Plan Your Bathroom With Space

While the bathroom is one of the smallest rooms in your home, it is also a room that sees a lot of use. A bathroom that is both functional and attractive adds value to your home in two ways - it is more pleasant to live with such a space, and it adds a tremendous amount of financial value when the time comes to sell. Whether you are building from scratch, re-modeling, or adding on an en suite bathroom, you need to plan for maximizing the space you have available.

Make a scale model of the space you have. A scale of 10 cm to 1 meter is recommended. Using graphed paper is convenient, but you can also crate a graph using a ruler, paper and a pencil. Accurate measurements are essential, so take your time. Check the length and height of the walls, floor, widows and walls, as well as any existing service points and furniture. Make sure you measure where your access to plumbing and electrical are as well, and note it on your model.

You can easily find the common measurements for a bath, shower stall, toilet, basin, bidet and cabinets online or in design magazines. Cut out the basic shapes of these things to scale, and label them. Try moving them around your bathroom space, to see what arrangements you like, taking into consideration how you will need to move through the room. If you can't fit everything you'd like to have in and still have ample room to move, consider either removing an element, or finding one that can do double duty.

A corner bath and shower combination may save a lot of space without having to sacrifice one for the other. You can also find a corner unit for a basin, toilet or bidet. You can use corner units to make a bathroom feel larger by freeing up both floor and wall space. Sometimes, a corner unit will also allow greater freedom of movement within the room.

Many manufacturers are making bathtubs, shower, basins, toilets and bidets in smaller sizes. Look into which of these space saving designs may suit your needs. A smaller unit serves the same purpose in less space, allowing you a roomier, more luxurious feeling space.

Consider your storage needs in planning for a new bathroom as well. What kind of furniture will you need to hold towels and toiletries? Plan for towel racks, whether simple bars or a heated towel rack unit, as part of your design so they will fit well in the room, and be convenient to use. It is best to keep all items as close to their first point of use as possible - toilet rolls within reach of the toilet, bathing supplies close to the bath, and so on. Keeping things close to where they are used makes them both easier to access and easier to put away, keeping down clutter in a small room.

Written by James Chapman, a director of Bella Bathrooms who supply Small Baths for the UK market.

Bella Bathrooms is an online retailer formed by 2 plumbers from the North East of England. Having hands on experience of custom bathroom installation and products has enabled Bella Bathrooms Ltd to only select quality bathroom products for their online shop. They sell bathroom furniture, bathroom suites, showers and bath related products for consumers through the United Kingdom.