10 ways to make the best use of your bathroom space.
How to increase the bathroom space? This question is asked by many residents of typical Russian apartments. And if you can experiment with furniture relatively freely when decorating a living room, a small kitchen or even a corridor, then what to do with a tiny bathroom? Here are some tips to help your bathroom look more spacious and how to make the best use of every free square centimeter..
1. Down with dark tones!
10 ways to make the best use of your bathroom space.
There is a universal rule that when decorating small rooms it is better to use light colors. They create a sense of spaciousness and make the bathroom appear larger than it really is. In addition to white, cream, light pink, light green and light blue are perfect. At the same time, a monochromatic color does not at all mean that different shades of the same color cannot be used. On the contrary, this can and should be done, but only in moderation – too bright colors and strong contrasts should still be avoided.
2. Hidden opportunities
10 ways to make the best use of your bathroom space.
Wall niches, plumbing hatches and the space under the bathroom can be easily turned into a kind of storage room. To hide their contents from prying eyes (it is unlikely that shampoo bottles and hygiene items are able to add special charm to the interior), install a hinged door in the opening or close it with furniture blinds. The second option is certainly more interesting. Unlike swing doors, furniture blinds do not require additional space to open – they move up or sideways and retrace inside the niche, thereby saving up to 30% of the usable area. In addition, their slats are made of moisture-resistant materials – polymers, tempered glass or aluminum – which is especially important for the bathroom..
Such products are no longer a novelty in Russia. In particular, they are also offered by the company REHAU. Furniture blinds are made to order. You just need to choose the model you like and indicate the dimensions and the desired color, and even apply any drawing. To install, you only need a screwdriver and 10 minutes of free time.
3. Functionality in design
Glossy furniture is a real hit in 2014. This trend will come in handy for owners of a small bathroom – the shiny surface perfectly reflects the light, thereby expanding the space. And if you want not just to follow fashion, but to turn simple furniture into a real futuristic interior decoration (not to the detriment of practicality, of course), then you can take a closer look at the system of cabinets with glossy touch-sensitive blinds, which have recently been on sale in Russia. Just imagine: one touch to a special sensor, and the blinds automatically slide up, allowing you to get everything you need out of the cabinet. Such a system comes in the form of a complete cabinet with already built-in blinds. In addition to the obvious advantages for fans of all kinds of gadgets and «smart» appliances, sensory blinds do not get dirty, because when opening and closing there is no need to touch the slats with your hands, thereby getting them dirty.
4. Free floor is the key to success
In the previous paragraphs, so much has been said about storage locations that one might get the impression that the more cabinets and shelves in the bathroom (albeit imperceptibly located), the better. In fact, this is not the case. For example, a chest of drawers under the sink is a very controversial solution for a small bathroom, as well as any other floor furniture, including massive pedestals. The floor must be freed from foreign objects as much as possible, this will give an excellent visual effect. How to do it? Install the sink on a countertop, fixed to the wall with brackets – something similar you’ve probably seen in restaurants or clubs. Such a tabletop looks unusual and stylish. It is made of durable and wear-resistant artificial stone, which is easy to maintain and outwardly practically does not differ from natural. The recently appeared in Russia countertops made of translucent artificial stone RAUVISIO Visione with the possibility of backlighting, whose airy colors remind of the sky and the sea, look especially beautiful.
5. Shower cabin «Yes»!
10 ways to make the best use of your bathroom space.
Think if you really need a bulky bathtub? Of course, if you like to bask in it after a working day, then this advice is better to skip. However, abandoning a bath in favor of a shower stall, you can not only significantly increase the free space, but also bring to life several interesting design ideas. For example, you can turn to one of the modern trends in the field of bathroom design and install a so-called barrier-free or open shower. It is interesting in that it does not have a pallet – the water simply falls to the floor and is discharged using a special drain. Thanks to the frameless glass doors, this shower enclosure visually enlarges the room and looks elegant and stylish. However, a traditional cabin is also suitable – there will be much more space in any case.
6. Choosing the right tiles
When choosing wall and floor coverings, avoid tiles with large decorative patterns or ornaments. Large tiles are well suited for the floor without any pattern at all – the fewer sections are noticeable, the more spacious the room will seem. For walls, on the contrary, it is better to choose a light mosaic tile..
7. Play of light
10 ways to make the best use of your bathroom space.
Well-planned lighting not only allows us to achieve the desired optical effect, but also provides us with additional comfort. Ideally, you can install several luminaires that are switched on separately. The brightest are located not on the ceiling, but near the washbasin (usually above, to the right and to the left of the mirror), but so that the light does not hit the eyes. You can add individuality to the interior and choose a completely unusual solution – a special transparent edge material Lite Edge for the end of the tabletop, where the LED strip is mounted.
8. Reflected space
10 ways to make the best use of your bathroom space.
Nothing, perhaps, is able to visually push the walls apart better than a mirror. As a rule, a large mirror is hung only above the sink, but we suggest that you go beyond this. In particular, one can «to raise» the ceiling, making it mirrored. However, if you decide to hang a few more mirrors, then do not forget to imagine what will be reflected in them. If this is an old wardrobe or a washing machine (even very beautiful), then the composition will certainly seem dubious to you.
9. Modesty beautifies
10 ways to make the best use of your bathroom space.
Gold-plated ornaments, designer bathroom fixtures or handmade accessories can certainly make the right impression in the right setting, but think about how they would look in a microscopic bathroom? Instead of an emphasis on the taste of the owner of the apartment, they will seem out of place and once again draw attention to the sore square meters. Laconic, but at the same time elegant objects will fit into the interior much more organically.
10. Everything in its place
Any room will seem more spacious if it is kept clean and tidy, and the bathroom is no exception. Therefore, try to put everything you need in closets after use and do not forget to wipe mirrors and glossy surfaces..
Sometimes only one single new element that has appeared in the interior is capable of radically renewing the familiar space. For example, an original designer washbasin can become a new “face” of a bathroom, drawing the eye straight from the entrance. In the following review, we have selected 10 designer washbasins that you want to buy immediately.
Author: Marina Avdeenko, design and communications expert at REHAU, Eurasia.
