ENSUITE RENOVATION IDEAS
You use an ensuite half-awake. It sits a few steps from the bed, it often shares a wall with the wardrobe, and it has to work for two people who may keep different hours. The ideas below deal with the decisions that matter most in that room: how wide the vanity is, how the shower is laid out, where the toilet goes, how the finishes carry through from the bedroom, and what you do about storage, ventilation and lighting. Each idea names the trade that makes it happen, so your reading becomes a brief.
MEASURE THESE FIRST
The width of the vanity wall, and which way the door swings
Where the existing water and waste points are
Whether the ensuite shares a wall with the bedhead
How the room is ventilated now: a window, a fan or nothing
Who uses the room, and at what times
Whether you can reach the switches from the bedroom side
Your answers show which of the ideas below will fit your room. For more on planning the floor, read Bathroom Layout Ideas.
ONE BASIN OR TWO
A double vanity looks like the obvious ensuite upgrade, but it only earns its place when you have width to spare.
When a single vanity is the better choice
In a narrow ensuite, two people are often better served by one wide basin with plenty of bench space on either side than by two cramped basins. You keep somewhere to put things down, and the plumber only has to run one waste.
When a double vanity pays off
If you both get ready at the same time and the wall leaves enough elbow room at each basin, two basins put an end to the morning queue. A wall-hung unit keeps the floor visible, which makes the room feel wider.
Storage for two
Split the storage as well as the basins. Separate drawers, a shallow mirror cabinet for each side and a recessed shower niche stop one person’s things from spreading across the bench. See Vanity Installation, or use Custom Cabinetry to fill an awkward alcove that an off-the-shelf unit would leave empty.
A WALK-IN SHOWER IN A TIGHT ROOM
Open the shower up
A walk-in shower suits an ensuite because it gets rid of a door swing that a small room can’t spare. One fixed glass panel, a floor that runs level into the shower and a linear drain along the wall make the whole floor read as a single surface. Plan the fall to the drain and the waterproofing underneath before you choose a tile.
See Walk-In Showers and Walk-In Shower Ideas.
Keep the toilet out of the sightline
People often leave an ensuite door open to the bedroom. Put the toilet behind a nib wall, beside the vanity or on the wall hidden by the door, so the view from the bed falls on the vanity or shower instead. A cavity sliding door helps where a swinging door would hit the toilet.
Moving a toilet means moving its waste pipe, so decide this at the Bathroom Design stage.
DETAILS YOU NOTICE AT 6AM AND 11PM
05
Finishes that flow from the bedroom
Pick up a colour, timber tone or hardware finish from the bedroom so the ensuite feels like part of the suite rather than a separate wet room. A warm timber-look vanity, matte tapware, or a floor tile close in tone to the bedroom floor all carry the look through the doorway. See Bathroom Tile Ideas.
06
Good ventilation and a quiet fan
Steam from an ensuite drifts straight into the bedroom and wardrobe. A low-noise exhaust fan that is sized for the room and ducted outside clears the moisture without waking the other person. A fan with a run-on timer keeps going after the light is switched off. Damp is also covered in the waterproofing guide.
07
Lighting for morning and night
Put bright, even light at the mirror for shaving and make-up. Add a separate low-level light, such as a strip under a wall-hung vanity, for night trips that won’t wake anyone. Switch each layer separately. The electrician wires all of this before the walls are sheeted, so decide on it early.
TURN THE IDEAS INTO A BRIEF
For ensuite work in Murrumbeena, Carnegie, Hughesdale, Malvern East and nearby suburbs, start with Ensuite Renovations. It covers layout, storage and finishes from strip-out to handover. For an open shower, go to Walk-In Showers. Then browse Projects to compare rooms, and request a quote once you’ve noted which ideas fit your room. If you have a question first, send it through the contact page.