The toilet does not pretend to be the “face” of the apartment, but it is still a frequently visited place, therefore it requires a beautiful design. When creating a design project for a toilet room, you will have to put up with its integral feature - a modest size. A toilet in an apartment with a separate bathroom usually occupies a rather small room, and at first glance it may seem that the cramped space inevitably limits the flight of design ideas. However, it will be enough for you to familiarize yourself with a few ideas that allow you to create an interesting and unusual design for a small toilet in order to independently refute this statement.
According to the norms of SNiP, the minimum area of \u200b\u200bthe toilet in an apartment is 1.2 square meters. m. Unfortunately, many inhabitants of the old panel high-rise buildings have to be content with this minimum. Therefore, the key point of all design ideas when renovating a bathroom will be the desire to visually expand the space and exclude any solutions that visually or actually “eat up” this space.
Uniform bathroom style
Even if the bathroom and toilet occupy separate rooms in your apartment, ideally they should be decorated in the same style. This does not mean that they should be finished in exactly the same way, however, the colors, texture, decor items in both rooms should overlap with each other. For example, when choosing ceramic tiles as a finishing material for a toilet and a separate bathroom, it can be from the same collection. When referring to a certain interior style, its elements must be present in both rooms, and decor items can be different, the main thing is compliance with the general concept.
Let's look at this idea with a concrete example. In the photo below you can see the interior of a small bathroom and a separate small toilet in the Provence style, thought out to the smallest detail.
Common elements:
- Color spectrum.
- Beautiful designer sanitary ware from one collection.
- The same accessories - towel holders and towels themselves.
- Tile.
Please note that despite the fact that the walls of both rooms are tiled with the same tiles, thanks to the different installation methods, they look completely different. The bathroom and toilet are harmoniously combined with each other, but at the same time they do not duplicate each other, having their own unique design that looks fresh and interesting and will not soon make the owners want to make a new renovation.
Correct color
With the help of well-chosen color design, you can get rid of the feeling of tightness even in the smallest room. Light pastel colors are best for a modest-sized toilet.
Bring warmth and comfort to a small toilet room:
- beige;
- lactic;
- peach;
- sand;
- light pink.
Fill the room with coolness and emphasize the texture of objects:
- ultramarine;
- mint green;
- purple;
- turquoise.
Also, in a small toilet, all shades of gray, variations on the theme of mother-of-pearl and marble will be appropriate.
This does not mean that in a small toilet there is no place at all for deep, bright or dark shades. They can be used in small quantities as a frame or to create an accent.
One of the options for color accenting in the toilet is to highlight the wall behind the toilet with a bright, saturated color that contrasts with the overall pastel finish.
Ceramic tiles: shape, size and installation method
If during the repair in a small toilet you opted for a classic - a practical and spectacular tile, pay great attention to its three parameters:
- form;
- size;
- styling option.
When repairing a small toilet, it is optimal to choose:
- medium-sized rectangular tile;
- a small square tile with inconspicuous seams between the elements.
Be careful with square tiles! With the wrong color and size, it can evoke associations with a typical Soviet toilet.
The design of the small toilet does not allow the use of tiles of complex shape with many angles, which will crush and visually narrow the space.
Laying tiles
During repairs in a small toilet, the tiles must be laid butt-to-joint, the seams should be made non-contrasting, matching the color of the tile.
- You can expand a small toilet room using a diagonal laying method. In this case, do not forget to stock up on additional material, since the consumption of tiles during this installation increases.
- For a toilet that has an elongated shape, you can use rectangular floor tiles laid with the long side along the shorter wall.
- A good way to expand the space of a small toilet is to create a horizontal border at a height just below the middle of the wall. The upper part is decorated with tiles of a lighter shade, the lower one is darker or more saturated.
- To visually increase the height of the ceiling in the toilet, you can use vertical tile inserts in bright colors.
Lighting
Lighting plays an important role in the visual transformation of the toilet space. A standard ceiling above the door is not the best solution. A small toilet needs soft, diffused light. Use LED strip and popular spotlights and halogen lights, as long as they are protected from moisture.
Toilet selection
If during the repair in the toilet you plan to also change its main element - the toilet bowl - we recommend that you abandon the classic floor version. Opt for a hanging or built-in model - they not only save space in a small room, but also make cleaning easier. In addition, they look very stylish and modern.
You may be interested in a novelty in the world of plumbing - a toilet with a closed eco-system, on the drain tank of which a sink is installed, the water from which, after cleaning, is used for flushing. Such a toilet bowl is doubly beneficial: in addition to saving water consumption, it allows you to safely wash your hands even in a very small toilet that is not adapted for installing a washbasin.
Wallpaper and plastic panels
Despite the fact that the tile is the leader among the materials for finishing the toilet in terms of practicality and ease of maintenance, it is worth considering such an option as wallpaper. Modern vinyl moisture-resistant wallpapers can be washed an unlimited number of times, and the possibilities for a variety of artistic design and decor are much wider than those of tiles. In addition, boring wallpapers are easy to re-paste, which cannot be said about tiles, and even an annual redecoration will not take you much time, effort and finances due to the small size of the room.
Also, as a finishing material for the toilet, designers recommend:
- wallpaper for painting;
- liquid wallpaper coated with a water-repellent composition;
- non-woven wallpaper.
You can create the illusion of free space in a small room using wallpapers with a panoramic image, landscapes with a perspective, and a 3D effect.
Plastic panels are popular when decorating bathrooms in apartments due to their moisture resistance and much longer than that of wallpaper, maintaining the original appearance. Wide long panels can visually increase the space, however, due to the use of crates during their installation, they actually reduce the area, so for a small toilet they are still not the best choice.
Furniture and accessories
The design of a small toilet is not only about creating a beautiful appearance, but also about maximum functionality. This means choosing the right accessories, as well as places to store the things you need in the washroom.
Accessories that can be placed in a small toilet in plain sight, participating in the creation of the chosen style and acting as a decorative element:
- toilet paper holder;
- brush;
- towel holder, soap dish and brush holder for toilet with washbasin.
But such trifles as necessary, but not decorating the look of the toilet, like cleaning products, sponges, gloves, bottles of fresheners and other attributes, need to be removed from the eyes. The smaller the toilet space, the more it looks cluttered with a lot of things laid out in plain sight. This means that in a small toilet, all storage furniture - shelves, cabinets - should, if possible, be closed.
An open shelf is allowed only for placing on it items that act as decorative elements: beautifully folded towels, shells, books, figurines.
Appropriate interior styles
Since a small bathroom cannot be overloaded with an abundance of accessories and decor items - after all, there is simply nowhere to place them - to decorate it, you need to choose one of the styles that allows you to express yourself in a concise way.
- Minimalism - characterized by restraint and an almost complete lack of decor. Calm colors with a minimum number of colors - no more than 2-3. The shape of the plumbing is simple, convenient, the hanging toilet will be the right choice. The lack of decorations in the toilet can be compensated by an original mirror and an unusually shaped lamp.
- Classic style - elegant and even chic, but not pretentious. The pastel colors of the classics are ideal for a modest-sized toilet, the toilet bowl can have a simple streamlined shape or imitate antiquity. In the decoration, both tiles and wallpapers are appropriate, borders are often used.
- Scandinavian style is gaining popularity due to its simplicity and naturalness. The predominance of all shades of white, black, brown, as well as juicy bright accent colors are allowed. Finishing - plain white painted walls, tiles imitating brick, natural wood. Decor can be framed paintings and posters, wooden trinkets.
A small toilet space is a great field for design experiments. In case of failure, you can try again, because the repair of a small toilet can be done in just one day. Bring your ideas to life and don't be afraid to make mistakes!
