Staveley, Chesterfield · Bath-to-wet-room conversion
Accessible bathing made simple. For Elsie and Terry, this project was about much more than a new bathroom: it was about being able to enjoy a shower at home again.
Take a tour of the finished wet room
Two bathrooms, but neither met their needs
Elsie and Terry had already had their small ensuite refurbished, yet the shower still involved a step of around 10 inches. Both found getting in and out difficult. Their second bathroom contained a bath, which was also unsuitable for their needs.
Elsie uses a wheelchair. She told us she had not been able to shower for seven months and had relied on carers to help her wash. It was upsetting not to feel comfortably clean in her own home. We needed to find a solution that addressed the access problem and the services behind it.
Before: the bathroom we transformed
Solving the drainage problem
The external drainage level was too high for a straightforward gravity-drained, level-access shower. Raising another shower would have recreated the very obstacle Elsie and Terry needed to remove.
Our layout made use of the existing ensuite soil stack, which passed beside the old bath. We relocated the WC and wall-hung basin to suit that connection and created matching boxing around the services, retaining access to the stop tap beneath the basin unit.
An AKW shower waste pump provided the solution for removing shower water. This allowed us to design the showering area without repeating the high step of the existing ensuite. The basin's drawer storage and coordinated pump boxing kept the finished room practical and tidy.
A shower selected around the water supply
The bungalow had a gravity-fed system with poor pressure, while the cold mains supply offered the more suitable option for this installation. We fitted an AKW Smart 9.5 kW electric shower, supplied from the cold mains, alongside the AKW waste pump.
The choice was made for this home's water supply and the couple's needs. Shower performance and the suitability of a pumped waste system must always be checked for the individual property.
Putting the electrical installation right
During the work, our team identified electrical issues that needed attention before the new bathroom could be completed. These included unsuitable lighting connections with signs of overheating and an exposed live cable end in the loft above the ensuite. The unsafe cable was made safe.
The remedial work included a new armoured supply cable, switched isolation and a new consumer unit serving the bathroom installation. New circuits were provided for the lighting, shower, pump and extractor. The lighting in both bathrooms was replaced and rewired, with appropriately IP-rated spotlights and an extractor light.
Addressing these hidden problems was an essential part of delivering the project, alongside the visible bathroom improvements.
Seating, support and a layout for everyday life
A folding shower seat was installed for Terry, with grab rails positioned to support movement around the shower and rising from the seat. Elsie later told us that she had also managed to transfer to the seat during her first shower.
The wall-hung WC has a drop-down support rail and an additional wall-mounted grab rail. The generous basin, drawers and matching service boxing bring storage and a clean finish to the room, while the shower curtain leaves flexible access to the showering area.
The arrangement was planned for Elsie and Terry. Seat choice, rail positions and transfer arrangements need to suit each person's abilities and any professional recommendations.
Elsie and Terry's chosen finishes
Ceiling: Classic matt white panels.
Walls: Gloss white panels.
Floor: Altro flooring in Cuttlefish.
Shower: AKW Smart 9.5 kW electric shower.
Drainage: AKW shower waste pump.
Support: Folding shower seat, shower grab rails and WC support rails.
The finished wet room
A shower at home again
Once the drainage, electrical work and accessible layout came together, Elsie and Terry had a bathroom designed around their needs. Elsie's happiness after her first shower was an emotional moment for everyone involved.
For our team, that is what this work is about: listening carefully, solving the practical problems and helping people feel more comfortable in their own homes.
Could your bathroom work better for you?
A difficult drain position or an awkward existing layout does not always mean accepting another high step. We can survey your bathroom, discuss suitable options and explain the work involved.
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