Bathrooms are usually one of the smallest rooms in the house, which makes people think that makes them one of the easiest to design but… on the contrary, it’s quite easy to make layout mistakes in the bathroom.
Whether you’re designing a new space or you’re going for a bathroom remodel, these tips are for you. I’m focusing on the biggest bathroom layout mistakes – avoid these, and it’s already a huge step in the right direction.
Bad ventilation
Not allowing enough air to flow through is one of the worst mistakes you can make, given how moisture tends to accumulate in the bathroom. In the case of a windowless bathroom, you can install a vent that sucks the air out to ensure some decent ventilation.
If you do have windows, then keep them open along with the door as much as possible, even more so after using the bathroom for a shower, for example. This keeps the room ventilated which helps in preventing mold growth, as well as keeping bad odors away.
By the way, there are many ways to ventilate a windowless bathroom!
Awkward layout
Bathrooms are meant to be practical – there’s little point in making a beautiful bathroom if using it is very unpleasant. I’m sure it’s happened to you before, where you have to use a bathroom and you notice just how awkward it feels.
The toilet paper is so close to the toilet that you have to completely turn around to reach it, it’s also too close to the shower box so you keep accidentally bumping into it… or maybe the sink is far from the only storage option, so to pick up a new bar of soap you have to walk across the room…
But there are also basic layout mistakes, for example, when opening the door blocks the sink!
If you’re planning out your bathroom, you should consider the layout in a practical sense more than anything. Put yourself in that place and think about how it will feel to walk around that space, prioritizing that nothing should feel clunky.
Toilet on a stage
While it’s obviously one of the most important assets in the bathroom, the toilet shouldn’t be the focal point in terms of design.
It’s much better to turn the shower box or the vanity into focal points, as you can make them look elegant and attractive.
You can do this by using accent colors in the shower box (perhaps by choosing to accent a wall with a different tileset) or by revamping your vanity hardware.
The mirror is usually an easy way to do it because people are naturally attracted to mirrors, so frame it nicely and it will be a far more attractive view to behold.
No storage
You don’t need a crazy amount of storage in the bathroom, but neglecting this entirely is a bad idea.
You want at least a basket for clothes, and perhaps a small cabinet to store clean towels, toilet paper, and a few vanity products like soap or toothpaste for when you need them.
Too much storage would just make the bathroom harder to manage and to keep organized, but if you can manage the space for these more important items, that’s enough to keep things practical.
Bad lighting
Lighting is important for both vanity and safety in the bathroom. Mostly, you don’t want the space to be dark by placing lights in the correct places, because some small bathrooms can feel cramped and dark.
Vanity lighting is tricky because the placement of the lights has to be perfect if you want to prevent glare or harsh shadows when shaving or doing your makeup. Read our guide on proper vanity lighting for more info, as it should give you a good headstart on the subject!
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