If you search online, you’ll find a plethora of online bathroom design tools. Almost everyone has one… and so do we (you can download it here).
But should you use these free tools? Are they any good? Do they really help you?
There’s no doubt that they help give you some inspiration and get you started but there’s so much more to planning a bathroom than the free bathroom design tools can offer.
Design is more than placing shapes
The majority of these planners are merely shape placing tools. Set your bathroom to a certain size and add in some shapes for your bath, basin, etc – and don’t forget to add in the doors!
The problem with this is: your bathroom is not two-dimensional and simply placing shapes will only get you so far. You have to consider how you will move around the bathroom and how you’ll use it and how many others use it too. Just because it fits on a plan doesn’t mean it will work in real life once you add in all the other parts of your bathroom (storage is a big thing people miss).
Free planners work with empty rooms
On a free online bathroom planning tool you’ll have a lovely empty space to deal with. It’s amazing how simple it is to drop in shapes and move them around when your room is perfectly square with perfect lines.
But they don’t show that awkward window area, that exposed plumbing or the pitch of your ceiling. Not all bathrooms have perfect lines or the ability to hide all the plumbing.
All these factors and more encroach on your bathroom and that needs to be designed around.
Function and flow
Just because it fits doesn’t mean it will work with your lifestyle, bathroom, or your needs.
Doors on cabinets and shower need to be considered. Can everything open OK and can people still get to where they need to be?
The lovely WC you’ve chosen might need to have hidden plumbing to get that look, making your room smaller.
The wall units may be big enough – but do they overpower the room?
Are you really sure you can accommodate a double basin? It fits but what about the space between the WC and the basin?
It’s all too easy to design a bathroom in 2D. In real life, when you’re moving around in it, there are a lot of design factors that determine if your design is a success.
CAD design gives you a 3D experience
We design bathrooms in CAD. CAD (computer aided design) allows you to see a design in 3D. It’s used for all manner of design from cars to kitchens bathrooms and designing houses. CAD gives you a real 3D view of your bathroom and lets you move through your room and see your new bathroom from different views.
When you’ve seen your bathroom in CAD you’ll quickly realise how limiting the free online tools are. They’re a step in the right direction, but don’t reply on them!
Nothing beats experience
You’re probably not an expert at bathroom design (even though you’ve done it before). Designing a bathroom takes skill and experience – something bathroom designers have in abundance because they enjoy it!
Placing units in place on a bathroom plan is not designing. You have to consider so many factors when designing a bathroom. From plumbing to lighting, and room size to the main use of the bathroom.
Not all bathrooms are created equal – get some expert help.
Alan Heath and Sons… better than your average online planning tool!
We’ve been planning, designing and fitting bathrooms for over 30 years. With that comes a lot of experience and knowledge about bathroom design. You can only get so far just placing shapes in a box!
We consider so much more than “will it fit?” and that’s very important for the longevity of your bathroom and your overall enjoyment of the room.
A bathroom is one of the most used rooms in the house and often a busy place. Getting the design and functionality perfectly inline is paramount to its success… and online tool simply won’t match up to decades of experience.
Need help? Give us a call now or call into our Warwickshire bathroom showroom. We’ll be happy to talk about your bathroom design with you.