Quite often homes and apartments, especially the smaller variety, are designed for mere function and utilization of standardized fixtures. The bathroom area especially will usually suffer the cutout effect. While it is functional, it does not often offer much in the way of aesthetics. In order to gain some style, space, and aesthetic appeal a careful planning and remodeling is required.
The first step in any such remodeling is to draw out an accurate floor plan template that includes all permanent aspects such as water pipe and drain locations, external windows and heating vents. Your first drawing should be an accurate portrayal of what is currently in the bathroom for purposes of comparison.
Next you will wish to investigate various fixtures in relation to size, utility and aesthetic appeal. An example would be to remove a standardized cabinet sink with a different style. Replacing it with a free-floating sink and cabinet that attached to the wall leaving some free space underneath will provide a greater visual openness. A pedestal based sink or solitary wall sink will also provide more visual space but removes storage area.
A regulation sized toilet can be replaced with one that has a smaller water tank that is lower coupled with a shorter seat size will free up more open space in a small bathroom. Getting one that sits closer to the wall will give a greater appearance of space completely disproportionate to the actual few inches saved. Care should be made to match the distance of the drainpipe as older style toilets are usually between 10″ and 14″ from the wall and many newer styles are usually 12″.
An obvious space saving change would be to replace a bathtub with a shower stall. Several sizes are available so your floor plan can help you determine which would fit best in your remodeled bathroom. Though a bit more expensive, shower stalls can be shaped and curved for greater open appearance over a traditional square stall. If you must retain a tub, check for a shorter length and incorporate a linen closet or shelves facing outward in the area saved by the diminished length. Keep in mind though that shorter tubs require lower powered water compression to avoid over spill.
If one is able to cut into the wall, using embedded cabinets or shelves for medicines and bath accessories will provide a more open look. Avoid bulky standing shelves or counter tops. Allowing the bathroom to have clutter areas diminishes the spacious appearance. Once you have opened up as much actual area as possible, incorporate a bright coordinated color scheme and use a mirror or two to add visual space. One should not, however place two mirrors across from each other.
It may even be necessary to move a dressing area to a bedroom if the bathroom is very small. One may have to experiment with several drawings to find the perfect mix between actual and visual space to get the maximum openness to your newly remodeled bathroom but, once finished, will provide a much more pleasant living experience.
