Bathroom Design Tips


Most UK bathrooms are relatively small, so one of the main concerns you should address when re-designing your bathroom is maximizing the available space. The main design aims should be to

maximize useable space
minimize "dead" space
incorporate storage space
choose a style that suits the room size

These aims, although less critical, also apply to large bathrooms.

Corner baths will add a touch of luxury to your bathroom design but they can also eat up a lot of floorspace.

This is a great advantage if you are trying to "fill" a large bathroom but will work against you in a small bathroom design. If a corner bath is on your "must have" list then you could opt for an offset corner bath which offers a good compromise.

Freestanding roll top baths also need a large room to do them justice and will look "cramped" in a very small bathroom.

The more open the floorspace in a bathroom, the larger it feels. Wall hung basins and toilets can help give a feeling of space, but if you are considering this option there are many structural and plumbing considerations that have to be taken into account: the walls have to be suitable; the toilet may have to be attached to a special bracing frame; the pipework for a wall hung basin has to be run from behind not below. If in doubt, call in an expert.

The following diagrams illustrate how built in bathroom furniture (in yellow) achieves this.

 Bathroom Planning

Spending a little bit of time bathroom planning can save you a lot of time when it comes to installation.

Drawing a scale plan of your bathroom on graph paper will greatly help you position the components of your bathroom.

Soil pipes (the large pipe that takes away waste toilet water) can be difficult to move so you may have little or no choice in the positioning of the toilet. Assume that it is staying in the same position and work your design around this assumption. In comparison, most other items in the bathroom can be easily re-positioned. To see if your toilet can be moved you'll need to call on professional advice.

When bathroom planning, your wash hand basin should, ideally, have a mirror behind it so try to avoid positioning it in front of a window. For very small bathrooms why not consider covering a large area of one wall with a single, large, sheet of mirror. Sheet mirror can be bought from most glass merchants who will cut and drill the mirror to your required size. Large mirrors such as these can trick the eye into making a small bathroom look huge.

For modesty's sake try and avoid positioning a bath under a window! If you have to site a bath in front of a window, use a thick blind or curtain to avoid giving your neighbours a "shadow show"

If you are incorporating a shower cubicle in your bathroom planning, try and ensure it will be placed in a corner.