In this application, the homeowner installed panels in a light grey marble panel as part of a complete bathroom makeover.
This is a nice, light and airy design that really opens up the room. They are completely neutral in colour so they will allow you to add stronger colours to the room. In this case, the owner chose to stay with greys and blacks but this type of panel works equally well with something more vibrant.
The grey marble was also used to make the bath panel and can be seen in the photo.
The bath was installed in the corner of the room so both a front and end panel were required. A corner trim has been used where the two panels meet to form the external corner of the bath. A plinth has been made from the floor tiles rather than running the bath panel cladding down to the floor. This has been recessed back slightly to provide visual interest and an even more solid area.
Front Panel
The front panel is the one that runs the full length of the bath. Using PVC panelling for this application is straightforward.
It will result in a much stronger job than the flimsy acrylic panels that are supplied with bathroom suites. It is possible to run panels horizontally for this purpose but it is much more common to run them vertically. This is especially true if there are matching wall panels as these should always be run vertically.
End Panel
End panels are not always required because many bathrooms are made to accommodate a bath wall-to-wall. An end panel will be required where the bathroom is larger, as in the photo above.
They can be made in the same way as a front panel. They are simply butt-jointed at the corner and covered with an angle trim. We would recommend sticking the angle trim with silicone. This enables it to be removed more easily than if an adhesive is used.
There are occasions where a second end panel is required. Here, the bath is only attached to one wall along its length. This is not ideal as the bath will be more prone to movement and something you should always try to avoid.
But if there is no other option you can make a second end panel following the same steps as before.
Giving The Bath A “Built-In” Appearance
Making the bath panel out of the same material as the wall covering gives the bath a “built-in” look. This is demonstrated in the above image.
Rather than being separate from the wall decoration, the whole design envelopes the bath. Utilising this method of decorating is the perfect way to give your bathroom makeover a bit of lift and help it stand out from the crowd.
This method of installation also results in a much sturdier finish as the acrylic panels supplied with a lot of bathroom suites are very thin. The thin design makes them very prone to cracking as they flex very easily when touched.