What is the best way to arrange bathroom furniture?

Whilst the traditional layout of a bathroom has remained fairly unchanged since the introduction of shower enclosures, some people are definitely thinking outside the box when it comes to reimagining this space. Although bathrooms are generally speaking one of the smallest areas of the house, there is often space to do things a little differently, or indeed a lot differently if that is what you are looking for. Whilst putting an armchair into the bathroom usually runs into one or two problems like the issue of space and dampness, it is not unheard of to place furniture in places where it wouldn't be expected. If the room is big enough, it could provide a talking point, and be a great way to use furniture that wouldn't necessarily work in other spaces in the house.

A more conventional approach

If the idea of an armchair in the bathroom is a touch too far for you, it is certainly a good idea to consider the layout of the space and see if it can be optimised. Similarly, if new furniture is required, then creating a layout which works in context with the items already in the room is vital, especially given that a large majority of these items will be somewhat immovable such as sinks and shower cubicles. Plan it out

Making an accurate plan of the bathroom, plotting the measurements of the room, locations of the immovable objects and describing the way the bathroom and shower doors open is definitely the first step in creating a new space. Don't forget the height of the room, highly important if you are thinking about investing in tall pieces of furniture. It is probably best to use graph paper to create the plan, so that it is as accurate as possible. It would be wise to scale the drawing so that each large square on the paper equates to one metre of bathroom, and therefore each small square is 10cm long. Plotting the objects which must stay in place is vital, as the next step is to think about how the new furniture will fit. Most bathroom furniture retailers such as Bella Bathrooms provide you with measurements of items of furniture on their websites, so placing pieces in their intended positions is not only straightforward but highly accurate. If your bathroom is particularly large and you are thinking about opting for lots of new furniture, or even if your space is rather tight, it could be a good idea to cut paper out of a second piece of graph paper to represent scale diagrams of the pieces you intend to purchase. This way it is possible to move items around to avoid things like opening doors and get everything into the best position, without having to do copious amounts of rubbing out of your pencil marks.  If space is particularly tight, looking for pieces of furniture which serve dual roles, like a vanity unit which works as a pedestal for a sink and storage unit combined, can help you to maximise your space.

Image credits: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jaaronfarr/3649827300/

Source: http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2010/jan/30/interiors-furniture-in-unusual-places