Designing bathrooms for customers - Tile Advice

[Ttt1601]

Just wondering do any of you guys get involved in the design stage of bathrooms as im in the middle of doing one for a customer atm, it's on a full renovation job so no walls no floors nothing in yet, first time I really had it from this early on and having no usable input from the customer is actually making it more difficult. If you do design for customers, what programs do you use, or just do it old school with paper and scale rule?

 

[Qwerty]

I do all the planning & design for my customers. I have never used any design programs personally, but I get my local bathroom showroom retailer to knock up a CAD design for customers who want one. I regularly make up 'mood boards' for customers, gaining inspiration from places like Houzz, manufacturers websites and previous jobs.

 

[Ttt1601]

Mood boards ???

 

[Chalker]

I use a local bathroom showroom. I do the discussions with the customer and sort layouts, finishes etc. Then the showroom will do the computer rendering as I will buy most of the materials from them.
Then it's back to the customer to finalise the smalller details and at hat point I can give an estimate.

 

[Qwerty]

Mood boards ???

Apologies, I come from a design background after studying design at University before becoming a tiler!

This explains mood boards-
24 pro tips for creating inspirational mood boards | Creative Bloq - http://www.creativebloq.com/graphic-design/mood-boards-812470

Here is one online mood board creator-
Free Online Mood Board Maker: Design a Custom Mood Board - Canva - https://www.canva.com/create/mood-boards/

 

[Ttt1601]

II'm NOT Going to lie to you @Plan Tec Tiling that has only served to confuse me further LOL do you make the mood board or get the customer to do it then work from there?

 

[Qwerty]

I will make it for them after they give me some ideas on colours, trend, texture etc.. ......... see there is alot more to this design lark than people give credit!

 

[Dumbo]

Why do bother designing bathrooms for customers . Is it that you make money on goods or that you get to charge a premium for what you are doing or do you possibly charge a design fee

 

[WetSaw]

Mood boards ???

Hasn't your wife/partner/husband (delete as applicable...) got one? It's half dart board and half magnetic board. Once a month my wife places my photo on the dart board and arranges magnetic letters on the other side to make rather imaginative phrases.

 

[Andy Allen]

I'm at work so.... moody and bored ....does that count?

 

[Qwerty]

Why do bother designing bathrooms for customers . Is it that you make money on goods or that you get to charge a premium for what you are doing or do you possibly charge a design fee

My price for finished job reflects it. Im an all in one service. I design, spec, source, fit and project manage everything. People pay a fortune to not have that stress in their lives and pay me well for it.

 

[Ttt1601]

Why do bother designing bathrooms for customers . Is it that you make money on goods or that you get to charge a premium for what you are doing or do you possibly charge a design fee

I don't do it often, usually if I'm in the loop early enough I just make the changes needed to make the room work better if possible, but on this job there is potential for it to be a very nice wet room, but left to plumber and customer it just end up designed badly and using the easiest option in an attempt to keep costs down, I will add a small amount on but only a nominal amount really, I don't mind going over and above for customers when it's needed and I can see potinial for it to be a much nicer space if I get involved

 

[martin1c]

I do the same as Plan Tec apart from the mood boards.

I bought bathcad design software although I'm thinking about doing all design work in sketchup and using a better third party rendering solution.

I've found that I no longer compete with bathroom Fitters. My main competition is the showrooms and if you have better software than them in most cases I get the job.

 

[stephenoneill]

I work for a company who design bathrooms .hammam,s etc .and I put it all together..it's more complicated than it looks .use of space being the most important thing I think.not overcrowded .not too many tile features or colours.but everybody to their own