Discover which color palettes enlarge a room visually, how to overcome the most significant challenges when designing the smallest bathrooms, and current trends in furnishing mini bathroom spaces. Featuring examples of creative interior design projects for 5 small bathrooms, we bring you some expert advice on designing this important room – in an interview with Lucija Kolenić, an interior designer from the island of Hvar and a member of the Community of Interior Designers (ZADIN).
Small Bathrooms in a Designer Way – Tips from an Interior Designer
What is the most important aspect for clients when designing small bathrooms?
“In my experience, the most important thing for clients is that all the sanitaryware fits into the design of small bathrooms. Of course, we are talking about very small bathrooms. For example, it is often the case that the square footage is so small (and in old stone houses, we should also highlight the frequency of sloping walls throughout the interior, including in the bathroom itself) that we do not have a prescribed passage line from the very edge of the toilet bowl to the opposite wall.
In such mini bathrooms, we place sanitaryware that takes up the least space, for example, toilets that have a visible cistern and corner shower cubicles. In my first attached example of a bathroom design, we see exactly such a space. The bathroom is only 2.46 m² and has sloping walls.
I will also let you in on a little secret in choosing a design style. When we have a visible cistern, and not a built-in one that still has a more contemporary final look, I like to design such a bathroom in a retro style so that the cistern fits into the design as well as possible. Retro tiles are an excellent addition to the aforementioned style.”
The Best Way to Utilize Space in Small Bathrooms
What is the best way to utilize the space?
“The best way to utilize the space is, if the dimensions of the bathroom allow it, with as much storage space as possible. However, since in mini bathrooms we usually also have mini options for storage or display for all those ‘little things’ that we need, it is important to provide a spacious work surface around the washbasin or at least one open shelf for storing cosmetics under the mirror. The shelf can also be an extension of the built-in cistern, as in the next example. This bathroom is 3.56 m².
It is recommended to choose ceramic tiles in light tones for such small bathrooms. Namely, light (and cool) tones visually enlarge the room. To get the illusion of a deeper bathroom, I advise you to cover the floor and one of the walls with the same ceramic tile design. Of course, let’s emphasize that the floor tiles should be anti-slip.”
Which project was the most challenging for you and why?
“One of the more challenging small bathroom projects for me was this one in the following example. The client wanted to fit both a shower and a bathtub in a very long and narrow space. To achieve this, I moved the washing machine and hid it, along with the water heater, in a built-in closet at the end of the hallway, in front of the bathroom. The bathroom in question is 4.47 m².”
Discover How to Create a Bathroom that Looks ‘Like Something out of a Magazine’
What’s in today, and what’s best to avoid when remodeling a bathroom?
“What I prefer to avoid in bathroom design are visible water heaters and washing machines (if there is no laundry room in the interior), as well as cisterns. For the bathroom to look ‘like from a magazine’, it is necessary to integrate all elements, including the ones mentioned above, into the design in the most harmonious way possible. In the next example of a bathroom (3.82 m²), we built a wall around the water heater and washing machine so that these elements remain outside the bathroom, and in a wall-mounted wardrobe.”
Can you tell us more about the design secrets of each individual (attached) bathroom?
“I could say that hiding the previously mentioned elements is a common note in all my designs. In the following example of a 5.04 m² bathroom, we had enough space to install a slightly deeper custom-made cabinet that hides the washing machine and water heater,” Lucija Kolenić, interior designer and member of ZADIN, revealed to us in an interview.
The Community of Interior Designers
The Community of Interior Designers (ZADIN) is a professional association that brings together interior designers, decorators, stylists, architects, landscape architects, garden designers, and other design enthusiasts in one place – with a focus on mutual growth, exchange of experiences, talent development and the promotion of interior and exterior design. An increasing number of architects, designers, decorators, and interior stylists are doing business in Croatia since clients have recognized the importance of hiring professionals when designing residential or business premises. Where to find them, you ask? We invite you to visit the Community of Interior Designers’ web platform – ZADIN.eu.
On this link, you can read the original article (in Croatian language) I wrote for tportal.
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