Process, costs and the technical details that matter when historical forms meet Swiss building standards.
A vintage-style bathroom renovation follows the same basic path as any other bathroom renovation in Switzerland. Same regulations, same trades, same sequence. The difference lies in the details: in the choice of products, in a few technical decisions, and in the question of how much historical substance you want to preserve or recreate.
We have been guiding projects like this since 1996 from our showroom at Strehlgasse 22 in Zürich. This guide covers what you should know before you start.
The process: from idea to execution
A typical bathroom renovation in Switzerland takes three to six months from first planning to completion, with three to five weeks of actual construction. The process breaks down into four phases.
First, planning. You define the scope: does the layout stay as it is, or will connections move? An unchanged layout saves considerable cost, because risers and drainage can stay where they are.
Then product selection. This is where the character of the bathroom is decided. Basin, WC, bathtub or shower, fittings, accessories. In a vintage bathroom it pays to start with the large pieces and match the fittings to them. Our experience: whoever picks the tiles first and the ceramics last regrets it later.
Next comes the quotation phase with your Sanitärinstallateur, plus tiler, electrician and painter where needed. In Switzerland, installation runs through a licensed trade business. Our products are designed for this and comply with European norms.
Finally, execution. Demolition, rough installation, wall construction, tiling, finish installation, silicone joints. In occupied apartments, bathroom use is restricted during construction, which is often underestimated in scheduling.
What does a bathroom renovation cost in Switzerland?
The range is wide. As a rough orientation for a mid-sized bathroom:
A straightforward renovation without layout changes, with new ceramics, new fittings and new wall surfaces, starts at around 25,000 to 40,000 francs. A comprehensive rebuild with layout changes, a freestanding bathtub and high-quality fixtures sits between 60,000 and 100,000 francs, with no upper limit.
The products themselves typically account for a quarter to a third of total cost. The rest goes to trade work. That puts the price difference between quality products and cheap ones in perspective: saving 3,000 francs on ceramics reduces project cost by a few percent, but you live with the result for twenty years.
For rented apartments: renovations are the owner’s responsibility. In condominium ownership (Stockwerkeigentum), changes within your own unit are generally unrestricted, as long as no shared pipes are affected. A look at the regulations before planning is worthwhile.
The core technical question: historical form, modern infrastructure
The defining technical topic of a vintage bathroom is the meeting of historical product forms with today’s Swiss building services. Three points deserve particular attention.
First, the cistern. In Switzerland, the Geberit concealed cistern is the standard, and our Palazzo and Square WCs are designed for the Sigma 12 cm module. From the outside you see a toilet in its traditional form; behind the wall, current technology does the work. Important for your installer: our traditionally constructed WCs flush more reliably with the single-flush setup than with the dual-flush variant, because the form is designed for the larger water volume.
Second, connection dimensions. Historical basins like our Palazzo series have different proportions than modern compact ceramics. The connections themselves meet the norms, but depth and height differ. With basins on metal stands, the rim sits at 84 to 86 cm. This needs to go into the rough installation before the walls are closed.
Third, the fittings. Cross-handle taps come in one-hole, three-hole and wall-mounted versions. Wall mounting looks the calmest, but demands precise rough installation, because mistakes are hard to correct afterwards. So settle the fittings choice before rough installation, never after.
Common mistakes you can avoid
The most frequent mistake is the order of operations: build first, choose products later. In a vintage bathroom, the ceramic dimensions and the mounting type of the fittings have to flow into the rough installation. Choose your products early.
The second mistake is reaching for cheap reproductions. The market offers nostalgic-looking taps at low prices, usually with thin-walled bodies and valves without spare-part supply. After five years it drips, and repair is impossible. Our fittings from English and French workshops are built for decades, with spare parts that remain available.
The third mistake is mixing styles. A Victorian basin, an Art Deco floor and modern accessories together produce restlessness rather than a vintage bathroom. Choose one era as your anchor. We have described how the eras differ in our complete guide to vintage bathroom design.
Why the showroom visit is worth it
Ceramics and fittings are tactile products. The weight of a brass tap, the surface of hand-polished nickel, the proportions of a Palazzo basin: photos only take you so far.
In our showroom at Strehlgasse 22 in Zürich you see the products in context. You can compare finishes, handle the taps and check dimensions on the spot. Architects and planners are welcome too; many projects begin with a professional exploring the options with us before presenting them to their client.
Bring your floor plan if you have one. With the room dimensions at hand, much can be settled directly: which basin size fits, whether a freestanding tub has space, which mounting type makes sense for the fittings.
