Splashing Out In A Small Space

Yorkshire Post - 29th August 2007 - Life & Style: Homes

Interiors

The British obsession with baths is a global phenomenon, rivalled only by our love of Roast Beef, but how do you indulge your passion in a small area?

The answer is to challenge the norm and create space with clean lines, clever storage and optical illusions.

Firstly, consider if you really need a bath. The market no longer demands this in smaller properties and a cramped bathroom can be turned into a good sized shower or wet room. The latter is a fully tiled room with a wall-shower fitting and drainage in the floor, but no shower tray. They are popular in contemporary design, giving a great illusion of space. However, plan carefully to avoid plumbing disasters and to ensure that your toilet roll does not get soaked at the same time as you do!

If opting for a walk-in shower enclosure install a double size tray (no less than 1400mm) so you can make the most of the experience. Avoid shower curtains as these can be unsightly and cling to you when you least expect. Opt instead for plain glass shower walls, these are less fussy in a small space and allow the eye to travel beyond them, elongating your view. Keep them effortlessly spotless by using a daily spray shower cleaner.

If you do want a bath, many retailers offer shorter versions 1500cm or even 1200cm, rather than 1700cm (check out the Juniper Optimise from Focus). Also consider the ingenious ‘bath with the bump in’ which gives you extra space as you shower (such as B&Q’s Porto Curved Petite Acrylic Shower Bath or Bathstore.com’s Liberty Bath 1500).

Wall-mounting the WC and hand-basin gives the illusion of a bigger room by visually maximising your floor space (check out the Euro or Monte Carlo ranges from Bathstore.com). However, the plumbing for these can be trickier, as it involves sinking pipes into the walls. Corner WCs and basins are a great choice to fit items into dead space, particularly next to doors. Opting for a smaller hand-basin can also be attractive, yet practical if its primary use is to clean your teeth and hands.

Get rid of the radiator and replace it with a heated towel rail to provide storage and efficient heating. To ensure the luxury of warm, dry towels throughout the year buy a dual fuel version (powered by your central heating in the winter and electricity in the summer).

Lighting and ventilation are extremely important, no one wants to bath in a fuggy cupboard! Recess spots emphasise ceiling height and integrated lights in mirrors have the added benefit of allowing you to clearly see your reflection (Homebase have a model only available on-line that includes an integrated shaver point for under £60!).

Storage must be compact, preferably wall mounted, and should serve a dual purpose, such as a mirror fronted cabinet above your basin (look at Ikea’s Ekholmen or Bathstore.com’s brilliant corner cabinets).

When decorating, keep colours light and bright, with themes running through floors, walls and ceilings. The best trick with tiling is to use large, plain tiles to give the impression of space, rather than small or patterned tiles which can look very busy in an enclosed area.

Finally, coloured suites should be avoided at all cost – what ever you do keep it white, white, white!

Jamie Hempsall is one of region’s leading interior designers and an Associate of the British Interior Design Association (BIDA).

For more examples of his work visit him at www.jamiehempsall.com or contact him by telephone 01777 248463 or e-mail: studio@jamiehempsall.com