What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear the words “guest bathroom”? I don’t know for sure, but probably what we think about is a small, tight and uncomfortable room that feels highly impersonal and lacks attention to the details and characterization. Well, today with this short article I am going to give out some ideas and suggestions in order to design the perfect guest bathroom or refurbish one you have already if that’s the case. The goal that when you will be finished reading this article you are going to have a different idea of what a guest bathroom looks like and that you will see how you can transform a small room into a comfortable and inviting guest bathroom thanks to some very creative and refined items and accessories.
Let’s start with the absolute first thing you need to think about, not only when designing a guest bathroom, but also any kind of bathroom or other room in the house: What would you like to find in that particular room? What accessories and commodities do you need?
For example, let’s say you are staying in your friend’s house in London for a couple days, is there anything in particular you’d want in your bathroom other than the standard sink and toilet?
Once you have assessed what the items you cannot give up are, then it is finally the right time to start scouting for accessories and tools. Remember that no matter how small your room is, in most cases you are going to be able to find furniture that’s just the size you need and, in case you can’t, don’t forget that there are many bathroom design companies that are ready to help you and they are going to give you professional advice and suggestions basing on the space you have available, your budget and your personal opinion on what you like and what you don’t like.
Before we start talking about sink, toilet and shower models that could fit a small guest bathroom, let’s quickly go over some stuff that you need to consider when renovating or designing it:
- Always keep an eye out for your guest’s comfort, it’s crucial to give him or her everything they need to feel as if they were in their own house as much as possible.
- Don’t just put random items together when refurbishing the guest bathroom, try to use your creativity and select items that follow the same style and look good together.
- Remember that we are talking about a room that it’s usually smaller than a regular bathroom, therefore you might want to make it seem bigger than it actually is. In order to do this, you need to choose light colours such as white or pastel colours and tiles, if you decide to go for darker colours then you might get the opposite effect and usually that’s not much appreciated by a guest.
- A guest is not very likely to clean the bathroom he or she used when it’s time to take their leave from your house. Because of this reason you should try choosing materials that are easy to clean, for example tiles are good and quick to clean.
- If your guest bathroom has a shower, then it will most likely be very humid, especially if it’s very small and doesn’t have a window. Don’t forget this detail when you are in the process of choosing your furniture but rather try to pick materials that are not affected by humidity as much as things made of wood are.
- Don’t give up your idea or dream of having a guest bathroom just because you think your room is too small. There’s always a lot of options you might have not thought about.
Now that we’ve covered the basis, let’s move on to how you can actually make a guest bathroom feel personal and welcoming. The idea is that little things like shelves and hangers generally make people feel at home because those items show them they have places and room to place their personal belongings. My suggestion is that no matter how little guest bathroom space you have, you should try to fit at least a small cabinet and a shelf somewhere and maybe a hanger on the inside of the bathroom door. If you think you don’t have enough space for a cabinet and a sink then don’t worry, you won’t have to choose between the two and probably give up the cabinet idea.
There are many sinks that can be built-in in a countertop, they are called integrated sinks and they can be installed anywhere you might need a sink, be it in bathrooms or in kitchens. Integrated sinks are easy to clean, and they look very modern and stylish, they come in a huge variety of materials and the countertop offers a lot of room for your guests’ personal effects. You also have a huge list of integrated sinks to choose from, they are completely customizable and you can be sure to find just the one that fits both your newly designed guest bathroom and your tastes, not to mention that if you decide to go for this kind of sinks you are going to have less trouble when trying to design your room because you are basically choosing two items that already share the same style! Then you’ll just have to coordinate the mirror that’s going to go above it, if you want one, or maybe a shelf.
Let’s move on to talking about perfect showers or bathtubs that are appropriate for a guest bathroom. Since the guest bathroom is, in most cases, a small environment, it’s very rare to have the space to fit both a shower and a comfortable bathtub, but don’t worry, you don’t need both of them to make your bathroom feel familiar. If you only have the space to pick one of the two, then it’s highly recommended to go for a shower, since it’s something that every guest you may have is definitely going to use, while the bathtub might be overlooked by some people since bathing is not everybody’s favourite method of relaxation, not to mention that a bathtub takes up way more space than a shower does.
This said, there are hundreds of small shower boxes to pick from when you are designing a guest bathroom, so don’t be afraid to take inspiration on the web or, if you are out of ideas, remember that bathroom design companies are easy to find and always ready to show you different materials and items.
If you believe that you cannot give up having a bathtub, then maybe you should consider some shower and bathtub units. Especially if you don’t have a lot of space, an Alcove shower bathtub unit could be the perfect solution for your bathroom. It’s known for being the smallest unit you can possibly find and, if you have the opportunity, try to install it right under a window to make your guest bathroom look bigger than it actually is.
Do you need some tricks to make your bathroom look bigger? Here they are:
The first thing we need to consider before talking about anything else is the light. If you have a window, then using natural light to illuminate your guest bathroom is a must. If you don’t have a window but you have the opportunity to build one, then please do. The bigger a window is the better; windows don’t only mean a lot of light, but they also mean fresher air and a more relaxing atmosphere. If you can’t have a window, then try some led lights, maybe one near the shower unit and one near the mirror or sink. Led lights tend to make rooms feel deeper and that might be just what you need for your newly designed bathroom.
Here is another valuable suggestion to make you bathroom feel bigger: mirrors. Big ones, small ones, they all work, the important thing is that you position them relatively near the entrance of the bathroom, otherwise they are not going to serve this very specific purpose.
The last suggestion is avoiding heavy curtains, both on the windows and on the shower. It’s better to go for light materials in any case but, if we are talking about the shower curtain, try to consider using a glass shower door, your bathroom is going to feel bigger and also more modern.
Okay, this is basically everything you need to know when need to design or refurbish a guest bathroom, I hope this article was useful to all of you and that it gave you some good ideas in order to design the perfect guest bathroom!