By: Dona DeZube
Published: December 27, 2012 on houselogic.com
A New York City designer shares secrets to making a small bath both functional and beautiful.
Got a small bathroom to renovate? Go wild with texture and colors if it’s a rarely used guest bath, but stick to clean and simple in a master bath.
That’s the word from designer Jamie Gibbs, who transforms incredibly small New York City bathrooms into beautiful spaces. “I liked being shocked by details in a little space, especially if it’s not going to be used much,” Gibbs says.
His small-bath secrets:
1. Avoid textures in bathrooms that get daily use. In a heavily used bathroom, anything with texture becomes a collection spot for mold, mildew, and toothpaste. Say no to carved vessel sinks or floor tile with indentations. After all, you want to keep your bathroom floors clean, but that’s not to say that if you don’t get textured floors your bathroom will be sparkling. The floor will still need a run over with a simple floor steamer in order to keep it clean!
2. Be careful with no-enclosure showers with drains right in the floor. These Euro showers allow for a feeling of openness, but the average American contractor doesn’t know how to waterproof the floor for them, Gibbs says. The tile seals can be compromised if not installed correctly, causing the materials to decompose, and water to leak underneath.