Bathrooms can be difficult to design. Despite the small layout, there’s a lot of room for error since a few misplaced elements are enough to crumble the whole package. Luckily, most of these bathroom mistakes are easy to avoid and not that hard to fix as long as you know what to look for.
Whether you’re designing your bathroom right now or trying to revamp an existing one, you’ll want to avoid these bathroom layout mistakes. Make your plans along with a remodeling expert if necessary and get yourself a much better layout!
“I don't believe you have to be better than everybody else. I believe you have to be better than you ever thought you could be." – Ken Venturi
Bad lighting
We always say that lighting can make or break any room, not just the bathroom. Even a perfectly designed room can look strange under bad lighting choices, so what is the goal with the bathroom?
In short, you want most of the room to be evenly lit, with maybe an extra dash of light to the vanity area and shower area. Certain kinds of light and fixtures work better for this purpose, and if you want to know more, check out our guide on bathroom vanity lighting. There, we broke down the most important bits on bathroom lighting that should help you a lot here.
No vanity space
This an important bathroom mistake to avoid, because the vanity area is more important than it seems. Many bathrooms will often just have the sink and nothing else, leaving room for a soap dish and that’s it. Consider getting yourself a proper vanity cabinet, giving you some counter and storage space.
You will have more freedom to keep important items always ready, but also storage for towels, toilet paper, and other items that are better kept hidden.
Awkward placement
I’m sure it’s happened to all of us at one point in life: you sit on the toilet and it’s so close to the wall you can’t sit straight. Or the toilet paper is so far back you can’t reach it without getting up. Or the sink is touching your arm while you sit.
True story: one time I had a bathroom where I had to zig-zag to enter the shower. Turn left to dodge the sink, turn right to dodge the toilet, then turn left again to go through the shower entrance.
In all fairness, none of this affects directly how the bathroom functions, but it makes for such an awkward place to navigate. When designing your bathroom, always walk yourself through the motions to make sure it flows naturally.
No ventilation
Having no windows in the bathroom is always a bad idea, but sometimes it’s unavoidable due to its placement. This is when some sort of ventilation solution should be added to make up for it.
Usually we’re talking about a vent that can suck the air out, preventing your bathroom from accumulating too much humidity or preventing bad odor from escaping. You should always opt for a window whenever possible, but if it’s not, then you need ventilation some other way, so always keep that in mind.
Focal point
Quite often the toilet ends up becoming the focal point of the bathroom, even if by accident. This should be avoided – the focal point should be the vanity or the shower (if you have a really nice tub, for example).
The toilet is an important asset for sure, but it shouldn’t be the focal point of your bathroom design. The vanity is a better spot, especially because it offers a lot of room for decorative elements. A fancy mirror, well-placed light fixtures, some counter space with decoration… Now that is a beautiful focal point.
Interested in remodeling your bathroom? Get free quotes from bathroom remodeling pros in your area today!
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