Sumptuous Bathroom in a Small Space

Bathrooms are very often small rooms – so how do you create an area that is sumptuous and attractive when often restricted by space? The Edwards family have managed to do just that. David Edwards said:

We moved into our current home about a year ago and knew there were a number of areas we wanted to renovate fairly quickly. One of these was the bathroom, a small space upstairs that had very little attention for years – probably decades!

Time For a Bathroom Change

The bathroom suite was in a rather unpleasant olive green colour. There was a bath, sink and lavatory in there, as well as a rather rusty shower appliance over the bath. The carpet was rotten and the shower curtain had seen better days.

The main problem was, however, that there was not room to swing a cat. The room was just 5ft by 9ft in size so we knew we would have to think carefully about how we would arrange the small room.

Planning the Space

The first stage was to visit a bathroom showroom and to sit with a member of staff there while they drew up various 3D options on screen for us. What became immediately evident was that there was scope to manoeuvre – it was simply a question of being creative.

Both my wife and I are not keen on “over the bath” showers and felt the bathroom would be more stylish and certainly more comfortable to use if we could somehow fit a walk-in unit in.

In the end, we opted for a curved model with sliding doors. This had a smart, contemporary look and was practical as well. We then decided it was worth splashing out on a large rainforest shower head in shining chrome. This gave the bathroom a sumptuous air without actually taking up any more space than any other shower head.

What was particularly clever, however, was that the curved unit could be tucked neatly into the space behind the door. This meant that despite the size of the room, with some careful rearranging, we could have a separate shower.

White bathroom furniture with white rattan panels

Bathroom Furniture

Storage and furniture ranges to suit bathrooms of all shapes and sizes…

A Stylish Bath

The next issue was the bath. We decided we wanted to install something stylish and so looked at a number of different options. One was to install a smaller tub but eventually we decided we did not want to compromise on size.

To create our sumptuous bathroom we wanted something of a decent size that we could fill with hot water and bubbles, and really relax in.

By working carefully with the computer aided design programme in the showroom, we realised we would be able to get a standard-sized bath in if we moved the toilet. We made a quick call to our plumber, realised this would be possible and decided to go for it.

We chose a sleek, free-standing bath with feet. This was, therefore, raised off the ground, which would leave more floor area on view and thereby give the illusion of additional space in the bathroom.

We enhanced the stylishness of the bath by going for an eye-catching tap set and positioning it in the middle of the bath. This made the bath double-ended, which brought a touch of luxury.

Finishing Touches

Finally, we picked a modern-style lavatory that tied in with the bath and shower unit, and by moving the basin to the right hand side of the door, and going for a pedestal model, we were able to opt for a large, stylish basin, once again with eye-catching chrome taps.

As the floor area of the bathroom was so small we decided to floor it in solid oak. We did take advice about having wood in a bathroom and general response was that as long as it was well-oiled it would be fine. We bought dark slate floor tiles and used those to tile half-way up the wall.

These were then sealed and we painted the walls in a light dove grey and the ceiling, into which we fitted spots, white.

A Sumptuous Look

Finally, we gave the bathroom a sumptuous finish by adding a fluffy bathmat and large, soft towels in a deep purple.

Our bathroom may be tiny but it still has a lavish and very welcoming feel. It is practical, works well for a large family and still has that edge of luxury.

See Also
Bathroom towels
Accessorising Your Bathroom
bathroom lighting
Bathroom Lighting Ideas