Everyone living in an apartment with a small bathroom was faced with the problem of repairing it. After all, I want to make the room cozy so that the day starts with a good mood. Since most people live in such conditions, this problem looks really relevant.
And there is only one way out of this situation - to combine the bathroom with the toilet room, thereby increasing the space. In this article, we will consider how you can create a combined bathroom, come up with an interior for it, and what issues will require mandatory attention.
Small bathroom problems
In most standard layouts, the bathroom area is limited to three to four square meters.
Such a quadrature imposes certain restrictions on the use of this room:
- the use of compact furniture, which does not fit much;
- lack of space for installing cabinets;
- the need for open hinged shelves to expand the storage area, since closed ones will make the interior heavier;
- if you want to slightly increase the space, then instead of the bathroom you will have to install a shower;
- partitions are undesirable in the shower and in the bathroom, since they visually reduce the area even more - it is better to use special curtains, moreover transparent;
- the installation of a false ceiling is undesirable - it will make the appearance of the room even heavier;
- limited use of color solutions - for small rooms it is preferable to use only light colors;
- as a rule, in such a bathroom there is no place for a washing machine;
- to expand the space you need to use mirrors and special lighting.
The good news is that in modern construction stores there is a large selection of models of compact sanitary ware.
But if you still want to expand the space, then there is only one way out - to tear down the partition between the bathroom and the toilet room, creating a combined bathroom.
What to consider and possible problems
But even if it is decided to combine two sanitary rooms and there are funds, it may happen that this will not be so simple.
It is necessary to consider some nuances:
- demolition of the wall requires agreement with the relevant authorities;
- need a new connection of communications and additional pipe connection;
- the combined bathroom will not be able to use several people at the same time, especially if the family has more than one child.
The first step is to think over a new design - this can be done independently or with the help of a professional wizard. It is important to remember that it is not necessary to begin the restructuring until its approval in the BTI.
Next, the required number of pipes is calculated, and it must be taken into account that with blind wiring in the wall, plastic should be used. In the case of the use of metal-plastic it is necessary to leave access to the pipe joints.
Another important point is ventilation - it is desirable to make it forced by putting an exhaust fan in the hole. For a combined bathroom of 3 square meters. m you will need a device with a capacity of at least one thousand liters per hour, and for rooms with an area of up to five square meters - at least two thousand.
The main stages of redevelopment
To combine the bathroom with the toilet, a number of serious work is necessary. Their sequence is as follows:
- Dismantle the wall. Such work must be done with special care so that falling stones do not damage nearby objects and communications.
- Organize waterproofing the floor. To carry out such an operation, it is necessary to invite a specialist or consult with him if the work will be performed independently.
- Run laying of water supply and heating communications. At this stage, it is necessary to provide which pipes will be hidden in the wall, and which pipes in plasterboard or plastic boxes.
- The next step is the installation of a warm floor, if it is provided for by the project. Such a floor in any room, and even more so in a combined bathroom, will create a feeling of coziness and comfort. To perform these works, you need to attract a professional.
- After completion of the redevelopment, it is necessary to approve new drawings of the plan of the premises in the technical inventory bureau.
After the completion of construction work, you can proceed to the most pleasant part of the repair - finishing.
What should be the ceiling
If we talk about small-sized apartments, then the design of the combined bathroom is 4 square meters. m is best viewed in bright colors. In this case, the small space will visually increase and will not press.
Therefore, it is best to make the ceiling classic - white. It can be painted with waterproof paint, made to stretch, put plastic panels or moisture-proof drywall. The last three methods are more practical, as they will allow you to not pre-align the surface and install spotlights. This will give the interior a modern look.
Many use polystyrene boards for decorating the ceiling. But despite their low cost, experts do not recommend doing this, since this method has significant disadvantages:
- the material is short-lived;
- due to the absence of an air gap under it, mold may form in the cavities;
- plates are difficult to clean and may be damaged;
- their installation requires a flat surface.
Thus, using modern materials, you can build a very beautiful ceiling, which harmoniously complement the overall interior of the room.
Wall decoration
A classic option for finishing combined bathrooms in 4 square meters. m in standard houses is ceramic tile. Today, manufacturers offer this product in a wide color, size and price range. The material is durable, safe, easy to care for.
In a small room, the interior design provides for light colors. But for a change, the lower part of the walls up to the level of seventy-one hundred centimeters can be laid out with dark tiles, and the top must still be made light.
Textured materials with a glossy surface look very nice - they will give the bathroom a chic look and save you from the "sterile" look. Colored inserts in a monophonic canvas also look good - they can be single, draw an ornament or create a finished picture on the wall.
If the funds do not allow, then for the interior of the bathroom you can use cheaper materials - plastic panels, and in the budget option - just paint them with waterproof paint.
In the combined bathroom with shower, the bathing area can also be distinguished by a different color than the main color, this will perfectly divide the space and create a feeling of comfort.
Floor
Bathroom flooring can also play a special role. If funds allow, you can order 3D floors from specialists, which can be styled as a seabed or an aquarium. This will create a stunning effect, you will want to visit such a room again and again.
A simpler option is ceramic tiles. This material is especially suitable if the bathroom has warm electric or water floors - the tile perfectly conducts heat. It is only necessary to consider that the glossy tile, although it looks more beautiful, is slippery in the wet state. Therefore, you need to immediately decide which material will spread on the floor - rough or smooth.
Another opportunity to make the interior of the combined bathroom in Khrushchev unusual may be laying a moisture-resistant laminate - in terms of heat conductivity it is similar to tiles and looks great on the floor.
To make the interior look finished, the color of the floor is chosen contrasting (for visual expansion of the space) or combining in gamma with the shade of the walls (for fans of plain design).
How to organize space
During the repair of the combined bathroom, you need to try to make it so that it is possible to place everything you need and at the same time not to overload the room. How? The answer is quite simple - you need to properly zon and use the space. At the same time, it is important not only to choose the right size equipment for the bathroom, but also to position it correctly.
The interior of the combined bathroom with the bathtub can be improved if you install a shower cabin instead of the standard capacity - the narrowest part of the room is allocated for it. If size permits, then a sink or toilet is placed next to the box - it will be easier to combine communications.
The following will also help save space:
- installation of a hinged toilet - savings due to the lack of a tank for draining;
- installation of a hinged cabinet with a mirror on the door for toiletries;
- connecting a small shower box;
- placing the built-in drawer or washing machine under the washbasin;
- due to the warm floor, you can get rid of unnecessary heating and heated towel rails;
- installation of an elongated sink, partially covering the bath (if any).
If the budget allows, you can purchase a plumbing option when the sink is combined with a washing machine - the combined bathroom will become more spacious.
Lighting
Proper lighting is perhaps the most important thing in the design of any room. Especially if the room does not have a window to the street.
The organization of an impromptu false window framed by an LED strip can be a modern interior solution. Inside the space, you can apply a film image of a night city or other landscape, or apply a drawing using other techniques.
In the presence of a stretch ceiling or plastic panels, it is possible to install spotlights, their huge assortment will satisfy any needs and design decisions.
A mirror decorated with additional lighting will also look great - it can be small sconces of various shapes or the same LED strip. A prerequisite for the use of lamps is their moisture resistance.
Mirrors and Finishes
The most obvious and widely used method for the visual expansion of space is the use of a reflective surface in the interior. To use mirrors in a combined bathroom, you need to purchase products of increased strength and thickness.
It can be a completely mirror-like wall opposite the entrance, or just a mirror strip of the upper part of the walls across the entire width. And if you place the mirrors opposite each other, you get an original endless corridor.
If it is not possible to use mirrors the size of a wall, you need to make at least a toilet mirror above the washbasin large.
There is only one condition limiting the installation of a reflective surface - it is not placed opposite the toilet and at the bottom of the wall.
Interior Options
If we do the repair, then not just like that, but to make the room different in the presence of style.
Most often, two options are used to create the interior of the combined bathroom:
- Classic - is the most traditional choice for a combined bathroom. This style is characterized by light tones of ceramic tiles, the presence of a snow-white bathtub (possibly with plastic curtains) and a toilet, a strict-mounted mirror and bright lighting.
- Modern - design provides not only a monophonic color scheme, but also the use of a combination of two or three shades. For the main color of the walls (white, ivory), variants of the accent tone of the floors (blue, red, black) are selected. Also, the style provides for the installation of a hinged toilet and shower box or a closed bath.
In order for the interior of the sanitary room to look original and cozy, it is not necessary to approach its repair and design creation irresponsibly. Every person’s day begins with a visit to the bathroom, so a properly organized bathroom space will help create comfort and cheer up.