Renovation Design

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

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.

Tiled Bathroom Niches

Armrock Constructions specialises in bathroom renovations on the Gold Coast QLD. A tiled niche is a great addition to a bathroom that adds functional value to the design. In our recent Gold Coast bathroom renovations, we’re finding tiled bathroom niches to be a popular addition. In this article we’re going to explore this option, with examples from our projects.

What is a “Niche”?

A ‘niche’, ‘cavity’ or ‘recess’ is a step into the wall that basically works as a shelf. In a shower, this shelf may hold common items like shampoo and soap. A niche is a built-in attribute that forms a sturdy and practical shelf on which to place items.

Advantages to a Bathroom Niche

Niches perform the function of storing items in bathroom walls, but they’re not the only solution. Other popular methods include:

Built-in niche
Built-in shelf
Removable holder / shelf

Niches have advantages over all of these. Unlike a shelf, niches don’t extrude – they’re set into the wall. Temporary solutions, on the other hand, are either hung or fixed with suction caps. Despite manufacturing promises, these plummet to the ground at the most inopportune moments, sending soap and shampoo flying – or coffee and beer, when misused by certain family members who insist on consuming these while showering.

LED Illumination

A popular trend is LED-illuminated niches, as can be seen from this recent bathroom project. These offer a designer-flavour to your Gold Coast bathroom and are a fantastic complement to Armrock’s tiled niches. Because our team includes all of the bathroom renovation trades, our builder-led team can handle your tiling, your tiled niche, and your LED illumination – as well as everything else too.

Types of Bathroom Niches

Bathroom niches come in three variants – prefabricated units, custom-made niches, and tiled bathroom niches. Prefabricated niches are purchased ready-made and come in a variety of designs. Custom-made niches are made to order. Tiled bathroom niches are a custom-made niche that’s made with tiles.

Tiled Bathroom Niche Design

First and foremost, the advantage of a tiled-bathroom niche is in the design. It’s an opportunity to create depth and interest in the bathroom. The niche itself makes a design contribution, which can be enhanced by the type of tiles used. These may be the same as the rest of the wall or a subtle, or significant contrast can be created.

There is also the opportunity to echo themes present elsewhere in the bathroom.

In the above example of our Gold Coast renovation work (Hexagonal Tiled Bathroom Niche) we’ve used hexagonal tiles within the niche which reflect the same pattern on the feature wall for repetition and continuity:

Tiled niches are fast becoming an Armrock signature. They’re a popular, practical option. A tiled niche creates a feature from an everyday item and because the niche is drawn from the same tiles as rest of the wall, an inherent compatibility is created so that the feature comes from the wall and is of the wall.

That means the niche looks like it was meant to be there, while at the same time giving more interest to the bathroom as a whole.

Niche Location Options

Tiled niches can be placed anywhere they are useful in the bathroom. We generally install them within the shower or next to the bath specifically for the purpose of holding shampoo, soaps, sponges and other bathing accessories.

Tiled Shower Niches

Tiled shower niches create interesting effects. Set into the grid created by the existing tiling, the result is three dimensional. Even when the same tiles are used, as is the case in this example, the tiled shower niche makes for a more visually interesting impression.

Top 10 Gold Coast Bathroom Renovation Trends

Bathroom design changes over the years. Here’s our top-ten bathroom renovation trends from recent projects we’ve done on the Gold Coast QLD.

1. Timber-Style Laminates

Access the look of a variety of timbers at a fraction of the price with a timber-style laminate benchtop. We’re achieving some amazing results working with modern laminates, some of which now include texture for a complete result. Learn more about timber-style laminates here.

2. LED Lighting Options

LED lighting in bathrooms is popular! Create a striking and sophisticated impression during the day or night with an LED lighting solution. Learn more about this popular option here.

3. Tiled Wall Niches

Tiled Wall niches help create space, simplify storage and add design flair to even the simplest bathroom. Learn more about our tiled wall niches here.

4. Concrete & Silver Style

Concrete and silver bring an industrial style to bathroom design which can compliment modern home design in different ways. It’s popular at the moment, especially with polished concrete tiles being readily available. Check out this renovation to see the results when paired with a timber-style benchtop.

6. Monostyle Accents

Monostyle accents is achieved when you use one style for all of your fixtures such as door-handles, vanity-handles, tapware, rails, plugs, and drains. Using monostyle accents helps to achieve a continuity through the design and a modern style. There’s an example in this black and white bathroom renovation.

7. Saving Water

Being more conscious of our choices with fixtures & fittings is important to achieve a bathroom that is functionally sound and also environmentally conscious. Learn about the WELS scheme and selecting water-friendly bathroom products here.

8. Round Mirrors

Round mirrors are a fantastic way to integrate your bathroom design without overwhelming it. Whether you use or or two round mirrors, they’re a great way to enhance your bathroom and get you on the road to renovation. Learn more about round mirrors here.

9. Large Tile Sizes

Large tiles are in! That doesn’t mean they will always be the best option.. but it’s worth considering how they might add value to your renovation.

10. Table-Mounted Basins

Double Mounted Basin with Double Circular MIrrors

Raising the basin above the vanity creates an immediate standout result. Paired with the right tapware, this lifts bathroom design with a modern take on an old idea. Learn more about Armrock’s custom bathroom vanities here, or visit Marble Tiled Opulent Bathroom Renovation to see more images and information about the project pictured above.