Armrock Constructions

Gold Coast Bathroom Renovations

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Bathroom Splashback Solutions

An important aspect of any bathroom renovation is the splashback – the protective section that goes on the wall behind the vanity. There are a number of considerations that affect decisions about splashbacks – do you need one? What material should you use? What style should you go for? Armrock Constructions is a leading Gold Coast bathroom renovation company. On this page, we discuss splashbacks to help you understand the important considerations around this inclusion. Learn more about splashbacks and benchtops on this page, or contact our team for a free appraisal and quote for your renovation today.

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What is a Splashback?

A splashback is the name for the protective area on the wall behind a wet area benchtop in a kitchen, bathroom or laundry. Splashbacks have a dual function. They add a design touch and also protect the wall from water splashes. Since this protection can also be accomplished without a distinct splashback, the design aspect is the most significant to take into account. Here is a picture of a wet area with arrows indicating the splashback:

Do I Need a Splashback?

Where there is a wet area, such as a bathroom vanity, it’s important to protect non-waterproofed aspects from water. Splashbacks aren’t the only way to achieve this. It can also be done with tiling, a popular option in quite a few of our recent Gold Coast bathroom renovation projects. In this case, the tiles perform the role of waterproofing the area, without using a distinct splashback. Here are a couple of examples from our projects:

In other words, you don’t need a splashback, but you do need to ensure your wet area provides suitable protection for your walls, which can also be accomplished with tiling.

What Are Splashbacks Made of?

Splashbacks come in a variety of materials. Examples include tiles, laminate, glass, paint, timber and stainless steel. Splashback options range in quality, looks and functionality. A successful splashback will have a relationship with existing colours or styles in the bathroom. Here are a couple of different ways this can be achieved:

Low-Contrast Splashback

This low-contrast splashback is composed of a half-wall tiled solution. This is a great look that uses contrasting textures of the same colour to create a bathroom that is interestingly different, but very low-key in delivery.

High-Contrast Splashback

This tiled splashback creates a higher contrast against the lighter basin and vanity unit. At the same time, it manages to create a contrast with darker elements in the bathroom, such as the tinted glass and dark tapware.

Integrated Vanity Splashback

Utilising the same material for the benchtop and splashback is a safe and popular approach. There are a world of possibilities with splashbacks, but our team is here to help. We know what will look good, and can help you to arrive at the bathroom layout you need to create your ideal bathroom.

Four Key Splashback Requirements

1. Waterproof

A splashback should be sufficiently waterproof to prevent water permeating the wall. Apart from the material used, this requires a professional installation.

2. Environmental Tolerance

A splashback may be located close to heat sources including stovetop elements or device motors (e.g. fridge / microwave). A splashback should be equipped to tolerate heat from these sources. Our team will work with you to ensure your materials are up to the task required.

3. Look Great

A splashback should look great! It doesn’t need to be flamboyant or OTT to do so. Well-laid tiles always look fantastic even with the simplest design, and our team can help you create a design that will work for your walls. 

4. Easy to Clean

Some materials are easier to clean than others. Ease of cleaning and maintenance should always be considered when selecting kitchen inclusions! 

For assistance with splashbacks on the Gold Coast, talk to our renovation team today – we’re here to help!

Book a Free Consultation

Armrock Constructions specialises in bathroom renovations on the Gold Coast. Talk to our team for assistance with your bathroom renovation. We provide a free consultation and quote.

Book a Free Renovation Consultation & Quote

Industrial Silver Bathroom Style

Silver Tapware Bathroom Renovation
Silver Tapware Bathroom Renovation

Bathroom plumbing, tapware, and fixtures and fittings are frequently silver in colour. This is due in part to the manufacture of many components in stainless steel, which is silver in colour. To some extent this has now changed with modern parts now available in a variety of different colours and styles – however, silver is still a common colour to find taps, showerheads, nozzles, plugs, drains, and handles inside modern bathrooms. 

If you’re considering using silver in your bathroom renovation, take a moment to consider the ways it can work in your bathroom, or alternatively check out more colour ideas in this article about using colour to create a holistic bathroom.

Deconstructing Bathroom Design

A deconstructed bathroom design will reveal purely-functional aspects of the room instead of hiding them away. This allows the beauty of the functionality to take on an aesthetic role. For example, rather than only revealing the necessary (for example, taps) the pipes may also be partially revealed. By doing so, the pipes take on a design role in the room as well.

This approach is popular with free-standing bathtubs. In the case of silver pipes and taps, deconstructing their display in this way accesses an industrial style reminiscent of factories where such pipes would be ‘on display’, there being no requirement to hide them away. Using this approach doesn’t mean your bathroom will look like a factory! 

It’s all about the selective incorporation of elements that will help your design achieve the style you’re aiming for. 

Silver Contrasts

A great aspect of working with the colour silver is the way it contrasts with other materials and colours. Silver is eminently compatible and when contrasted often adds value to other objects by accentuating them. Whether it’s a basic gloss-white, timber-style, or polished-concrete look, silver brings something special out in everything. 

Silver and Gloss White

Where do you see silver combined with gloss-white? A common response is a hospital or medical environment. While you probably don’t want your bathroom looking like the ER, the combination of silver and gloss-white can communicate cleanliness and hygiene, which are both assets in the context of a modern bathroom. There’s more information about working with gloss-white here. 

Silver & Timber

Fine timber and silver evoke ideas of craft, workmanship, and the handmade. To shape timber into something useable, silver tools are used such as saws, drills, hammers and nails. Combining silver and timber enables access of such notions in the style of your bathroom. It doesn’t mean your bathroom needs to look like a lumber-yard! Just that you can access the qualities in this combination that you like. We are doing great work at the moment with timber-style laminates – learn more about them here.

Silver and Polished Concrete

The combination of silver and concrete taps into the industrial aesthetic. This is a powerful style which creates bathrooms that stand out. Unlike the combination with gloss-white (hygiene / cleanliness) and the combination with timber (natural / handmade), silver and polished concrete combine for effect in a different way. 

They access the qualities of their industrial ancestors and re-invigorate and rebuild them into a modern style. It’s an evolution. In fashion, this is similar to the blue jeans – they were designed for work, not fashion, but were subsequently picked up and converted into a fashion item because their style just worked. 

Depending on the home and requirements, the industrial approach can be balanced with other elements for an interesting, deep design-style that isn’t overbearing. Learn more about the polished concrete look here. The following image demonstrates a stainless steel shower-drain which creates this effect. 

Purpose of Silver

Rather than include silver in your renovation because you have to, make sure your inclusions capitalise on existing thematic possibilities. Silver is a common colour through human history and has been used in many ways which construct the visual library from which we operate. 

The cues that exist in this library can be utilised to communicate qualities we like into rooms we live in. Using silver as a design element gives us access to a rich tapestry of ideas that go beyond the purely visual.

Planning Your Custom Bathroom Vanity

Planning Custom Bathroom Vanity
Planning Your Custom Bathroom Vanity

When it’s time to plan your custom bathroom vanity, it’s best to keep an open mind – to not be limited by the functionality of the previous vanity. When you’re designing the look, feel and function of your new vanity, there are multiple ways of aligning your budget with the vanity of your dreams. 

If you’re on the Gold Coast QLD, our renovation team is here to help with custom vanity solutions that rapidly become the centrepiece of our new bathrooms. You can learn more about our custom vanities here. Don’t hesitate to contact our team. We’re here to help, and every new vanity includes a free consultation and quote. 

Following is a collection of ideas to keep in mind to help with the process of designing your new bathroom vanity – brought to you by the Gold Coast’s leading bathroom renovation company, Armrock Constructions. 

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New Location or Same Location? 

A renovation is an opportunity to change the layout of your bathroom. Everything can be moved – the shower, the bath, the toilet, and the vanity. Generally, the decision to relocate any major aspect of the bathroom needs to be weighed up carefully. Every move has implications due to the dependency of these types of features on plumbing and electrical. 

The decision to retain your vanity location or change it to a new one is best made with professional assistance. We can help you understand what’s involved and help you make a decision. 

How Many Sinks? 

Custom vanities may feature a single or double sink setup. Double sinks are popular at the moment and are a luxury option that serves the function of improving bathroom efficiency as well as creating a more individualised bathroom experience. If you’re looking to transition from a single sink to a double, talk to our team to understand what may be involved from a plumbing point of view. 

Floor Mounted or Wall-Mounted? 

Vanities can be floor mounted or hung on the wall. By raising them up and mounting them on the wall, space underneath the vanity is freed up which provides space for feet and may improve the visual flow of the room. This is especially important in smaller rooms, but is relevant in rooms of all sizes. 

Tap & Basin Range

Have you ever tried to wash your hands under a tap that’s too low, in a basin that’s too high? When you’re looking at taps and basins / sinks, keep in mind the usability and effortlessness of the solution. The combination should be workable and effective. Ideally, you should be able to freely wash your hands without hitting them on the tap or basin when you do so. 

Integrate Your Vanity

The great thing about custom vanities is the ability to match them to the design of your new bathroom. A popular way to do this is to remember that the highlight features of your vanity (taps, handles, plugs) can be matched with other parts of the bathroom such as door handles, drains, shower taps, etc. This creates an easy integration that will help your vanity to fit into the bathroom. 

Benchtops

If a vanity is the centrepiece of a bathroom then a vanity bench top is the centrepiece of the centrepiece. The style, texture and layout of the bench top all deserve careful attention. We work with stone, timber and laminates to achieve a variety of results across budgets. 

A popular option at the moment is timber-look laminates. These help you to bring a modern design touch to even the simplest bathroom reno. 

When you’re designing a vanity benchtop, there may be established factors that constrain decision-making to certain choices, depending on the situation. However, we bring a variety of experience to such situations and will be able to help create options that work for your bathroom. Learn more about vanity benchtops here.

Splashbacks

Splashbacks (the tiled wall section behind your vanity) play an important role in connecting the vanity aesthetically to the rest of the room. When you’re designing a custom vanity, the design of Splashback needs to be taken into account. 

At the most basic level plain white tiles are always a popular option, and from here your imagination is the limit. Tiles come in a wide variety of shapes, styles and aesthetics. Keep in mind that a flamboyant inclusion may not prove as timeless as a simple and practical solution.

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Six Things to Know Before Choosing Tiles For Your Renovation

Choosing Tiles for Your Bathroom Renovation
Choosing Tiles for Your Bathroom Renovation

Looking for the perfect bathroom tiles? It won’t take you long to realise there’s more to choosing tiles than meets the eye. The world of tiles can appear complex, confusing and expensive. 

The style, functionality and cost of your tiles need to be mapped to your renovation objectives in order to achieve a great result, and since tiles are so popular in kitchen and bathroom renovations, a little research and know-how goes a long way. 

We’re here to help. When it’s time to renovate, we can guide you through the options and help you locate the right tiles for your project, working with reputable local suppliers to achieve great results. 

To help you get started, here’s a list of 6 Things to Know Before Choosing Tiles For Your Renovation. 

1. Tile Delivery Cost

When purchasing tiles, you need a plan to get them from the supplier to the renovation. Tiles are heavy and if you’re ordering in large quantities, may be impractical to handle yourself. 

If you’re planning to have your tiles delivered, enquire about delivery costs and factor these into your budget. Depending on the supplier, this may incur an additional expense. 

2. Tiles Come in Boxes

Tiles generally come in boxes. While there are exceptions to this rule, it means you need to be aware of how many boxes to order. This is how your figure it out:

  1. First, calculate how many square metres of tiles you need. 
  2. Increase this by 10% (for cutting & breakage)
  3. Order the smallest number of boxes of tiles to achieve this amount

In other words:

Tiles come in boxes, and you need to order enough boxes of tiles to cover the area to be tiled, plus 10% extra. 

3. Tiling Extent Possibilities

Tiling is a practical way to finish bathrooms, but can be done to different extents. This is a way to balance the style of your bathroom with the cost of tiling. 

Examples of popular options include:

  • Floor Only
  • Floor and Half-wall
  • Feature Wall
  • Splashback

4. Quality Considerations

Just like anything, tiles come in different grades of quality. Just because two brands of tiles look the same doesn’t mean they perform equally well. Our team is here to help – just ask and we can point you in the direction of reputable, local tile suppliers. 

5. Tile Availability

Need tiles tomorrow? You could be out of luck. Depending on the type and quantity of tiles, sometimes the supplier may need to order them in. 

Tiles need to be organised well in advance of the renovation to make sure they’re ready to go when the time comes. 

6. Tile Styles are Faddish

Tile styles change from year to year. Like fashion, some styles never age, whereas others rapidly tire and vanish. Choosing tiles should be a long-term decision – ask yourself, “will I still like these tiles in 5 years?”

Tile Insert Strip Drains

Considering using tiles for a drain? Learn more about this popular option on our bathroom drains page: Bathroom Drains.

Tiled Bathroom Niches

A popular application for tiles is in a tiled bathroom niche. Learn more about this option here: bathroom niches.

Tiles – A Renovation Essential

Tiles are an essential for any kitchen or bathroom renovation. They’re hard-wearing and great-looking, and are available in water resistances appropriate for applications in both bathroom and kitchen renovations. Learn more about the benefits of tiles in this article.

Starting Your Renovation – Where to Begin

A bathroom or kitchen renovation is a project requiring a number of stages and the application of expertise towards specific goals. Our team specialises in renovations on the Gold Coast QLD, and on this page are some notes designed to improve your understanding of concepts and stages that you may encounter during the renovation process. 

Free Consultation & Free Quote

Our company seeks to simplify the renovation process by offering a free consultation and quote for kitchen and bathroom projects. This is a great starting place because it will help you to understand the costs, timeframe and considerations for your project, with the expert assistance of our builder-led team. 

Even if your planning isn’t very advanced, this service will give you some immediate insight into what you should be thinking about. To book a free consultation and quote (Gold Coast, QLD Only) just complete the form below and and we will contact you to arrange a convenient time to review your renovation.

Your Renovation Design

Renovations may include an overhaul (improvement of some aspects of the room) or a complete reconfiguration (structural changes to the room). This degree of scope depends on the design, objectives and budget of the completed project. 

Our team can help by advancing your ideas into a design suitable for your goals, and also discuss alternative approaches to improve the cost and functionality of the new spaces. 

A renovation is a combination of decisions, selections, and actions. Before any work can begin, it’s important to decide what kind of room you’d like to achieve. A great idea is to create a mood board of ideas from magazines, pinterest, or other sources. You can get some ideas from our articles, such as What Colour Blinds go with White Walls, and Using Colour to Create a Holistic Bathroom Design. 

This gives you something to base discussions on your renovation, compare and make decisions. With our experience, we can also help adapt your ideas to your budget and explore possibilities that will work for your renovation goals. 

It is important to remember that some of the features you see in kitchens and bathrooms online may not be easily available in the Gold Coast. However, there are enough options to create great solutions – talk to our team and we’ll help you create the bathroom of your dreams. 

For more information on renovation design, check out our page on renovation design ideas. 

Budgeting For Your Renovation

Depending on how you approach your renovation, it’s important to develop a clear understanding of the costs and your responsibilities in the project. 

Armrock Constructions provides a complete renovation service with all required trades for your project and we will provide a quote for your job. 

In addition to our quote, be sure to take into account any external costs that may be required – for example, if you are taking on the acquisition of fixtures and fittings, or outsourcing a component of the project to another provider. 

There’s some useful information about budgeting available from consumer.gov, which you can read about here. 

Why Tiling is a Great Solution for Kitchens and Bathrooms

If you’re thinking about using tiles in your bathroom or kitchen makeover, you’re not alone! There are many reasons why tiles are such an enduring solution for both types of rooms. Used in part or whole, tiles bring a strength of presentation and character to practically all of our Gold Coast bathroom renovations. 

In this article, we discuss the reasons why tiles are such a great solution for kitchens and bathrooms. 

Brought to you by Armrock Constructions – Gold Coast Kitchen and Bathroom renovation specialists. 

What’s Involved in a Tile Solution?

Tiles are just one part of a tiled solution. The other components include the bond or adhesive which connects the tiles to the wall or floor, and the grout, which is the material between the tiles. This combination of elements (tiles, bond, grout) are brought together by workmanship to create a tiled solution. 

That’s important to keep in mind, because from a design point of view, the tiles work together with their grout to create different types of aesthetics. 

Protection from Water

A requirement for both bathrooms and kitchens is to contain the use of water. Failure to contain water creates a risk to timber structures which deteriorate over time when they’re exposed. 

Tiles are a great option from this point of view. The right tiles, professionally installed, create an external layer to control and limit the spread of water – an essential consideration in kitchens and bathrooms. 

Predictable Underfoot

Given the nature of bathrooms and kitchens as wet areas, it’s important to implement a surface which is predictable underfoot whether it is wet or dry.

The safety of flooring is important and with modern, purpose-designed flooring tiles it is straightforward designing a suitable solution. 

Design – Connecting The Room

Fridge and Microwave no grid
Fridge and Microwave no grid
Fridge and Microwave with grid
Fridge and Microwave with grid

Both kitchens and bathrooms include a variety of elements which may have little in common. Sizes, shapes and sometimes styles in fixtures and fittings will always be acquired for an optimal result, but within a given room they may need to work hard to achieve something in common. Tiles can help. 

When tiles are laid they create a grid which can be very strong or barely there – but either way, a grid is created. This grid has an important effect in the room because it creates a subtle framework to connect different items. 

This creates a sense of unity in the room which would otherwise be absent. Here is a simple example illustrating this in action:

Irrespective of any functional role, the ability of tiles to connect different items is a helpful attribute in styling kitchens and bathrooms. Tiles bring rooms together!

Design – Aesthetic Depth

Tiles have a wide range of looks and styles. Texture, depth, pattern, colour – all of these can be varied when using tiles. This gives renovators access to a library of options that can’t be achieved any other way. 

There’s a tile for every situation, and sometimes there are too many choices to make. Our team is here to help. We know what works and can help you select the best tiles for your project.

Cues for Room Flow with Tiling

Whether you opt for square tiles or rectangular tiles, the room will still be the same size and shape. However, it may not feel the same. Tiles create patterns which have an impact – especially when you’re considering how a room should flow. 

This consideration is especially relevant in rooms with more than one entry. Tiles can be used to describe movement patterns within the room.