The bathrooms will be (unplanned) expensive
The most important information up front: our two bathrooms are not large. Around 5.5m2 each, to be precise. But that’s enough for us. However, our desire to accentuate them accordingly is all the greater. So we naively assumed that we would be able to achieve this with our allocated budget.
The selected standard can certainly be described as good: Rain shower, separated by a glass wall, modern chrome steel fittings. However, it was clear to us that stainless steel would blend in more harmoniously with the overall concept of our apartment.
We spent a lot of time researching and visiting sanitaryware manufacturers in central Switzerland. We quickly narrowed our choice down to Vola, Dornbracht, Cocoon and Gessi. In the end, we opted for the „316 Flessa“ design range from Gessi. We were aware that stainless steel would cost more, but not a five-figure sum. Although the water mixer adds around a third to the price, the rain shower, shower rail and even the toilet roll holder are particularly expensive. After careful consideration and extensive costing, we will now have both bathrooms finished completely in stainless steel. We don’t want to do without the matt look.
The washbasin and substructure are taking up our time and nerves
Who would have thought that it would be so difficult to find the perfect washbasin for us? On the one hand, the choice is almost unlimited, on the other hand, the presentation in the catalogs and/or on the manufacturers‘ websites hardly reveals any details. And the exhibitions only show a fraction of what is available on the market. The fact that we came across Catalano’s „Zero“ exposed wax basin probably has something to do with luck.
It’s the same with the vanity units. Here we recommend a visit to Talsee in Hochdorf, if only for inspiration. The exhibition, advice and presentation are great. The „mellow“ furniture immediately caught our eye. The light-looking bathroom collection is characterized by thin outer sides and thanks to the seamless surface in powder coating, the bathroom furniture is particularly durable and scratch-resistant. We will decide on the color at a later date.
Floor-to-ceiling tiles ensure few joints
For the interior fittings, we have tiles in the sizes 60 x 60 cm for the floor and 30 x 60 cm for the walls. The choice of colors (from white to dark grey) leaves little to be desired. However, we quickly fell in love with Naturofloor as a material. It consists of mineral materials and can be applied seamlessly to floors and walls. Or even a poured terrazzo floor. However, the costs here are definitely beyond our financial resources. With a price of (disproportionate) CHF 400 to 500 per square meter, this is definitely out of the question.
We will therefore stick with tiles, but will opt for floor-to-ceiling tiles (280cm x 120cm) in a matt white-grey. However, according to the quote, the costs also play a central role here, as the dimensions make the work more difficult. Therefore, we divide these by two and thus have a single tile on the horizontal level. The advantage is that although two tilers will still be needed, transport, handling and material wear (risk of breakage) will be minimized. This halves the cost of laying.
For the rain shower, we are also dispensing with a shower tray and having the area tiled. For the floor, we opted for tiles measuring 120 cm x 120 cm. This means that the joints in the entire bathroom can almost be read with one hand.
To summarize, here are a few tips for you:
- Taps are also available in a stainless steel look if you don’t want to fit the entire bathroom with stainless steel taps
- Find out about floor-to-ceiling tiles as a possible alternative to the more expensive natural flooring
- You can make savings on the mirror cabinet if you have it recessed and the light source plays a secondary role
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Michel N. (37) and Michèle G. (36) live in Lucerne with their daughter Lilou (1). The two communication specialists with a flair for beautiful living are fulfilling their wish to buy a condominium near the city limits of Lucerne. Bruno Wickart accompanies and advises the couple on their project from day one – from the floor plan design to the fully furnished property.
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Do you need support with your housing project? We will be happy to help you. You can find more information here ((https://www.bruno-wickart.ch/interior-design))