Small bathroom
Small bathroom, big impact
Even small bathrooms can offer a high level of comfort and aesthetics. In light of trends such as increasing urbanization and rising rents, living space is becoming increasingly expensive and scarce, especially in cities. On average, bathrooms in Germany are slightly larger than they were a few years ago—the current average size is 9.1 square meters (2017), compared to 7.8 square meters in 2006. Nevertheless, around one in four people live in a bathroom measuring between four and six square meters.
Historical development
Even though we talk about tiny bathrooms today, the bathroom itself is a luxury, because a separate room for personal hygiene is a relatively recent achievement. It was only around 100 years ago that bathrooms found their way into middle-class apartments and houses. By the 1950s at the latest, apartments had their own "wet rooms," as the small bathrooms in housing estates were called at the time. The advent of the shower made it possible to gain even more space. And even though larger bathrooms would have been possible, for a long time the bathroom was considered purely a functional room. It was only in the past 50 years that it became a place for personal hygiene, relaxation, and self-improvement.
Compact sizes
There are many ways to design a small bathroom to be aesthetically pleasing, functional, and comfortable, turning it into your own personal wellness oasis. There are a few basic rules to follow: An open floor plan makes the bathroom appear larger, so it should not be further divided. Storage space is essential. Small niches can be used to organize bathroom accessories on shelves or storage surfaces. A homogeneous aesthetic, light tone-on-tone designs, and mirrors give small rooms a feeling of spaciousness. Targeted lighting design also helps to make the bathroom appear larger. Natural materials such as wood or stone are ideal for increasing the coziness and quality of time spent in a small bathroom. Transparency is an important factor—clear glass shower enclosures make everything appear more spacious. Ultimately, less is more. In small bathrooms, the focus should be on high-quality fixtures and fittings rather than lots of decorative items.
Micro wellness
Sieger Design presents an example of a tiny bathroom with its SPSS study, which stands for "Small Size Premium Spa." The multi-award-winning architectural concept by Michael and Christian Sieger from sieger design is based on the idea of creating a wellness oasis in the smallest of spaces. Measuring just six square meters, the design offers a luxurious micro spa: the wet area with shower and horizontal shower, combined with multimedia screens, scent, and sound, is separated from the dry area by a glass wall.
More and more sanitary products are available in compact sizes and with reduced depths. For small bathrooms, Duravit offers the D-Neo series by Bertrand Lejoly, Duravit No.1, and DuraSquare, for example. A bathtub in a small bathroom is possible with models such as Duravit Paiova or a trapezoidal corner bathtub – however, a shower tends to be more space-saving in this case. And to organize the limited space well, care products and accessories can be stored in compact bathroom furniture or Mirror cabinets from Duravit, such as those from the D-Neo series.
Overall, every square centimeter in a small bathroom should be well thought out and designed in such a way that you can move around easily and enjoy maximum functionality, comfort, and aesthetics.
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