What to put in guest bathrooms

Is a guest bathroom a luxury? Not anymore! Its presence in houses and apartments is becoming more and more commonplace. In new buildings and cottages, an additional sanitary room for guests is usually provided at the design stage. In older buildings, it can be allocated as a result of redevelopment.

Area, location, functionality

Experts recognize that the most successful location for a guest bathroom is in the hallway, in the hallway, or near the guest rooms, if any. Accordingly, in two-story houses and apartments, the guest bathroom should be located in the same place as all the main guest rooms. As a rule, this is the first floor.

The contents and functionality of the guest bathroom will depend on the frequency of use and purpose:

• If you plan to use the spare bathroom yourself (at times when the main ones are busy), or if you have frequent and long visits from guests, in this case it is worth installing a bathtub or shower in addition to a sink with a toilet.
• If guests are coming rarely, the family is small and one bathroom is more than enough for you, it is possible to be limited to a minimal set of sanitary ware.

The same criteria are key in determining the area allocated to the future guest bathroom.

If you are initially buying an apartment with a guest bathroom and have not yet decided how and what to furnish it with, then, on the contrary, the amount of square meters at your disposal will be the main guide in determining the functionality and set of sanitary equipment.

Planning

Once you’ve decided on the ergonomics and fillings (plumbing fixtures, mirrors, furniture or drawers for storing soap, towels), you need to figure out how to arrange it all in the limited square footage. Installations and modern built-in showers can help.

Visually expand space – mirrors, glass surfaces, LED lighting, skillfully emphasizing the details, contrasting color combinations

An excellent solution for small bathrooms – all kinds of niches for storing small items, which can be hidden behind the mirrors and protrusions. An ingenious solution: the use of retractable shelves (acting on the type of “bottle holder” in the kitchen, but designed to store towels and shampoos). This option and looks very stylish, and saves space wonderfully!

A few more tips when setting up a guest bathroom with limited space:

• Choose a shower instead of a bathtub, or do without them at all.
• Consider showerheads without trays.
• Use corner sinks and showers that take up less space and make better ergonomic use of space.
• If you are planning to make repairs by yourself, without the help of a designer, then do not forget to take into account the minimum distances. There is such a science of ergonomics, and Neufert wrote more than one book on it. So, between the centers of the devices should be at least 70 cm. From the edge of the toilet bowl to the wall or other sanitary appliance – at least 20 cm (from the center of the toilet bowl to the wall 50 cm). Free distance in front of the bathtub or shower: from 70-80 cm. Functional distance in front of the washing machine: at least 60 cm. 

Design

Some people believe that the guest bathroom should be a “calling card” of the apartment. Others, on the contrary, give it a “secondary role”, making more effort to furnish and decorate the master bathroom. We recommend sticking to the “golden mean”.

The style of this room is often connected with the interior design of the whole apartment. Loft, Provence, art deco, classic, eclectic… A fundamental difference can make some dissonance in the perception.

However, if a certain style in the house is not visible, then by color and finish, you can safely make the guest bathroom fundamentally different! For example, in a bright apartment with a predominantly calm color scheme, it is quite acceptable to add a dark or bright finish to the guest bathroom.

Do not forget about the lighting. A bright touch to the interior of the bathroom can make an unusual lamp, descending from the ceiling almost to the level of your eyes, or a rectangular lamp, reminiscent of the office, as well as the original LED lighting.

Another fashionable method: the use of porcelain tiles, imitating natural materials (wood, concrete, marble surfaces).

Decorate and refresh the interior sinks, original shape and unusual color, chrome details in the finishing, interesting combinations of glossy and textured parts.