Ideal Home Magazine – Before and After

“A local beach inspired us”

When planning their bathroom, the Mack’s found ideas on Dorset’s Jurasic Coast

Designing a luxurious bathroom was a top priority for Kerry and Paul Mack whan they took on the top-to-bottom restoration of their Victorian cottage. ‘The old bathroom was in a badly built 1960s extension, and was freezing in winte; so we decided to knock the whole extension down and start again: says Kerry. ‘As our sons and guests would be using the room a lot, I wanted it to have an extra-large bath as well as a spacious shower.’

Kerry and Paul’s house is close to the Jurassic Coast and one of the largest fossil-hunting beaches in England, so they decided to give their new bathroom a coastal theme, with limestone tiles containing tiny fossils. They were keen to include eco-friendly features, such as a water- saving showe; alongside period-style fittings that would stand the test of time. ‘I wanted the best of both worlds – modern fittings with traditional touches: says Kerry. ‘Paul and I are really pleased with the way it’s turned out:

Coastal influence The bathroom in the Macks’ rebuilt extension has a fresh beach-inspired look, with sandy colours, shell prints on the wall, and limestone tiles containing fragments of real fossils

Take the 60 second tour

THE LAYOUT

A modern extra-long bath and classic 1920s-style pedestal basin are positioned on opposite walls, with the Ioo on the wall in between and the shower in the corner

Oversized bath Kerry chose a large I bath as Paul, Alex and Tom are all over 6ft tall. Putting it under the sloping ceiling made the j best use of space

Nature-inspired bathroom ‘A local beach inspired us’ When planning their bathroom, the Macks found ideas on Dorset’s Jurassic Coast

THE PROPERTY

Originally a two-bed Victorian cottage, this house near Lyme Regis, Dorset was extended in 1900, 1930 and 1960, so it now has four bedrooms.

WHAT IT COST

Shower……………… £2,674
Bath, basin & loo…. £2,877
Taps………………….£1,486
Tiles………………….£959
Towel radiator……..£441
Mirror……………….£200
Paint…………………£27

TOTAL:……………£8,664

WHO LIVES HERE

Kerry Mack and her husband Paul bought the house in 2004. Their sons Alex, 22, and Tom, 21, come home during university holidays.

WHAT THEY DID

Demolished and rebuilt the extension containing the bathroom, then fitted a new suite with cutting-edge, eco-friendly features.

THE LOOK

Coastal chic, with limestone tiles containing real fossils and beach-themed prints.

LESSONS LEARNED

‘Install eco fittings wherever possible — our air-injected shower and harvested- rainwater loo help keep our water bills low.’

How we did it

“Our first port of call was a nearby bathroom showroom. I wanted an extra-long bath and a separate shower, so their designer helped draw up a layout, which was rejigged several times to fit everything in. After we’d decided on the fittings, I searched online arid found some at cheaper prices, which the showroom agreed to match. It was great using a local supplier, as it meant that any problems could be sorted out quickly. The work on the new extension took six months, although fitting the bathroom only took about a week. The plumber we’d hired failed to turn up, so our builder did the work for around £2,000″.

WHERE TO BUY ITEMS SHOWN

Matki shower tray and enclosure £1,659; Hansgrohe Raindance shower, £1,015; Duravit Happy D bath, £1,447; Hansgrohe bath mixer tap, £904; Villeroy & Boch Hommage basin and pedestal, £526; Hansgrohe Axor Montreux basin mixer tap, £582; Villeroy & Boch close-coupled loo, £904; SBH Maxi Flat radiator, £441; all Ocean Bathrooms. Patara Honed limestone wall tiles, £43.99 per sq m; Nautilus honed limestone floor tiles, £66.28 per sq m; mosaics, for similar, try Nautilus 25mm, £10.95 for a 305mm x 305mm ; sheet; all Mandarin Stone. Lime White Estate Emulsion, £26.50 for 2.5ltr, Farrow & Ball. Shell prints, for similar, try Nautilus , Shell prints, from £4.99, ; AllPosters.co.uk. Spelted beech hand-made mirror, £200, Blue Lias Gallery.