Bathroom Accessories

Toilet Seats, Flushes & Levers

You may not think about it much, but the moment you start shopping around you’ll find that there are a surprising number of seat styles and designs. From solid wood to stainless steel or plastic in a range of classic and contemporary shapes. Each adds its own unique touch to a bathroom and can, when matched with other fixing and fittings, round off an interior.

3 Common Seat Shapes

It’s important to remember that not all toilet seats will fit the same. Typically, your seat will either be round, D-shaped or square and it tends to be best, if you are looking for a replacement, to match your new seat with your old one. If opting for something new or upgrading to a soft-close seat, take extra care to make sure this new type will fit your bowl.

Do bear in mind, this doesn’t necessarily narrow your choices too much as many can be adjusted as needed as long as the seat itself is supported by the hinges. This is why it is so important to measure your bowl before you buy.

Measuring Toilet Seats

Whilst searching for your next toilet seat, you’ll need to keep 3 key measurements in the back of your mind:

1. The width of your bowl at its widest point – Naturally, this will be important to make sure your seat does not leave any gaps when closed.
2. Distance between fixing holes - This will need to match the seat precisely for it to open and close properly. Fortunately, this tends to be a standardized distance of 155mm, though it is still important to double-check.
3. Length from front of the bowl to fixing holes – For the same reason you measure the width of your bowl, it is important to make sure that your seat is not too short to leave gaps at the front or too long to hang over the edge of the bowl.

Replacing Toilet Flushes

Whether it’s because of damage, old age or you simply want a change, replacing a toilet lever or push button is a common DIY job. For the most part, it is relatively simple with little plumbing knowledge or tools required. In truth, it’s the first step of buying your replacement, if anything that is the most obvious pitfall.

Levers and, more importantly, fixing holes can vary in size so it's important to keep the old mechanism to hand so to find a like-for-like replacement. With this done, it's simply a matter of unscrewing the nut keeping the old handle in place, loosening the screw on the tip of the lever and then pulling it off and the handle rod through the fixing hole.

To remove the trip lever (section of the handle inside the cistern) you can use pliers to open the link enough to unhook it from the flush mechanism. With this done you can now put your new handle through the fixing hole in the cistern and tighten the backing nut. Finally, push the trip lever back onto the metal rod, tighten in and then hook the link onto the flush valve.

Fitting new flush buttons is a similarly simple process – simply requiring you to unscrew the nut at the back of the old button and replace it with your new one. However, should you need to replace your flushing mechanism this would likely call for the whole cistern to be detached. 

Remember, before any plumbing work it is vital you first turn off your water supply (either via the valve behind your toiler or by turning the stopcock under your kitchen sink) and drain the cistern of water. This can be done simply by flushing the toilet or by lifting the toilet flapper at the bottom of the tank.

Next, we can take a look at the fun part of decorating a bathroom. All the little accessories that don’t just make it practical for everyday use, but also provide an opportunity to personalise the space.

Finding the Best Material

The big decision you have to make when it comes to towel rails, dishes, toilet roll holders and other small accessories is their material and finish. Often this will mean picking between stainless steel and chrome. Whilst chrome defiantly boasts a brighter and more vibrant finish, it does tend to be slightly more susceptible to water damage and staining. 

As for finishes, you’ll find that there are plenty available to make a splash into any bathroom design. Opting for a classical approach? Brighter bronze and sunset colours may be to your liking. Looking for something more contemporary? Graphite, nickel, or super steel would likely be a better fit.

Bathroom Shelves

A simple storage solution, bathroom shelves offer a great way to free up some space and make the room feel bigger. As with the above, your main priority will be making sure the material and finish blend well with the rest of your fittings though you will also want to take the time to ensure they are resistant to water. For smaller bathrooms, corner shelves are particularly ideal – designed to maximise the available space whilst leaving you room to move when bathing or showering.