Bathrooms, Kitchens and Laundry areas are some of the spaces
in the house that are refurbished a number of times within the life cycle of
the home. These are wet areas which over a period of time become damaged by
water and need a remodel. Back in the 1950s, the convention way of constructing
bathrooms (well at least here in Kenya) was by separating the bathroom and the
toilet. The reasoning then was homes were generally small and could afford 1
bathroom and toilet per home. This then would make it easier for the whole
family (which was also large) to use these facilities at all times. Bathrooms
were also expensive to construct due to the amount of sanitary ware that would
be used which was also expensive. As we moved towards the 21st Century,
designers came up with a proposal where a standard cloakroom would be
constructed in an area where guests can also access and bathrooms were included
in the bedrooms (Commonly referred to as en-suite); either shared or one for each
bedroom. The standard practice now is to have a cloakroom, a minimum of 1
medium bathroom which is shared by the kids and a master bathroom. The master
bathroom can be quite elaborate. All elements in this room are based on the
clients likes.
When designing bathrooms, there are four generalized sizes
one can adopt:
a.Compact
b.Medium
c.Large
d.Expansive
COMPACT
A compact bathroom is the smallest of them all. This ideally
is a cloakroom which sometimes is also referred to as a powder room. This room
is approximately between 1.1 sqm -1.6 sqm. Sometime people design it as a
universal bathroom but that is not always necessary. As this room is small, one
needs to make use of natural light. The size of the window can be as large as
750mmx1200mm. With a frosted glass on it, one will not need to worry about privacy. Bright colours also help make the
room look and feel bigger. Light sanitary ware would be preferred and in cases
where the client would like a concealed cistern, wall hang WC works well and is
easy to clean underneath. A storage cabinet is necessary as one can store spare
toiletries to be used in that bathroom. With modern design, one has an option
of using either a built in vanity top or a wall hang cabinet vanity.
MEDIUM
A medium bathroom is the most common one mostly used when
one intends to design all bedrooms ensuite. This bathroom has a WC (Water closet), shower and a WHB (Wash
hand basin). The size for these sanitaryware can be small or medium depending
on the size of the bathroom. A medium bathroom is approximately 2.8 sqm - 3.4
sqm. The shower cubicle in this bathroom layout needs to be glass. Glass is a
good material when used in bathrooms because it is thin; one can make use of
the space well. Most bathrooms always have one window and therefore with glass,
light is able to filter through the entire bathroom . Towel rail /shelf, rob
hooks and shower baskets are necessary accessories to make the bathroom more
comfortable to use.
LARGE
This type of bathroom is mainy used for master bathrooms. A large bathroom has all sanitary
elements inclusive i.e separate shower and bathtub, WHB, WC and bidet and/or Urinal (this is not necessary
though). It is approximately 4.5 – 6.0 sqm. Other additional items can be bathroom
furniture, dressing table , relaxation bench etc. Separate his and hers shower and WHB can also
be used to make it elaborate. With a larger bathroom, one cane use more than one
type of tile. Hexagon type, Italian design and patterned tiles can be used
without making it look overdesigned. This type of bathroom generally is
expensive and therefore most of the time, only one is done in a home.
EXPANSIVE
This is a luxury bathroom. It is mostly found in luxury
homes as it does not consider space and cost. This type of bathroom quite
elaborate with more additional features such as steam bath, Sauna, fireplace,
jacuzzi, massage room etc. Some even have a relaxation lounge within the
bathroom with a music and TV system installed. Sanitary ware used is top of the
notch with automated shower systems.Bagnodesign, Kohler, Keramag and even
Duravit have come up with sanitary ranges that satisfy this client. This
bathroom gives an effect of a healthclub
within the home.
Inspiration pour le
Journee
Want to update your bathroom without commiting to a complete
redesign? Reiko Caron shares quick and easy ways to add style and functionality
to your space. Watch the House and Home video below for Inspiration.
