Even with limited bath
space, there are some important things and basic
fixture designs that we need to follow, so that our
bathrooms are safe and functional. Different areas may
have some typical requirements and design parameters
specified by the concerned departments and we should
take care to follow them because they are well studied
and researched to suit the local needs. There should
be at least 30 x 48 inches of clear floor space in
front of the lavatory, out of which up to 19 inches
(out of 48 inches) can extend under the seat for the
knee space. There should be at least 15 inches of
space from the centerline of the lavatory, toilet or
bidet to the bathroom walls on any side and 30 inches
of space from the centerline of another sanitary
fixture.
There must be at least 24 inches
of clear floor space in front of the toilet or bidet. Though, you
can choose tub size of any size but there should be at least 60
inches long (which is also the standard size of the bathtub) and
30 inches wide clear floor space along its side. There should be
easy access and no obstruction in reaching plumbing and whirlpool
motors. All enclosed showers should have at least 34 inches of
usable space from wall to wall inside them, though many people use
showers with 32 inches of space too. Though shapes of the showers
may differ but there must be at least 30 inches of interior
circular diameter and 1024 square inches of finished interior
space in a shower. Limited bathroom space can be renovated to give
an illusion of space by using some designing optical illusion
tricks.
You can add height to our bath
space by adding vertical lines to its walls. Paint the walls in
vertical stripes, put wallpaper with similar patterns, put tiles
extending to the ceiling or you may also line the edge of the
ceiling with a border or just a cornice to make the ceiling look
higher. For tiled walls, you can just use different colored or
patterned tile on top of the walls to draw eyes upwards. Add
width, length and depth to a small bathroom using mirrors and
lights correctly. However, too many mirrors can just spoil the
effect. Use one mirror positioned strategically to reflect light
throughout the room. In small bathrooms, clear shower screens add
space and light unlike the opaque ones while a frameless shower
screen looks better as it does not cause visual barriers in the
bath space. Make the best possible use of the natural light by
incorporating windows or skylight in the bathroom. Illuminate all
the corners and perimeter of the bathroom to make it look larger
and install shelves high on the walls and near the ceiling and put
lights under.
Keep the color scheme of the bathroom simple as too many colors or
patterns will make your bath space look smaller and more
cluttered. It is best to use light colors, pastel shades, neutrals
or white color for the bathroom walls, floors and décor to make
the small space look larger. Rectified porcelain tiles with
identical shapes and narrower grout lines and larger tiles give
the illusion of more space and similarly tiled floors that attract
attention add to the feeling of space in the bath. Floating
cabinets, exposed shelves, recessed cabinets and a pedestal or
wall mounted sinks and basins add space while vanity unity should
never be used in small bathrooms as it takes much valuable floor
space. Basins with a bench can solve your storage needs and avoid
clutter in limited bath space.
In small baths, place windows near the ceiling and place the
toilet in an alcove. Use the wall space above the toilet to
install shelves. Small and deep bathtubs may be used for small
bathrooms. Use sliding doors instead of normal hinged doors for
more space while the sliding doors that hide in an in-wall cavity
look clean and high-tech. Hinged doors take space when you are
closing and opening a door but if you must use one, hand the towel
racks on their back instead of the walls. While these tips can
help you to make your small bathroom larger, you need to accept
the fact that bathroom with limited bath space will always remain
so, no matter how you decorate it. It may look sophisticated,
sparkling, cozy, intimate and less claustrophobic but decoration
can not add area to your bath space. So, use these limited bath
space ideas to make best possible use of the space available to
you.
