The Smallest Room!!

 

It's quite often said that the bathroom is the smallest room, and from what we see on a day to day basis this is probably a fair and correct statement.

The questions that are important are how do you make your smallest room work for you? Well, we have some tips for you to maximise the space and give the impression you have more space than you actually have. Keep on reading to see how your smallest room really can be WOW!!!

Below we will go over the following points: 

• Bathroom storage? 
• Which is the right toilet? 
• Heated towel rails?
• Mirrors?
• Shower screen? 
• Shower valve / taps?
• Lighting?
• Tiles?

 

Continue reading below!!! 

Bathroom Storage a must?

Bathroom storage really is a must for most people, it’s maximising the space you have and fitting some all important storage into the design. The best thing to do is look at using compact furniture for a start, this will reduce the depth of the vanity and washbasin area giving more space in the room. Second we need to look at using wall mounted furniture, having a unit that’s floating does give the feeling of space and can make a small room feel so much bigger; I would look at a single drawer vanity if that’s enough storage too as they sit a little higher off the floor, and give the visual representation that the room is bigger than if you use a two or three drawer vanity unit.

There's also the option of having fitted bathroom furniture in your smallest room, in my opinion it doesn't look quite as spacious but it does solve a storage problem, hides those unwanted pipes and creates a clean sleek look, again i would probably look at reduced depth fitted bathroom furniture as this will give a feeling of space. We have a couple of ranges of bathroom furniture on display and available in many shapes, sizes and colours, there really isn't many limitations when choosing fitted bathroom furniture.

What toilet is right? 

I'm a big fan of wall hung, a wall hung toilet gives a feeling of space just like the wall mounted vanity unit does, it also gives the feel of luxury and sets your bathroom apart from the rest. You can also be a little clever and add storage to the section above the toilet which can be a really good use of space in such a small room, we also have some customers who prefer to have an open recess with a light and glass shelves for dressing the room up. If wall hung isnt your thing or it doesn't fit within your budget then a close coupled toilet is fine, just look to get one that is as compact as possible, a small cistern helps with the feel of the room.

Remember if you choose a wall hung toilet you will also need a wall hung frame and button, we like to use either Geberit or Viega, both offer great quality but each one offers something slightly different in style / design and will depend on what style you are going for. 

Heated towel rails make a difference?

Yes, we believe heated towel rails can make a slight difference to the feel of the room, I would suggest going for a coloured towel rail that fits in with the colour scheme of the room. Try keep away from the chrome plated versions for two reasons; one they don't conduct heat very well, infact they retain heat so you might find the towel rail is too hot to touch but the room is quite cold and two, they stand out too much on a wall and can make a room look cheap, we want to use soft colours that tone in with the tile or wall colour, little things can make a big difference. 

Tiles? 

Very important, don't go too dark, or too big or too small, it has to be the right size (depending on the room size) and the right colour shade, lots of people go too fussy and have a different floor colour too, i'm not saying be boring and don't be adverturous, I often use a couple of colours in the room, it can look really good but needs plenty of thought or help from a bathroom designer. With a small room I like to see the same colour on the wall and floor, like I said I wouldn't be afraid of using a different colour tile as maybe a feature but it would have to tone well, it might sound bland going all the same but consider adding some colour in the vanity unit, towel rail and even the towels, it doesn't have to be too busy. Size of tiles is important and I have a simple rule that I use, a standatd size bathroom is approx 2m x 1.7m and I would try avoiding a tile any bigger than 600 x 300mm and the same size room I wouldn't go any smaller than a 400 x 200mm lets say, stick to this and you won't go far wrong. 

 

Mirrors? 

A mirror can simply make or break a bathroom, in my opinion a large mirror helps in a few ways, it helps bounce light round the room and stops any hard corners that make a bathroom feel dull and small, and they also help give an impression of space. I really do like to see back lit mirrors used as I think the right designed lighting plan can give a room some wow, it obviously depends on the layout and shape of the room as it's sometimes physically not possible, a plan square edge mirror set into the tiles really can make a difference to the feel of a small room. 

Lighting? 

This is one of the biggest things when creating something not only spacious but giving the bathroom some WOW. Too much can spoil it and too little just isn't an option, all recesses should have mood lighting in them, I like to use the led strip that has a diffuser, the sensio one works really well and looks great on or off, I try to use a sensor with these recess lights, so as soon as you walk into the room they automatically come on, this is great for using the bathroom on a night and does add lots of luxury. I tend to use LED's on the ceiling, you can have too many so be careful on how many you use and what wattage they are too, bath panels look great with small LED lights in them and a great feature is to put a strip light under the floating vanity unit, this can also come on with the sensor. 

Showers and taps? 

Less is more, for the showervalve I would try using a built in valve and fixed head, the less wires and pipes the better, I know sometimes it doesn't work not having a separate handset and hose, if you are to use a handset and hose go for the new style where the holder and elbow are one, this is one less item cluttering the wall up. As for taps the same applies - clean simple lines, not too bulky and nothing that stands out too much, we are trying to create the feeling of space. 

Shower screen? 

Keep this minimal and sleek, if it's to be a bath screen for a shower over a bath then I would try using something with very little frame and also something that folds back works really well, not too many folds because they tend to be a pain to keep clean and the less seals moving the better. When it's a shower enclosure with little frame (although it needs some) and plenty of glass, the less solid structures the more feeling of space, glass works well to help get a feeling of space so use as much as possible. 

And finally, once the bathroom is complete and looking just how you want it, keep it clutter free, the amount of bathrooms I visit 6 or 12 months after and are cluttered just spoil the look and feel of the room. Remember less really is more!!!!

Keep your eyes peeled for the next Blog!!!