ADVICE

Reader’s question

“I am currently renovating my house and I would like some advice regarding the W.C, the bathroom and the kitchen. My house is quite old, made out of stones and the space layout is a bit off.

1. W.C: we are placing it underneath a wooden staircase and we were wondering what kind of coating we should use to protect the wood.

2. Bathroom: we have split the bathroom in two separate spaces. One is very small and works as a cupboard and the other is the main bathroom with some alternations to the windows.

Because of it’s high ceiling the wall tiles of the bathroom look a bit ugly, so we gravitate towards two different options

1. Colorful wooden cladding on the lower part of the wall and beton cire on the upper part.

2. Beton cire on the whole wall.

Moreover, we have salvaged the cement tiles shown in the picture we have attached (enough to cover a 40 sq. m area) and we are using them in the kitchen. Would it be too much if we used them in the bathroom as well, cause it would save us a great deal of money. Thank you in advance.”

Our recommendation

We strongly believe that houses of traditional architecture should be preserved because they are so well incorporated in their environment. Even though they were designed to fulfill the needs of a different era and lifestyle with proper restoration and the necessary renovation they can be slightly modified to adapt the needs of the current inhabitants.

W.C under the staircase

You could keep the wood of the staircase and cover the rest of the area with small tiles, as there is no condensation that can damage the wood. On the other hand, if you want to cover up the wood, you could use waterproof drywall and apply tiles or vinyl wallpaper.

Bathroom

When it comes to the bathroom, opposed to the W.C, there is condensation, so the wooden ceiling has to be covered with waterproof drywall which also reduces the height.

When it comes to the walls, we strongly recommend beton cire in a bright shade to make the room look bigger. Applying wood to the lower part of the wall can “shorten” the walls, but it is usually recommended for spacious bathrooms.

Lastly, if affordable, the kitchen tiles should differ from the ones in the bathroom. In case there is no other option but to use them in the bathroom as well, you should make sure the surface of the old tiles is waterproof or else they will be corrupted in time.