Design Trends In Small Bathrooms

Smart technologies and clever designs are transforming the bathing experience by bringing in innovations irrespective of the limited space area, writes Remona Divekar

Bathing spaces, an essential part of every home have significantly evolved over the years catering to the ever-changing needs and preferences of the Indian consumer. With changes in living style due to global exposure, Indian homes are advancing to a higher level of finesse. However, decorating a small bathroom becomes even more difficult, as one need to blend practicality with aesthetics in an almost perfect fashion! With the modern homeowner expecting much more from bathrooms and turning them into relaxing spa-like settings, the elegant, space-saving appeal becomes even more essential.

“The bathroom is one of the most relaxing and comforting personal spaces after the bedroom that is what creates the need to re-invent the bath-space with the best that design and technology offer.”

Changing user preferences

Bath spaces have become modern and consist of contemporary designed bath fittings replacing traditional materials. Innovative materials such as wood, stone, and ceramics are preferred. Today’s smart bathrooms with automated functionalities give greater impetus to comfort, hygiene and ease of operation where people themselves lay more emphasis on a clean, tidy, hygienic and elegant personal space. In the past few years, the sanitary ware industry has witnessed major changes in terms of design, concept, and adaptation by manufacturers.

Advances in technology heighten the bathroom’s role as a place of refuge and escape from life’s daily rigours. Technology plays an important role bringing in innovations into the bathing experience. While the configuration of materials such as the toilet and sink allows enough clearance for a shower but in most cases, it is still better to squeeze in an extra bathroom space where needed.

Emanuela Tavolini, Director of Sales Europe, GRAFF stresses the importance of the functionality of the elements in small bathrooms, “Functionality is the key for small bathrooms. Small rooms can easily lead to unwanted clutter, more so if additional design elements are functional knick-knacks or objects that don’t serve a purpose. Minimise counter space by storing (rather than displaying) personal products. Now, there is an increasing trend for industrial and traditional materials like raw metallic components or wood applied to interior design.”

She further adds, “There’s no need to keep a small bathroom plain and minimalist. If you love vintage style, then go for it. Clever storage will stop a small bathroom from feeling cluttered and maintain a feeling of space and sophistication.”

Liberating Spaces

A small bathroom can be stylish, practical and with the right expertise, space-efficient where new design ideas are fresh and revolutionary, and rethinking, where the use of glass is luminescent keeping in mind the overall floor space of the washroom.

Chirag Parekh, Chairman & Managing Director, Sternhagen says, “Mirrored walls are one of the easiest ways to create the illusion of more space. Focusing on new and innovative materials influences the product design and inspires to test new possibilities that each material brings with it providing an unparalleled experience for lovers of art and innovation. Whereas, as far as colours are concerned, dark colours with ceiling are a big no; white or lighter tones make the space look bigger.”

“Nowadays, traditional materials combined with organic finishes make for a contemporary piece evoking clean and stylish sensibilities. Brands are also experimenting and playing with different textures such as combining stone with wood together to create an eye-catching design.”

Daylight or skylight opens up the bathroom and creates a light and airy space. White furnishings help to bounce light around the room, meaning it can inject personality with a few interesting accessories where lighting is the key, where mirrors and dimmable options in alcoves or behind a bath to create drama and mood where all light fittings have the correct IP rating for safe use in wet areas. A few décor pieces make the bathroom feel bigger, warmer, & organised. Neutral colours that run along the floor to the walls and even continue onto the bath and loo create a feeling of never-ending space, rather than breaking up the bathroom into separate areas, which can make the room feel boxed in.

Design Ideas

A clever trick to make a small bathroom look bigger is to use the same tiles on the walls and the floor. Not only does the natural stone in the bathroom add spa-style touch but also the continuous run of tiles creates a spacious feel, along with the wall-hung fixtures that save on floor area. If natural stone feels too neutral, it can easily pep up with strong colour pops with towels, storage, and accessories – an on-budget way to add personality to the bathrooms.

Where space is tight, opting for an overhead shower bath delivers the best of both worlds. Rather than positioning the shower against the short side of the bath, placing it along the longer side offers a more luxe feel. A bold tile design around the bath to contrast with the rest of the room could enhance the look and feel – for example, a monochrome scheme, colour, texture and pattern without the accessories. White will open up a bathroom like no other colour, making it feel as spacious as possible.

It is not mandatory to keep a small bathroom plain and minimalist where vintage style is experimented with without feeling cluttered maintaining a feeling of space and sophistication. One of the best ways to disguise a small bathroom is to create interest and a striking wallpaper is ideal for this. And, this needs to be specifically made for bathrooms keeping in mind the damp, warm conditions. Some designers believe that playing with the boundaries of perception by tiling the sides of the bath and the wall with the same design – makes it hard to distinguish where each begins, thereby making the space feel larger. Marble is particularly effective as it looks almost like one huge sheet and the individual tiles are not very obvious. Floating fittings visually max the space, as more of the floor can be seen. A palette of off-whites and tonal greys makes the washroom area feel large and airy; while wall integrated, taps keep the look minimal and well finished.

“Focusing on new and innovative materials influences the product design and inspires to test new possibilities that each material brings with it providing an unparalleled experience for lovers of art and innovation.”

Playing With The Space

A well-thought-out design can fit all the essentials into as little as two square metres for a bathroom and even less for a shower room. The key is not to squeeze too much in. It is better to make a focal point of a walk-in shower or a beautiful bath, rather than ending up with a cramped bathroom. Wallpaper makes a statement in any room and the bathroom is no exception. A unique, bold, or interesting print maximises the impact in a small space.

Sandeep Shukla, Head- Marketing & Communications states, “Nowadays, traditional materials combined with organic finishes make for a contemporary piece evoking clean and stylish sensibilities. Brands are also experimenting and playing with different textures such as combining stone with wood together to create an eye-catching design. Consumers are getting more and more conscious and are willing to save water and contribute to saving nature. Brands are also experimenting and playing with different textures such as combining stone with wood together creating an eye-catching design where a compact modern bathroom uses a number of techniques to create a real wow factor, despite the small square footage. Choose furniture and accessories with clean lines and keep the room as clutter-free as possible to create a feeling of space.”

Compact fittings are a big help in awkward-shaped loft spaces trying to fit a bath. When decorating a small bathroom, such as an en suite in a loft conversion, introducing a horizontal line around the width of the space, with either tiles or paint will visually widen the space, creating the illusion of a bigger room.

Trends To Watch Out For

One of the hardest things to accomplish when it comes to decorating an interior is the smart use of a room with limited space is the washroom. Chirag Parekh, Chairman & Managing Director, Sternhagen views, “Consumers are focusing on bathrooms as a wellness space and are spending more time there, not merely for hygiene reasons, but to relax, recreate and get a sense of well‐being. Homeowners are increasingly investing in high-quality accessories and fittings to adorn their personal spaces. They are shifting from traditional colour palettes to vibrant and unique colours that are a break from the usual tones. Coordinated bathroom accessories and products also being preferred by consumers where the concept of luxury to has shifted towards creating wholesome experiences for oneself, spending time preciously, making life easier, and enhancing the quality of everyday life.”

However, a small bathroom seems a difficult design task to take on. A clever design adds to the plate creating a functional and storage-friendly bathroom that may be just what the home needs where every design element in a small bathroom have a purpose and be functional in some way or another to create a space-saving sanctuary.

“There’s no need to keep a small bathroom plain and minimalist. If you love vintage style, then go for it. Clever storage will stop a small bathroom from feeling cluttered and maintain a feeling of space and sophistication.”

SerhanAteşYağız, India Country Manager, VitrA, India views, “The bathroom is one of the most relaxing and comforting personal spaces after the bedroom that is what it creates the need to re-invent the bath-space with the best that design and technology have to offer. In this technologically advanced day and age, people want to re-imagine, renovate, and rebuild their premium bathrooms with advanced and innovative solutions. People themselves lay more emphasis on a clean, tidy, hygienic, and elegant personal space so the bathroom-toilet must create a feeling of comfort and well-being.”

Today’s small but smart bathrooms are automated with functionalities to give greater impetus to comfort, hygiene and ease of operation. Advanced technology in bathrooms gives the blissful experience of a touch-free toilet and much more. The convenience and comfort of advanced hygiene technologies like the toilet seats with built-in bidets; programmable thermostats which let it set preferences for temperature, timing, water pressure and more are some of the technologies that are in vogue.

Tags: Bathroom Concepts, Bathroom Design, Bathroom Trends, Design Trends, Small Bathrooms