Posts Tagged ‘Floor Space’

Small Bathroom Ideas – 5 Ideas for a Small Bathroom

December 27th, 2009

Small bathroom ideas for a small bathroom remodeling or building project can help make the best use of the bathroom space. Small bathroom ideas deal with the special challenges that small spaces present. Fortunately, there are creative ways to use ideas for a small bathroom space that you may not have considered.
Are you looking to redesign and remodel an existing bathroom? Or are you building a new bathroom where the space will be limited? Even with a smaller bathroom, good design provides you a grooming room for the mornings or before going out and a space to relax in after a long day. This room is usually one of the smallest spaces in the home and one of the more expensive ones as well.
Here are five small bathroom ideas to consider as you are planning the room:
1. Location – if you are planning to add a small bathroom to your home and want to avoid major plumbing expenses, try to locate the new bathroom close to an existing room that already has plumbing installed like the kitchen or laundry. If your home has different floors, stack the bathrooms one over the other. This way, you can use the same plumbing lines for both the existing room and the new room which will save considerably.
2. Door Swing Direction – be sure that the door swings out and away from the bathroom, not into it. If the door swings into the room, the space that it needs to open will reduce the usable space. You do not want the door to be hitting the toilet, other fixture or person in the room. Consider using a sliding door as this kind of door will not require any floor space to open.
3. Storage – good small bathroom ideas will include a design that is free of clutter. Take advantage of nooks and corners to place storage baskets, shelves, cabinets, over the toilet storage, vanity and closets to help you organize the needed bathroom items. Towels, shampoos, soaps, magazines, hair dryers, medications, cleaning supplies, toilet paper and personal grooming accessories all need their own resting place. Good ideas for a small bathroom will use wall space and corner shelves wisely.
4. Corner Fixtures – using a space-saving corner pedestal sink can be one of the creative small bathroom ideas with limited space. There are attractive corner fixtures available that will provide similar functions as larger size units. Using a pedestal sink requires very little floor space or perhaps installing a wall hung sink or a corner bathroom vanity cabinet will be your best choice of fixtures. Corner toilet and corner shower units are also available that can perform well.
5. Humidity – moisture generated in small bathrooms can penetrate the ceiling, walls, floor and countertops. This lingering moisture could become a problem if you do not invest in a properly-sized ventilating fan to get rid of odors and moisture. Ventilating fans are sized by the number of cubic feet of air they move each minute (cfm). A good ventilation system that can move the air from the bathroom to the outdoors about eight times per hour means that the bathroom will have the moist air removed in 7 or 8 minutes time.
Be sure your bathroom exhaust fan is quiet and that it vents to the outside and not into the attic. Fans are rated in ‘sones’ based on how much noise they produce when operating. A rating of ’1 sone’ means that the fan is the quietest while higher sone-rated numbers indicate a noisier fan.
Enjoy the planning process, learn all you can and let your imagination go as you collect and implement your small bathroom ideas. Having an attractive and functional bathroom reflecting your personal style means you will have a special place to enjoy for many years to come.
Copyright 2007 InfoSearch Publishing

Small Bathroom – Decorating Tips

December 26th, 2009

Small bathrooms have their own challenges when it comes to decorating. The design layout for a small bathroom is the first challenge. Space is limited, so you cannot use it lavishly. Very small bathroom design calls for small furnishings, and few of them. Small bathrooms demand decorating tips that differ from those for larger rooms. Decorating ideas for a small bathroom need not be limited to miniaturized versions of those for large bathroom, though. Consider the following small bathroom decorating tips. Small Bathroom Decorating Tips If you are remodeling a small bathroom, these small bathroom decorating tips will help you make the most of your space. Take time to plan before you begin remodeling or redecorating. Layout and decorating ideas are important and simple plans are needed to make them work well. 1. Floor: Use large, light-colored tile on the floor. White or very light beige or gray floor will give a small bathroom the illusion of space. 2. Walls: Choose light colors for the walls. They need not be white or beige, but dark colors in a small bathroom will make the walls “close in” on you. 3. Sinks: Look for small, wall mounted sinks without vanities. These permit more of your floor to show. More visible floor space makes a small bathroom appear larger. 4. Cabinets: Choose cabinets that can be set into the wall. Cabinet doors or open shelves should be flush with the wall surface. Smooth, unbroken wall surfaces make a small bathroom appear longer and wider. Any cabinet doors should be painted to match the wall color. 5. Mirrors: Hang large mirrors. Mirrors reflect space, and make a small bathroom seem nearly double the size. Consider a large mirror above the sink, and one or more additional mirrors. 6. Bathtub: Your small bathroom may have a bathtub. Replacing it with a clear-glass-door shower stall will free space. Or choose a small, extra deep Japanese style bathtub. This comes in a near-square that frees space beside the tub for your wall sink. The tub is large enough for small children. Older children and adults can use as a soaking tub. Add a shower and curtain for rush times. 7. Accessories: RV suppliers sell great accessories for small bathrooms. Over-the-door towel bars hold multiple towels in a small space. Tissue box holders in clear acrylic mount on the wall, as do toothbrush and tumbler holders. Make a checklist of what is used in the small bathrooms of RV’s. 8. Pictures and Plants: One of the most important small bathroom decorating tips is to use pictures and plants. Photos or prints mounted in “floating” clear frames can establish a decorating theme for a small bathroom. Two or three pictures of sandpipers on a beach, for example, can establish the use of sandy beige on the walls. Towels can be sandy beige with a border of marine blue. A shower curtain can carry through the theme. A green plant, live or silk, can be hung in a corner. Use a light-colored basket for an airy look. Tips for Organizing Bathroom Cabinets These tips for organizing bathroom cabinets will help keep your small bathroom looking great. Reduce clutter by reducing container size. Shampoo, lotions, etc. are more economical in large sizes, but do not put them in your cabinet that way. Invest in small travel-sized bottles. Small bottles take less space, and are easier to handle. Fill with lotions and shampoos, and arrange in small bathroom cabinets. Store larger containers elsewhere. Alternatively, attach a soap-shampoo-conditioner dispenser to the bath/shower wall. This frees the small bathroom cabinet of several items. Store cotton swabs and cotton balls in small stacking containers with lids. For multiple lipsticks, use a holder – some offer up to 24 compartments. As noted above, online RV suppliers offer solutions and tips for organizing bathroom cabinets.

Save Time and Money on Your Bathroom Remodel

December 25th, 2009

This can be one of the least expensive rooms in your house to overhaul, which can allow you to bring a touch of luxury and comfort to a room that sees plenty of use. Decorating bathrooms is as convenient as repainting the walls, installing new wallpaper, adding accessories and updating your existing furniture. If it is time for a bathroom makeover, count yourself lucky when you see the many wonderful fresh decorating ideas for the bathroom today.
Some small bathrooms can benefit from taking out the old sink and vanity and replacing the sink with a pedestal sink. These can be inexpensive and it will modify the appearance of the bathroom dramatically. Ready made sinks and stands can be found at home improvement stores.
One great decorating idea is to redo the porcelain sink and the tub. These tend to take a lot of abuse through the years. Refinishing the porcelain will make them look brand new. It’s a lot cheaper than putting in modern appliances and it really does look new.
When it comes to toilets, those are things that people prefer not to replace because of the cost. However, if the toilet is old, or if the toilet does not match the decor of the bathroom, it needs to be replaced. Be sure that the toilet you decide will last for a long time!
For the small bathroom, you can do the same trick with your toilet. A wall-hung toilet is a great addition when remodeling your small bathroom, since it also clears up a little floor space, as just right as gives you a few more inches of clearance, since there is no external tank. As an additional benefit, clearing up the floor space in this way makes cleaning easier, with no more trying to mop around the pedestal of the toilet.
If you plan on doing minimal remodeling of your bathroom, specifically remodeling your shower, think about certain needs that family members in your household might have. For instance, do you have elderly people in your house? If so, and they have trouble getting around, to prevent them from falling have handles installed on either side of the shower. Or, eliminate the tub altogether and install a shower stall, which can add to the space you have.
Choosing the right colors are essential when decorating, especially when it comes to figuring out what size you want the bathroom to look. For instance, if you have a small bathroom that you would like to make larger, a good bathroom decorating tip is to select a lighter color. If you have a larger bathroom and you want the bathroom to appear smaller, you should select a darker color.
When you’re decorating a bathroom, you need to think about what you’ll be using for materials. This goes in particular for the floors. Different flooring materials, from vinyl to marble, all have drawbacks. Things like marble, for example, look great but are going to be expensive and slick when wet. Organic-looking tiles and some ceramics will give your floor an interesting, textured look, but may ultimately be harder to clean.
On the floor, use a light-colored tile to help keep the room bright, and be sure to have lots of bright lights to illuminate your bathroom. Again, the most efficient way to give a sense of space is to lighten the feel of your bathroom, and bright decorations and plenty of light are the best way to accomplish this.
Using tile for decorating a bathroom on a budget is a thoughtful idea. The method chosen to lay the tile is also important, for instance, mosaic designs look designer quality if done satisfactorily, but can be quite labor intensive. Tile can be purchased for very little money and with the proper time taken to install the tiles can look very expert.
Wallpaper instead of paint also works if you’re searching for bathroom decorating ideas, but it pays to be careful here. If you pick a pattern with a large picture, the wallpaper will feel overwhelming and in turn make your bathroom feel cramped. A small pattern is most ideal if you decide to paper your bathroom walls.
Paint is one remodeling project most people can do themselves; a fresh coat of paint in the latest color can refresh a bathroom and only needs to take a few hours of time. In addition to adding contemporary color, different techniques can be applied to make the room look even brighter and newer. To make the room look extra special, using a special painting technique, such as faux finishing ideas, can be a fun. Keeping the pattern of the way small and subtle will keep the look intimate instead of harsh.
If you do determine to indulge in some fashionable decorating ideas for the bathroom, be prepared to want to spend even more time inside! Search the internet, since there are a variety of different websites on this topic.