Today’s post is brought to you by the guys over at Victorian Bathrooms, one of the largest independent bathroom retailers in the UK. Formed in 1993, the company specializes in traditional bathrooms and I was delighted when they asked me if they could write a piece for the blog all about how to achieve a Victorian bathroom without breaking the bank. Here is the advice they give:
Sticking to any budget is hard as we all know, whether it be for your weekly shop or in this case, your Victorian bathroom. However, it can be done to an immaculate standard without cutting any corners by making a few clever substitutes in certain areas. Yes, you may not be able to have the elegant hand-crafted copper bath with an aluminium high cistern toilet, but you can still achieve the same sense of tradition by using the next best thing.
Unless you are an avid traditionalist and can’t cope by not having the ‘real’ thing, there a few surprising tricks that can save you a lot of money and deliver you the same beautiful results. Starting with the main feature in most bathrooms, the bath, this is an important yet easy change to make.
Traditionally, the Victorians had big heavy cast iron baths that stood proud in the middle of the bathroom but you can recreate this by installing an acrylic bath that is reinforced with fibreglass, to make sure that you still get the comfort and durability that a cast iron model would give you.
At a fraction of the price, this alternative will save you money to spend elsewhere in the bathroom, such as the wooden side panels that will give you that vintage and classical look sought after by so many. Panelling can be bought in a variety of different designs and colours to suit your needs and will emphasise the heritage that your Victorian bath should ooze. Finished off with a sumptuous bath shower mixer, you will be ready to indulge in the old times, knowing that you have saved a small fortune.
Moving onto the toilet, this is an area where you may have to make the biggest sacrifice. High level cisterns are an absolute classic in Victorian bathrooms but come at a more than costly price in most cases. In reality, there is no real way to mimic the high level cistern but you can still achieve just as beautiful visuals with a low level cistern or a close coupled pan and system toilet. Made to look Victorian and luxurious, these will not fall short of the mark and will only add to your timeless theme. Both of these options are much cheaper and will be nothing short of a pleasure to use.
Finally, the flooring is just as important as the feature units yet is one of the cheapest changes to make. Instead of spending thousands on tiles, a clean and simple vinyl floor can achieve just as attractive results and be even easier to maintain than tiles. Quick and easy to lay down, a vinyl flooring is a very appealing substitute to those that don’t want to spend their entire budget underfoot.