overall design theme

First and foremost when renovating, or updating your bathroom it’s essential that you decide on a design aesthetic before you get started. 

For example, you might want to go for something timeless, and minimalist – think white tiles, stainless steel fittings, neutral tones. Or you could go for something more classic and elegant – think heritage taps and spouts, rich colours, and fine ceramics. 

If you’re struggling to come up with a theme, you could choose a fixture you like and base your design around that. For example, if you’re keen on an elegant look, you could start with a beautiful Burlington Edwardian sink and choose your other fittings, tiles, and colours to match. 

When to choose fittings

You should always choose fittings and fixtures during the design phase of your renovation whenever possible. Doing this makes it easier to ensure your fixtures fit into a cohesive design. 

Choosing early also gives you a clear idea of cost, and allows you to order fittings in advance so that shipping delays don’t extend your renovation’s timeline.

Go for a quality, Australian brand

It’s always better to invest in quality fixtures and fittings from a trusted Australian brand. That way you’ll know you’re buying quality items that will function as they should and last for years or decades to come. 

Think about energy efficiency

It’s worth taking a moment to think about energy efficiency whenever you renovate any space, bathrooms included. Buying more water efficient fixtures and fittings could save you up to $210 per year, per fitting (and reduce your home’s impact on the environment. 

Read more about energy efficient fixtures.

What you’ll need to consider

• Vanity: often the first fixture you’ll need to choose, which may be the centrepiece of your bathroom. There are options to choose floating vanities for smaller bathrooms, or custom cabinetry for extra storage and luxury. 
• Bath: one of the largest features of any bathroom update, it should usually be chosen early in the process. It’s hard to beat a good freestanding bath. 
• Basin: choose a sink that compliments and fits with your vanity. We often recommend the Gareth Ashton Byron range as a basin that can fit with any design. 
• Mixers and spouts: this is where you can truly start to add personality to your bathroom renovation. Make sure whatever you choose complements your overall design, and consider whether wall or top mounted mixers work best. We prefer wall mounts because they clear up space on your basin. 
• Showers: another of the biggest features in your bathroom, and one that should be chosen early. You could build a shower as part of your reno, or install a shower box once you’re done.
• Toilets: your toilet is usually not an essential design element and can be chosen late in the design phase. If you’ve got limited space, space saving rimless toilets are a great option. 
• Accessories: late in the design phase it’s time to choose all your accessories. That includes soap and toilet roll holders, mirrors, and other bathroom add-ons. 

See your options in person before you buy

It can be very difficult to choose fittings and fixtures purely based on an image online. Instead, we recommend seeing all your fixture and fitting options in person so that you can touch and feel them, getting a sense of how they may look and function in your space. Visit your nearest Abey Showroom soon to get started.