Thinking a polished concrete bathroom, anything to consider?

4 years ago

We are thinking of having a ''soft industrial'' (if it's even a thing????) bathroom fitted -- with a lot of polished concrete and some wood perhaps... I am only just starting to gather ideas, but is there anything I should consider or watch out for?

Not sure about concrete bath, but almost def basin/s with integrated surfaces, flooring and walls.

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minipie

4 years ago

I’ve been in a bathroom in polished concrete, actually microcement but similar look. Very sleek but looked rather like a designer prison cell. I think you would need a LOT of wood and warm colours and warm lighting.

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Comments (19)

PRO
OnePlan
4 years ago
I did a drawing of an extremely grey bathroom yesterday, for a showroom we provide the CAD work for... it seemed very depressing to me - and that was with white china.... I think if you go for grey basin too it will be a bit too much. Vibrant towels might cheer it up but lots of people prefer plain white towels ... admittedly there wasn’t any wood in there - but it’s a balancing act to get the look right ... I’d suggest you have it CAD up and tweak and re tweak adding elements to soften it until you are comfortable with it .
minnie101
4 years ago
Kast basins do a number of coloured options. I've just saved a couple but there are a few
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minnie101
4 years ago
i don't have polished concrete, I do however have tadelakt walls, a concrete basin and encaustic (cement) tiles. I think the properties may be similar.

The basin weighs a ton so make sure your walls can support it. The floor tiles are freezing so I think you'd need underfloor heating. I think polished concrete may also be a bit slippery so something to consider.

i would recommend lots of research. In my research I didn't realise that tadelakt can stain, which means wiping down the shower walls after use to make sure there's no shower gel spilt or anything. You also shouldn't let excess water sit on the walls or floor. The walls and floor also need sealing/waxing every few months/annually, I think I'm right in saying that polished concrete does too. Also check out cleaning, I can only use water on tadelakt but need PH neutral stuff for the sink and floor. Not an issue but something to be aware of when you're spraying your loo with bleach or your shower door with Viakal!

The other thing to mention is once a hole is drilled somewhere that's it, tadelakt is hard to patch up and i imagine polished concrete is the same.

I absolutely love my tadelakt walls (they're a dirty pink colour) but would I do it again, probably not to be honest! It all feels a bit of a faff but I've only had it a few months so may still be being precious over everything.

i agree with Karen, it will need some texture/colour for warmth. I don't if that helps but research a lot! I would also ask about cracking/movement. Tadelakt is flexible (good job as the ceiling underneath had to come down this week!) but you don't want cracks appearing due to vibrations etc
Jonathan
4 years ago
last modified: 4 years ago
I always worry that concrete can crack. How about Corian instead? They have five choices with the word concrete in the name. I also like Arrowroot as it has an aggregate feel. Sagebrush is also a good alternative with a concrete vibe. As a product this can be made seamless, you can mix colours for a more interesting look and you can light it from underneath too
Sonia
4 years ago
All I can see in my mind is a prison shower block brrrr........🤔
minnie101
4 years ago
last modified: 4 years ago
Devastated 😭 ladies, when I finally accessorise mine I will post pics. It doesn't have to be cold though. I love this chimney breast, it's so tactile, definitely not at my suggestion but as I was having other work done at the time I had a trail of workmen/women coming in to look at it (And touch it, yuk!)
Sonia
4 years ago
@minnie101 don’t cry, that looks lovely, but when I think of a concrete bathroom I see wall to wall grey concrete with a little weed growing in the corner..........just my crazy imagination 🤭 🌿
minnie101
4 years ago
😂
Jaq Cualey
4 years ago
I did something similar for a client a few years ago, happy to answer questions when you get into the detail of it...if done properly the polished concrete can look absolutely amazing !!
PRO
HMS Decorative Surfacing Limited
4 years ago
Something different to concrete how about resin bound flooring? There are a whole host of colours to choose from and we can even help you create your own colour blend. Here's a pic of where resin bound flooring has been used internally.
Jaq Cualey
4 years ago
I've used these resin bonded floors quite a bit and they are a great solution
PRO
Stone Worktops
4 years ago
@minnie101 , what a beautiful fireplace!
PRO
Stone Worktops
4 years ago
It does all come to the personal preference, but just one small point: polished concrete DOES NOT HAVE TO BE GREY - certainly not the gunmetal/slightly paler grey of a prison cell that has been mentioned several times above. One of the greatest features of concrete is that it allows not just for creating shapes of your choice, but also hues. And even within the standard monochrome range you have a choice starting with black or very dark, anthracite greys to white or off-white, with every possible shade of grey in between. So this is something to consider. We have done black bathroom countertops and sinks, but also in hues of pink...

The below pic is not exactly industrial (the style is more art-decoish, with highly polished dark wall panels etc) but it just shows that concrete doesn't need to evoke the inside of a destroyer's hull...

Bespoke double sink & black ful-height concrete splashback with mirrors · More Info
Milly Moo
4 years ago
@minnie101 that room and fireplace are beautiful. Classy.
PRO
Bathroom Trend
4 years ago
How about bringing a concrete look into the bathroom with furniture?
PRO
The London Bath Co.
4 years ago
Very large format concrete-effect tiles (1.5 x 1.5m) are cheaper and more practical than polished concrete. Wood-effect porcelain tiles are also really convincing and are far more practical than wood in a wet environment where wood is likely to deteriorate quite quickly!
PRO
Warrington + Rose
4 years ago
www.warringtonandrose.co.uk check how many beautiful colours we have
Lucy Goodman
3 years ago
Just posted something similar about Tadelakt. What did you end up doing?