Dress it up to Impress Your Guest

Small half-baths can create a big time impact on the guest that visits your residence. Most of us have them in our homes; these handy little spaces are normally furnished with only a sink and toilet and sometimes go by the name “Powder Room” because of the tendency of guest to go in there to freshen up. The problem with these pint-sized baths is that they are so small, so how do we make that small ugly bathroom usable and inviting?

Well the first and obvious solution is to place them in a convenient and accessible place on the first floor of your home near a public area. But remember that because some people are naturally shy when it comes to using the toilet, you want to place this prep room partially down the hall where the doors do not open directly onto your living room or dining room space.

The purpose of a powder room is to eliminate traffic that may congest the main washroom in your home. Since these grooming spaces are regularly used by guest, (sometimes called “guest -bathrooms” for obvious reasons) you want to make the space appealing to leave a memorable lasting impression of you and your home on your visitors. 

Does Size Really Matter?

So you have located your comfort station down the hall or around the corner away from curious or glaring eyes. For the most part these rooms don’t have to be more than 4×5 feet but the minimum space required should be no less than 3×6 feet in order to be usable and meet municipal lavatory standards.

The great thing about these pint-sized compartments is that because of their smaller size you won’t need as much building and surface materials so you can splurge on higher priced fixtures and finishes to impress and wow your house guest. Spacing saving methods abound everywhere , however because of the size of the chamber, the consideration of door clearance is very important.

Incorporate Space Saving Elements

When refining your washroom space, in order to eliminate the inconvenience of an inward swinging door that makes entering the small chamber awkward, a sliding or pocket door offers a convenient way to deal with the linear enclosure. If your powder-room is long and narrow, placing the sink and toilet on opposite ends of the modest space will free up the middle of the room so that a swinging door can be easily accommodated.

Another plus of having an additional den for grooming is if the main bathroom in your home is very busy in the morning, a smaller chamber with a room length vanity is the perfect place for getting ready on those extra busy days. Improving upon your existing bathing space by installing a wall length mirror is one way to add impact, alleviate any sense of claustrophobia and open up the space. To make the most of this tiny bath one trick is to locate the sink and the toilet on the same side of the bath to better utilize and conserve floor space.

Square vs Oblong

Alternatively, to create a small half-bath with big-time impact, having a vanity corner unit that crawls along two sides of your wall, not only acts as a design element but also provides amble counter space for display, toiletries and grooming supplies.

The shape and size of the room will impact not only what you can put in your bath but also how effectively you can use the space. Long and narrow chambers are the most difficult to use whereas a square powder-room will give you the most layout options to help eliminate most design challenges.

To get the most of the limited square footage in your home, the purchase of smaller fixtures will help to conserve space. Pedestal sinks are the obvious choice but not the only option for the sink area. Remember that because the space is small, you can let your creativity loose without influencing the overall style of your house too much.

Let Your Creative Juices Flow

A converted bedroom chest drawer o[...]