In older houses there is often no form of overall heating. It is not pleasant getting out of a nice warm shower or bath when there is ice on the windows, but it is not unusual for them to have separate heating in whichever rooms have the space. This is the way they used to be designed, often with a fireplace in some of the rooms and the others left with no heating.
The way new houses are built often the main bedrooms have ensuite bathrooms and then there is a small family bathroom, on the basis they can be smaller of most the rooms have an ensuite. That is not always the case, and although there are ways to make a tiny bathroom appear larger and use clever storage solutions by installing shelving and vanity units, another answer is to turn the tiny family bathroom into a spacious family shower room.
If you live in an old or new property, this could be a problem you have. You need to which members of your family will use the shower room, and whether it’s likely to be used by more than one person, as making it suitable for everyone is a must.
The Modern Tiny Bathroom
Some house designers create a family bathroom that once the bath, toilet and hand basin have been fitted, you just about have room to climb out the bath and dry yourself without banging into the walls. Of course it is a good selling point for the main bedrooms of the house to have an ensuite, but when a family moves in they may need a useable family bathroom as well.
A shower cubicle takes approximately half the space of a bath, and showers are more economical. (This could be important if you have teenagers who seem to spend half their life in the shower). A corner shower takes up even less room so that is worth considering too. Now you will have room for a radiator, or a heated towel radiator so that no one is getting out of a warm shower into the cold in the winter months.
Radiators come in many different shapes and sizes, including flat panel radiators that are real space savers in any room. Then there are the heated towel radiators, which will provide you with lovely warm towels to wrap yourself in as well as heat the room. Radiators are one of the best forms of heating, as they can be unobtrusive and adjustable, so the temperature of each room can be controlled separately.
Tricks To Make Your New Shower Room Look Even Bigger
Replacing the bath with a shower is a brilliant way to create more space, but there are other tricks to make your new shower room look even bigger. The amount of space you actually have and what your eye perceives can be two different things.
It is not necessary for everything to stand on the floor taking up space. Wall hung storage can be attractive as well as useful. Soft material baskets hanging on the wall can be the perfect place for toys or toiletries. Vanity units that look as though they are floating give the illusion of more floor space, and make cleaning a much easier job. Recessed shelving can also be a storage boon, particularly when it is in the form of a shelf above the hand basin. While you are dealing with wall fittings, have your basin taps integrated into the wall; it is quite surprising how much extra space that does actually give on your hand basin, and the impact it has on the overall effect.
Use the same tiles on the floor and walls. Using off white or grey tones will fool your eyes into thinking your shower room is larger. You can add colour and character with accessories, such as brightly coloured towels and window blinds. Furnish your shower room with items that are in scale with its size. Anything too large will look bulky and dwarf your room. Mirrors can also make a big difference to the overall effect of any décor, and strategically placed lights can help with the illusion too.
Hide The Radiators Plumbing
Plumbing really is much improved on how it used to be. There was a time where you could see the pipes running into the bathroom to reach radiator, sink, toilet etc. They looked unsightly and a lot of people got around the problem by boxing their pipes in and making it part of the decor. Although this might have looked better, it took up far too much room.
The secret is to have the pipes hidden under the floors and in the walls, so there is no sign of them feeding your radiators, toilet, taps or shower. Not only will it look better, but also you will not be losing space to your plumbing.
All of these things will give you a shower room that feels spacious and looks good, which is far better than having to squeeze in and out of a tiny family bathroom on a freezing cold day.
Advice and Expertise
You may like the sound of changing your family bathroom into a shower room but haven’t a clue where to start. That is when you will need advice from experts to ensure the success of your project.
At Lupo, we have the expertise and knowledge to assist you with all your plumbing and heating needs and our friendly team members will happily chat to you about your project of turning a tiny family bathroom into a spacious shower room. They will also be able to assist if you are looking for radiators, accessories or any other heating and plumbing supplies, so please do call in and see us. If it is easier to phone the number is (1) 456 9930, or you can email us at info@lupobathrooms.ie. Let us help you make your shower room the success you want it to be.