How to Make the Most of Your Space
DESIGN TIPS
HOW TO MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR SPACE
Case Study: Winthrop Residence Master Suite & Powder Room | Photography by Benjamin Ngooi
August 6, 2020
Contrary to what you may think, it’s possible to improve the functionality of your space and also make it look and feel bigger - all without having to make changes to the existing footprint of your room or fussing around with moving walls. We did exactly that with our Winthrop Ensuite & Powder Room project which I’ll use here as a case study to demonstrate how this can be done.
On the owner’s wish list was closing off the doorway between the ensuite and toilet (scroll down to see original floor plans) to create a separate powder room for guests as well as adding in a new toilet and twin vanity to their ensuite. They were also hoping to make their shower area more spacious and retain a separate bath. Whilst adding in new fixtures and additional storage to an already tight space and also increasing the sense of space might seem paradoxical, I’ll walk you through some ways this can be achieved.
FREE UP FLOOR SPACE
Freeing up floor space not only provides the physical room for additional fixtures, but it also lends an airy feel to a design, increasing the sense of space and flow. In order to do away with the old freestanding cabinet in this bathroom, we ensured ample storage was provided in the vanity and mirror cabinet. Other space-enhancing changes we made include removing the old, bricked-in spa hob and wall mounting the vanity in both the ensuite and powder room to keep them off the floor and feel less imposing in such a tight space.
RETHINK YOUR FLOOR PLAN
A good floor plan is crucial when it comes to maximising your space. Sometimes the existing layout may already be fine, especially in a really small space where your options are limited, but other times you’ll be surprised at how much more you can accommodate just by re-jigging the location of things and re-considering their size. Bear in mind though, it does cost more to start moving around services. In this instance, we moved the shower area over to next to the bath to create a wet room (more on this later) and shifted the vanity right across to the LHS of the room to create room for a toilet on the opposite side of the room.
SHRINK YOUR VANITY DEPTH
We kept the depth of the vanity relatively narrow (although deeper than the original vanity at 400mm) to be able to accommodate a toilet on the opposite wall. It’s quite long though so it still feels really generous in proportions. The four discrete push-to-open drawers provide plenty of storage for spare towels, toiletries, makeup and spare toilet rolls.
CHOOSE WALL-MOUNTED TAP WARE
Using wall-mounted tapware saved on precious bench space as we could install the basins relatively close to the wall, allowing us to choose decent-sized basins despite the narrower depth of the vanity.
GET THE MOST OUT OF YOUR MIRROR CABINET
The mirror cabinet was designed to be as deep and large as possible without impeding on the sense of space. It provides loads of storage for medicines, toiletries, cleaning and spare bath products. It’s also fitted with two concealed power points, handy for keeping the electric toothbrush tucked out of sight.
TRY A SLIDING CAVITY DOOR
The original sliding door into the ensuite from the bedroom was shifted across and converted into a cavity sliding door to save on space. A cavity style door allows the wall space on either side of the door opening to be functional (in this case providing a place for two separate towel rails) whereas previously a section of wall had to be kept clear to allow the door to slide open.
CREATE A WET ROOM
The original built-in shower was relocated next to the bath to create a spacious wet room with overhead shower, separate hand shower and freestanding bath. A wet room is a great way to save on space as you only need the one shower screen (if, at all) and looks and feels really airy and luxurious.
SAVE SPACE WITH WALL NICHES
We cut out wall niches in both the shower and bath areas to hold toiletries, saving the need for wall mounted shelves or floor stands.
CREATE THE ILLUSION OF SPACE
Mirrors are not only an important decorative element and a practical requirement in a bathroom, but also a great trick to visually expand a room and reflect light, making a space feel lighter and larger with strategic placement. They’re also an example of where bigger can sometimes be better, and in this instance, we sourced an oversized brass mirror for the powder room to make it feel larger and lighter.
