Lesley Taylor, managing director of Taylors Etc in Cardiff, explains how they push their designers to get as excited about the ‘mini’ as they do the ‘maxi’.
From room dimensions, workable space, baths, showers to budgets, we all know size matters.
There’s no better feeling than being given a generous open space to design. With a client willing to invest in quality products for a wow finish, even the most highly-acclaimed designers would be proud of.
That said, as much as we love these scenarios, they are few and far between, especially in the bathroom sector, and especially if you have a showroom/store geared to bathroom renovations rather than self-builds/new-builds and in a city location where space is of a premium.
So, can a small space be successfully transformed to the extent that a larger space could, and will small rooms ever trump large rooms in the bathroom stakes?
Well, here at Taylors Etc we believe it is possible to produce a design for a compact space to rival even the largest of spaces. We push our designers to get just as excited about mini as they do maxi.
There are a few key principles that we adopt to ensure that all space is maximised when presented with a bijou bathroom. For example, designing a space in 2D will not only frustrate designers, because the spatial planning and orientation of products will be limited to very few options, but thinking from plan only you won’t be able to visualise or utilise the potential of the wall space, and above head height space.
Above-head-height space is perfect for high shelves, ideal for baskets of cleaning products or toiletries, or for storing extra towels up away from the eye line, creating the illusion of an uncluttered space.
Product selection is naturally also key when designing small spaces. Opting for slim, concealed cisterns and wall-hung pans will not only reveal more floor space, but also still allow you to use modern advances in technology, such as the odour-extracting cisterns, which will make small spaces nicer to use.
Multipurpose products are also very important in such designs. There are vertical tube-like radiators on the market that take up little space and sometimes have hooks for robes, or lighting features, as well as being a heat source. Even the addition of solid pelmets to windows can act as a neat place to introduce greenery by utilising the hard flat top as a shelf.
Other disciplines that are helpful to implement on small space designs are opting for tile schemes that elongate spaces – plank wooden-effect tiles are great for achieving this on floors, and feature walls. Rectangular wall tiles stacked horizontally will help to achieve this on walls, and the bigger the better. Don’t opt for smaller tiles as it’s a smaller room, even ensuites can benefit from this rule of thumb.
Clients don’t want to be reminded that their bathroom is especially compact. Avoid being negative about the space in presentations when selling your design, because if they feel they could have achieved what you are suggesting themselves, the chances are they might try and you may lose your sale.
Get yourself enthused about your small space challenge and use tools such as Houzz and Pinterest for inspiration if your creative juices are running low. Mastering the art of small space design can dramatically increase the amount of bread-and-butter design work you get through, while ensuring the work you produce is unrivalled and design-led. That small en-suite you do for your new customer might turn into two, three or more once friends and neighbours get wind of the transformation that took place down the road. What better way for word to get around than positive recommendation.
But let’s think big now. If you are blessed with a dream, large renovation project, that doesn’t mean you can just kick back and let the product do the talking. There’s nothing worse than a huge space totally devoid of creativity. If the four walls are lined with products, but the centre of the space is like some sort of open dance floor, then it doesn’t matter how high-end or branded your products are, that is not a good use of space.
Think about introducing angles, designing large showers with baths in front, or vice versa, and even spiral showers. These are all goods ways to fill oversized spaces. If clients do not care for double basins, introduce long, sleek shelves with offset basin, and spaces that double up as wash basin and vanity area with shelves of varying heights and by using stools.
A freestanding bath won’t save you, if you don’t carefully consider storage in that area. Not everyone likes to put away their bathing products after each bath, so inevitably the floor becomes the home for shampoos and conditioners and no one wants that in their shiny new bathroom.
Upholstered top storage trolleys can double up as storage and seating, making them ideal for such spaces. Other things to consider when designing large spaces are the technicalities of product. Ensuring you have the sufficient heat output, for example, is a standard thing to check, but big rooms look great with various heat sources – so why not use two radiators, one each end of a bath for symmetry?
Soil pipe locations are another mundane, but no less important, thing to check. Making sure you locate the WC in an area of the room that means the soil pipe length can comply with regulations, means designing a large bathroom may have more options, but not necessarily all options will be feasible.
So while size most certainly does matter, it’s clearly all about making the most of the hand you’ve been dealt. Creativity shouldn’t be stunted by small rooms, and shouldn’t be taken for granted in large rooms.