The waste route
Moving a WC in a period conversion depends on the stack, the available fall and the floor structure. A room measurement alone cannot establish a feasible route.
SW7 · Flats, terraces and managed buildings
Bathroom renovation in South Kensington.
In South Kensington, the route to the bathroom can be as important to the programme as the room itself. We discuss the building arrangements at the home visit, then design around what we find.
Behind the front door
First, understand the building.
South Kensington includes large terraced houses, converted flats and mansion buildings around Queen’s Gate and its neighbouring streets. A flat may involve a porter, shared entrance or lift. We ask about deliveries, working hours and protection of communal areas before agreeing dates; we do not assume every building has the same rules.
If an alteration needs a managing agent or freeholder’s approval, it is better to establish that before products are ordered. Where the flat relies on shared water services, isolation may also need to be coordinated with the building.
How we work in occupied and managed homesBefore fixing a layout
What would we check at the visit?
The shower supply
We look at how hot water is produced, what pressure and flow are available and whether other outlets will run at the same time before specifying the shower and taps.
The approval route
We ask what the lease and building rules require. We can identify the questions; the property owner or relevant adviser must confirm the actual consent needed.
Finishes and access
A precise finish needs a workable delivery plan.
Large tile formats, stone, fitted furniture and screens have to pass through the building and fit the room once there. We confirm clearances, dimensions and substrate preparation before treating the finish as decided. The result should feel considered without leaving practical questions to the installation day.
What a complete bathroom renovation includesGuide
Planning work in a mansion block?
Our mansion-block guide sets out the questions to ask about porters, managing agents, lifts, working hours, shared services and protection of communal areas before a start date is agreed.
Read the mansion-block bathroom guideWe work in South Kensington. Home consultations, or design meetings by appointment at our base in West Kensington. Nicholas talks through the room, its services and the building rules before suggesting a scope of work.
Talk through a bathroom in South Kensington