Bathroom tricks gleaned from fancy hotels
You haven't used a small bathroom until you've showered on a boat or in a motor home. European hotels often offer tiny bathrooms when compared to the typical hospitality suites in the U.S.
However, some boutique hotels here have a similar model. I've marveled at one Washington, D.C., hotel near the White House and noted that management at least made certain there was a marvelous showerhead to make up for the squished accommodations.
I was forced to move carefully in the space to avoid bruising limbs, and the sink had absolutely no space on either side of the bowl itself. Grooming was a challenge and reminded me of showers in a campground!
But each of these situations can offer notable examples of how to stretch space or create the appearance of more room in your home bathroom.
One idea is to use a lighter looking vanity. This might be a washstand style that is open below or a cantilever style surface that floats above the floor. You give up closed storage; with washstand style folks use baskets to hold extra toilet paper and toiletries.
Lots of people don't care to store utilitarian items in sight. Look to store the typical bathroom items in a hall linen closet or another piece of furniture nearby. I use the wood cabinet just outside the master bathroom door.
Another space-saving look is the wall-hung toilet. Particularly popular in Europe, the wall-hung commode allows the flooring to run under the fixture. The effect is less bulky.
Cabinets, too, can be hung on the wall and European designers make up for the lost storage space by favoring state-of-the-art hardware. It enables a pullout drawer to scribe around the plumbing and avoid wasted space. Be certain to research Blum or Hafele hardware. These manufacturers are distributed worldwide and both hold the secret to all that slides, retracts, pops up or reaches into weird spaces for access.
Wall-mounted faucets also can save valuable inches, as shown in this photo.
Consider hanging an over-the-door chrome rack on the outside of the shower door to store shampoo, conditioner, soap and body scrub. Every inch will count.
Another illusion is delivered by installing a rain dome-style showerhead. Because it suspends from the ceiling, you will achieve the impression of more space in the shower area.
Think about floor to ceiling mirror on an end wall of the bathroom. While it may seem like a no-brainer, the use of large mirrors works to expand visual space.
Finally, carefully test out paint colors for the tiny bathroom. Avoid a very intense or heavily saturated color. Buy a pint of the possible paints and test them before painting the entire room. Perhaps leave the ceiling in a white so it will look lifted.
If you like wallpaper, tack or tape a piece of it up and live with it for a few days. Check out how it looks at night or in dim light in order to be certain that you will like it.
• Christine Brun is a San Diego-based interior designer and the author of “Small Space Living.” Send questions and comments to her by email at christinebrun@sbcglobal.net.
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