Hollywood owners of huge bathrooms with access to the balcony or panoramic windows overlooking the ocean can only be envied. In real life, such apartments are rare. Most owners of individual apartments are not ready to sacrifice square meters in order to expand the zone of water procedures. Therefore, the design of a small-sized bathroom is an urgent issue, requiring a balanced, mathematically verified and aesthetically attractive solution.

To ensure that a small bathroom subsequently gives only good feelings before the design of the project and the beginning of the repair it is necessary:

1. Decide on the style direction of the interior;
2. Make a list of the required sanitary equipment (bath, shower, wash basin, toilet, bidet, hygienic shower), decide what must be inside the room;
3. Identify with major household appliances, the placement of which is planned in the bathroom (boiler, washing, drying machine);
4. To think over lighting (general, zonal), arrangement of a warm floor, places of installation of electric sockets;
5. Pick up the finishing materials.

       

Change the layout of the bathroom during repairs in Khrushchev

Quite often in the Khrushchev there are separate bath and toilet. Their combination, the arrangement of one door portal instead of two doors will not only add places, but also unload the corridor from the opening second door. However, the combination of these rooms requires special coordination. If the demolition of the intermediate wall does not affect the architectural design, its safety characteristics, then instead of two miserable corners a quite decent compartment will turn out, where you can fully rest in the water element.

Standard placement of plumbing fixtures in apartment buildings is tied to sewer risers. Therefore, cardinally changing the toilet seat and sink is unlikely to succeed without doing extensive construction work (piping, raising the floor level, to ensure the necessary bias for drainage). However, it is possible to transfer or turn the bath, the washbasin shift.

Small tricks of modern design, capable of increasing the capacity of the room, can be:

• Use of a bath of reduced size;
• Vertical unification of the sink and washing machine;
• Use of suspended plumbing models;
• Bathtub replacement with shower options;
• The installation of pendant lockers is much higher than the floor level.

See also: Bathroom design 4 sq. M - modern interior

       

Visual increase of the combined bathroom

A small combined bathroom is more a norm of small apartments than an exception. The designer's task is to broaden his scope with decorating techniques, to provide multifunctionality without compromising the sense of free space.

As design options that can change a given geometry, use:

• Neutral tone for wall decoration;
• Flat surfaces of walls and ceiling;
• Hiding pipes in floor, wall boxes or strobas;
• Application of suspended installations for plumbing;
• Mirror elements of large volume;
• Glossy finishing materials;
• Light floor covering.

To ensure that the bathroom fully meets all the necessary requirements, it is equipped with plumbing and equipment of a reduced format. Here it is important to accurately calculate, as far as possible, the reduction in the size of plumbing fixtures, so that their use is convenient.

       

Shower cabin - a worthy alternative to a conventional bath

An interesting solution may be the design of a combined bathroom in a panel house in loft style. A small room is not cluttered with objects, for vertical walls a light gray coating "a-la velvet concrete" is chosen, metal pipes for water supply can be left in sight, the volumetric bath is replaced with a shower cabin. It is preferable not to use stationary versions of the cabins, but to separate the glass compartments with a shower compartment of the necessary dimensions, necessarily providing inclination to the drain hole in the floor.

Today, not only bored square or round sanitary ladders are offered, but corner, linear, channel products. There are options, the top of which is a decorative grille. Its pattern can repeat the main ornament of the decoration of the house.

       

Angle bath - the arguments for and against

The small-sized corner bath fits perfectly even in a small room. Occupying the opposite corner of the door, it will leave space for a normal shell, a standard toilet bowl and free movement of a person, thanks to its rounded shape. A bath of this type, equipped with glass moving or fixed panels, can be considered as a synthesis of a traditional font and shower. It has joint advantages:

• Transparent partitions do not visually lighten the design, but prevent the splashing of water on the floor, making it much easier to clean;
• The volumetric bed of the bath allows you to take water procedures in a horizontal position.

       

Correct design of the ceiling: simplicity, color, light

The ideal color for finishing the ceiling of a small bathroom is white and its shades. To maintain the height, do not use multi-level pendant structures of complex shape. It is better to give preference to a flat surface, but to saturate it with light sources. When calculating the number of spotlights it is desirable to exceed the norm: the bright light that floods the room, expands the volume. The statement that the glossy stretch ceiling can perform the same function is not entirely true: the reflecting surface, doubling the height, can create a well effect, which will violate the overall proportions of the room. In addition, the vague reflection of the dimensional objects looks like a cluster of dark spots, and this reduces the sense of purity, so necessary for the room for hygienic procedures.

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The quality of lighting depends on the volume

Even in a small bathroom it is necessary to provide for 2 groups of lighting devices:

1. Top lighting (optimally using embedded ceiling luminaires);
2. Bright light near the mirror (a good option - sconces on hinges, flexible mounts, changing if necessary the direction of the light flux).

In houses of pre-revolutionary construction, there are often toilets with an excessively high altitude. Harmonize the space without lowering the artificially level of the ceiling, perhaps using a chandelier on the suspension. A voluminous light source will fill the upper part of the bathroom, making it more proportional.

An interesting design method, adding ease, in bathrooms modern styles can become a backlight, mounted in channels with a transparent top (glass, plastic) flush with the main floor covering.

       

We select a finishing tile: we refuse mini-forms

When choosing ceramic tiles for walls and floors, it is better to give preference to large format options. Small fragments, and especially a mosaic reduce a small space, unnecessarily load the room with horizontal and vertical lines. To visually increase the area suitable for facing materials with a glossy surface. Additional bonuses for their use in comparison with matte varieties are ease of care, less dust settling.

If the repair budget does not allow increasing costs, it is better to move away from the generally accepted rule of buying ceramic tiles "+ 10% just in case." It is optimal to calculate the amount of sq.m. and even pieces of tiles will help measure, draw a sketch layout, a careful calculation of future balances. You will take the time, but will save money.

       

Features of the choice of furniture for the bathroom

Furnishing a small bathroom it is better to stay on suspended structures that do not reach the floor, choose light shades of materials, glossy facades. Also suitable furniture is on the legs, painted in neutral colors (white, light gray, muted pink, mint, bleached-lavender), especially if the design of the bathroom tends to country, modern European style or romanticism.

Special requirements are imposed on the water absorption of materials going to the manufacture of bathroom furniture. Preferably moisture resistant modern plate materials, or artificial stone, glass. However, if you provide a moisture-resistant finish coat and good forced ventilation, the lockers made of natural wood with a ceramic or stone bed of the washbasin will perfectly cope with the operation in difficult conditions.

       

Linen basket in the bathroom: a bright style accent

The laundry basket can be, as a utilitarian object (in this case it is better to hide it from prying eyes), and become an element of decor, emphasizing the style. Modern manufacturers of similar products offer a variety of options:

• One-piece plastic;
• Plastic wicker;
• Rattan;
• Tissue bag of any design (sea, country, romantic) on folding legs;
• Willow wicker basket with a fabric cover (it is decorated with laces, bows, pastes, ribbons);
• Wooden trellis box on rollers, sliding under a hinged sink or substitute;
• Hidden in a closed niche container on retractable brackets.

If the laundry basket is in sight, then a closing element should be provided so that the kind of clothes used does not spoil the overall atmosphere of the cozy corner for rest. It can be a separate cover, or, in the version of a soft bag, a tightening cord. The main requirement - the presence of ventilation holes, so that the things laid down until the next wash did not acquire a musty unpleasant odor, were ventilated.

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Kingdom of direct mirrors

The use of reflective surfaces for visual expansion of rooms is a classic design. In the case of a small bathroom, special attention should be paid to large-format mirrors. Flat mirror elements can significantly push the boundaries, add the necessary depth, make the space air. Shiny metal accessories (dispenser, garbage can, toothbrush holder) can act as an accompaniment to the mirror.

Traditional is the placement of a three-dimensional mirror over the washbasin. To enhance the effect, depending on the layout of the bathroom, you can choose a narrow model for the size of the shell up to the ceiling, or stretched across the width of the wall cloth.

The location of the two reflecting elements on the opposite walls can visually increase the room almost indefinitely. This method positively affects the psychological state of a person, because disappears feeling of stiffness, finding in a tight cage. Here the main thing is that in the mirrors a countless number of times the disorder and defects of repair are not displayed.

Do not use a mirror tile - this method of decoration is out of date. The decor with inserts from mirror pieces also breaks the integrity of the reflection, divides the space without increasing it.

       

We take a responsible decision: choose a style

Bathroom, as a separate closed room, can fit into a single stylistic concept of the interior of the house, or radically different in style, if its dimensions are so small that the overall design can not be fully sustained. But, even if this space is designed as purely utilitarian, it can be decorated with separate elements to emphasize belonging to the chosen design direction.

• A mirror over the washbasin in an intricate carved frame or elegant legs of the washbasin console will echo the baroque of the whole apartment;
• Drawing on the decorative elements of wall tiles can support a light French spirit, and the figured frieze, the color scheme of the cladding, the substructure of the marble washbasin will pay tribute to the antique style;
• Sanitary brass fittings with ceramic elements (crane handles) or "lambs", golden hooks for towels and holders will look like a connecting bridge with a retro spirit reigning in the house.

When decorating the bathroom in a style other than the overall design idea, use the color parallels to duplicate the spaces, duplicate the dominant color of the house in the accessories (rug, shower curtain, towels).

       

The simplest solution is to follow the general style

When you design a small bathroom it is not at all necessary to adhere to the strict limits of minimalism, especially if you do not like it at all. By choosing neutral tones of decoration, accent accessories can be selected in any style. Lamps near the mirror, door handles, interesting design hooks, towel holders, color dispensers and soap dishes will allow to stylistically combine a small room with the common space of the house.