Has the quick power of the shower overcome the luxury of the bath in our smallest room? With space at a premium, many properties are simply doing away with the bathroom and offering a shower room only. But Estate Agent John Darroch from Century 21 says, if you can manage to squeeze in a bath, it’s well worth doing. And we found the neatest bath to transform this tiny shower room into a bathroom.
This house in Broxburn had been subdivided into flats and a shower room seemed the only option. But its owner, a geotechnical engineer, decided to be ingenius and hunt the internet for a neat shaped bath that allows her to have the best of both worlds – a quick shower to freshen up, or a long soak to ease aches and pains after a hard day on site.
The shower room had an electric shower and the regulation ventilation, but no window, so first of all a building warrant was sought to put in a new window, which instantly made the room brighter. Being on the ground floor, some privacy was required and 
this was achieved using an opaque film rather than patterned glass.
If you are making structural alterations you will need a building warrant to ensure that you carry out the alterations safely. The window was to the rear of the property, which isn’t listed, so there was no need to apply for Planning Permission in this case.
Once work began, the easiest option was to remove all the existing fittings to allow space to work. A hole was cut in the wall, the window was put in and the ceiling lowered to allow spotlights to be recessed into the ceiling. Then decorating began with replastering and tiling. The garish colours formerly employed disappeared and fresh white was used, allowing accessories to provide the colour. Dark grey stone floor tiles added a touch of class.
The electric shower was reusable as were the toilet and (mini) wash hand basin but the piece de resistance was an avocado shaped bath which just fitted perfectly, allowing access to the window and also room at the narrow end to get in and out comfortably. The butterfly designed hooped shower curtain allowed for a spot of indulgence and shelves in the tiling and around the toilet provide useful storage and display space.
“Yes it’s tight but well worth doing,” says John Darroch. “A bath is less essential in a single person flat than in a family home but I would estimate that this property is now worth an additional £2000-3000 as a result of the works that have been carried out. It will also be considerably more attractive and marketable should she decide to move.”
