10.28.08

Bathroom Design 101

Posted in baths at 6:19 pm by Administrator

Trends come and go and it is time for the 5×7 bathroom to go. This box has killed innovation and dates to the 1920’s when the bathroom was required to appear in every home. The new code often resulted in cubbyhole baths rather than the previous conversion of a larger existing space like a bedroom conversion of the early Victorian era.
It is not that a small bathroom is inherently bad, it is that the 5×7 bathroom has become a stamped standard and left little room for innovation. Many of the homes in our neighborhood built within the last 10 years were built with three 5×7 baths, a perfect fit for the appraisal but a poor fit for home occupants. How many times have you had three bathtubs operating at the same time? Bathtub, sink and commode have constituted a full bath, and a shower has been of less value. How may times have you bathed in the last month? How many times have you showered? Why are tubs preferred over showers when we shower more than we bathe? Curiously, showers evolved from barracks and gymnasiums and perhaps that is why they were valued less than a luxurious bath. There is a great historical perspective about bathrooms at www.washingtonian.com It is a good place to start to think outside the current boxed bathroom.

Both design and safety must be considered when planning, building or remodeling a bath or bathrooms.

There are many reports about the frequency and severity of bathroom accidents. The market is full of gadget products aimed at fixing existing bathroom safety issues. A 5×7 bathroom is packed with potential injury, yet very little thought about safety occurs when they are designed and built. Entering and exiting a bathtub tops the list of hazards. When you are considering remodeling or building a new bathroom we recommend consulting the National Kitchen & Bath Association planning guidelines and ask your contractor specifically about safety. If you receive a poor response, look for a more experienced and knowledgeable bathroom designer and or contractor.
Bathroom safety is more involved than a grab bar and does not need to be institutional and without charm or beauty.

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