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
Posts Tagged ‘Ideas’
Small Bathroom Ideas – 5 Ideas for a Small Bathroom
December 27th, 2009Bathroom Remodeling Ideas That Work
December 26th, 2009Bathroom remodeling is one of the best ways of preparing a home for sale. After kitchen remodels, bathroom remodels are next in raising the sales value of your home. Bathroom remodeling ideas need not be reserved for a house that is to be sold, however. You can enjoy a bathroom remodel now, and know that it will be an advantage when the time comes to sell the home. The home’s bathrooms are the rooms of heavy use. As such, they get a lot of wear and time. They also are seen many times each day. Bathroom remodels can keep your baths looking good and functioning properly. There are many ways that you can remodel a bathroom. Here are a few ideas. 1. Wall Tiles: Most contractors will tell you that 4 by 4 inch wall tiles are outdated. Replace them with 8 by 13 inch glazed ceramic tiles. The new tiles will be attractive and will help prevent mold. They will also keep your lower walls from being damaged by splashes from faucets. As part of your bathroom remodeling, paint the upper walls, and run a decorative border of tiles between lower wall tiles and the upper, painted wall. 2. Floor tiles: Visible, light flooring can create a feeling of increased space. If your bathroom remodeling project is, at least in part, because your bathroom seems small, install 12 by 12 inch light-colored floor tiles diagonally. The lines and the light color will give the illusion of much more space. 3. Heated Floor: Before you lay those floor tiles, consider heated floor as part of your bathroom remodeling project. Your whole family will appreciate them, and when it comes time to sell your home, heated bathroom floors will be an enormous selling point. 4. Vanity: Use your bathroom remodeling as an opportunity to get clean, free lines. Replace the vanity with a new “floating” type that does not touch the floor. Choose one with a granite or marble countertop. If you like the granite when you’re done, your bathroom remodeling project can prepare you for replacing kitchen countertops later. You may want a granite vanity top with one of the new vessel sinks. 5. Faucets: Faucets at the sink and tub are a wonderful place to begin a bathroom remodeling project. Once thought utilitarian, faucets have become stylish fixtures. At little cost, you can replace yours with vintage Victorian faucets, or sleek bamboo faucets resembling the bamboo fountain in an Asian garden. 6. Toilets: Relocating a toilet can call for major bathroom remodeling. Replacing it, however, is a simpler task, and can quickly update an old bathroom. If you want to further update your bath, consider adding a bidet. This bathroom remodeling project may require a contractor. 7. Lighting: Much bathroom remodeling falls short of its goal because overhead lighting is allowed to remain. While moisture resistant can lights above tub or shower can be helpful, an overhead light should be replaced by wall lights to increase the value of your bath. 8. Shower: If space allows, consider adding a separate shower to your bath area. Keep the tub for a spa-like retreat, but install a shower, too, with body sprays. If you like the natural, spa idea, look for a shower that has stone surround tile. This bathroom remodeling idea is bound to increase the value of your home. 9. Colors: The simplest bathroom remodeling project, and often an effective one, is to change the colors in the bathroom. If the bathroom remodel is being done to increase home value for sale, avoid unusual color combinations. Apply the tried and true 60-30-10 rule to your colors: 60 percent of your bathroom should be a dominant color, 30 percent a secondary color, and 10 percent an accent color. Bathroom remodeling ideas are many because people have many different tastes. Different locations also inspire different ideas. Bathroom remodeling in Seattle is bound to be different from bathroom remodeling in Pensacola. Many things will come to bear on your bathroom remodeling ideas, but in the end, you should create something peaceful and functional for you and your family.