Room of the Day: An 8-by-5-Foot Bathroom Gains Beauty and Space
Smart design details like niches and frameless glass help visually expand this average-size bathroom while adding character
Designer Teresa Buchanan had two goals for her 8-by-5-foot guest bathroom in her townhouse: personality and space. Although the floor plan — and her budget — prevented her from adding actual square footage, she embraced clever space-saving tricks to do the job. These included a pedestal sink, frameless glass and recessed niches, all of which also helped bring character.
To make up for the storage lost by using a pedestal sink instead of a vanity, Buchanan added recessed shelves above the toilet. She painted the walls herself in Sail Cloth from Benjamin Moore to save money. “All finishes are ivory rather than white because I feel it is softer and less clinical,” she says.
Buchanan believes that the most flattering light for a bathroom mirror comes from a pair of sconces at eye level, but that wasn’t possible in her 8-by-5-foot space. “A single sconce beside the mirror is a good compromise and helps to soften the lighting,” she says.
Sink: Memoirs Stately, 30 inches wide, Kohler; toilet: Memoirs Stately, comfort height with elongated bowl, in Biscuit, Kohler; faucet, pivoting mirror, towel bars: Dillon collection, Restoration Hardware; single and double sconces (discontinued) and towels: Restoration Hardware
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Buchanan believes that the most flattering light for a bathroom mirror comes from a pair of sconces at eye level, but that wasn’t possible in her 8-by-5-foot space. “A single sconce beside the mirror is a good compromise and helps to soften the lighting,” she says.
Sink: Memoirs Stately, 30 inches wide, Kohler; toilet: Memoirs Stately, comfort height with elongated bowl, in Biscuit, Kohler; faucet, pivoting mirror, towel bars: Dillon collection, Restoration Hardware; single and double sconces (discontinued) and towels: Restoration Hardware
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Custom frames made to match the polished nickel elsewhere in the bathroom hold a pair of dragonfly prints and were a small splurge for Buchanan.
Details
Walls moved: No
Plumbing moved: No
Plumbing replaced: No
Professionals hired: Buchanan acted as the interior designer, and through her work hired a contractor, Jeff Lasgana of Anne Arundel Houseworks, who also did the electrical and tile installation, which helped cut down on cost.
Special features: Recessed storage shelves, pivoting mirror, space-saving pedestal sink
Splurges: Floor and wall tile, frameless shower door
Savings: Buchanan used basic 1-by-1-inch tiles on the shower floor, and painted the walls, trim and ceiling herself.
More: 5 Ways With an 8-by-5-Foot Bathroom
Details
Walls moved: No
Plumbing moved: No
Plumbing replaced: No
Professionals hired: Buchanan acted as the interior designer, and through her work hired a contractor, Jeff Lasgana of Anne Arundel Houseworks, who also did the electrical and tile installation, which helped cut down on cost.
Special features: Recessed storage shelves, pivoting mirror, space-saving pedestal sink
Splurges: Floor and wall tile, frameless shower door
Savings: Buchanan used basic 1-by-1-inch tiles on the shower floor, and painted the walls, trim and ceiling herself.
More: 5 Ways With an 8-by-5-Foot Bathroom
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Location: Annapolis, Maryland
Cost: About $14,000
Designer: Teresa Buchanan of Designline (also the homeowner)
To give the bathroom a more spacious feeling, Buchanan started with a pedestal sink and a monochromatic color scheme. The frameless shower door lets the eye travel the full depth of the space, also giving it a larger feel.
For textural interest, she added subway tile capped by a chair rail, plus fluffy towels, crown molding and basketweave-patterned floor tile.
Shower head: Dillon collection, Restoration Hardware; floor tile: light and dark limestone in a basketweave pattern, custom, New Ravenna
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