A bathroom is an important element of any home. Unfortunately, not everyone is lucky enough to have a spacious sanitary room. What can be changed and how to make the space modern, comfortable – we share tips from professionals.
Features of the layout
Apartments in houses built during the reign of Khrushchev have their own characteristics – small common living space, small kitchen, tiny bathroom, most often combined with a bathroom.
Such apartments belong to the category of small-sized compact housing.. It seems that the apartment has everything you need, but at a minimum. The main goal of such construction is to provide each Soviet family with separate housing. As a result, the footage of the apartments was severely affected, especially their sanitary facilities..
Apartments – “Khrushchev” poorly equipped with heat and sound insulation. There is no elevator or garbage chute in houses with such housing. The height of such houses does not exceed 5 floors. One of the few advantages of the layout is a separate room as a storage room, built-in wardrobes. The main communications are cold and hot water pipes, sewerage systems are located in the toilet. Walls and corners in rooms are not always even and straight.
Repair of a small bathroom: what to consider?
To equip a small bathroom comfortably and practically, you need to take into account all the nuances and features of this room. You can get a more spacious room by combining the bathroom and toilet, dismantle the wall between them, hide the communications in a separate box, but so that in case of pipe leakage it can be easily opened.
Due to its small area, small a bathroom requires a more thought-out design in terms of practicality, competent selection of facing and finishing materials.
So, drywall or plastic panels are not suitable as wall cladding, since they have a certain width and are sewn onto horizontal slats nailed to the wall. Such a solution will significantly reduce the area of an already very modest room in terms of dimensions..
But the described material is perfect for forming a box for pipes and other communications, a niche for a washing machine, shelves, shelves for storing bath accessories and other items. The material for wall cladding should be thin enough, moisture resistant, easy to clean.
Combined bathroom option
In many series of “Khrushchev” houses, the bathroom is already combined, it contains 3 objects necessary for life – a bathroom, a sink and a toilet bowl. With a separate bathroom, you can add functionality and expand such a room by combining a bathroom and a toilet room. The usable area of the room will become larger due to unused corners. In a small bathroom, you can additionally place only the most necessary things – a washing machine, a narrow cabinet-case, hang hanging cabinets over the sink.
Bathroom with washing machine – multifunctional room. With a small footage of all rooms and premises of the “Khrushchev” apartment, only a washing machine can be placed in the bathroom. The machine should be compact in size, very narrow, and front-loaded. There is no place for a larger car in the “Khrushchev” bathroom. Depending on where the bathroom and sink are located, the place for placing the washing machine is determined. It is usually just placed along the opposite wall..
Another option – remove the bathroom and put a shower cabin instead – in this case, a certain space is freed up not only for placing the washing machine, but also for other furniture. You can place an automatic washing machine under the sink between the bathtub and toilet. If you borrow a part of the corridor and combine it with a sanitary room, you can equip a niche in it for a washing machine.
It is very convenient and functional to put the machine under the sink – this frees up space where you can place a cupboard for towels and other accessories.
Arrangement of a separate small toilet
With a separate bathroom in a Khrushchev apartment, the room where the toilet is located is very tiny. It is unlikely that the footage of the room will allow you to put something else in it besides the toilet. As cladding tile is ideal – it is thin, practical and beautiful.
In the corner next to the toilet, you can place an urn and a toilet bowl cleaning kit, hang a wall cabinet on the wall to store the necessary little things, fix a toilet paper holder. The color scheme is preferable to pastel, light colors visually expand the space of the room.
Toilet design in “Khrushchev”: creating an interior step by step
The color scheme in a small bathroom in a Khrushchev apartment depends on the personal taste and preferences of its owners.. Light pastels visually increase the size of the room, but the color scheme does not have to be monochromatic. Ceramic tiles that combine several tones of the same color are perfect for wall decoration.. The combination of shades makes the room brighter and more elegant.
Renovation of a bathroom with painted walls looks good, without the use of cladding materials. Painted walls in the toilet are back in fashion, this is the most budgetary option for decorating a toilet room. Reliable moisture-resistant water-based paint retains its original appearance for a long time. And if you choose the right color or combination of colors, you can turn the toilet into a stylish room.. But this finishing option also has its drawbacks:
- painted surfaces are sensitive to external mechanical influences (paint can crack, peel off, it can be easily scratched with a sharp object);
- in case of high humidity and insufficient ventilation, fungus, mold may appear on the painted surface;
- with the wrong color selection, the room will look cheap and simple.
Small toilets of 3 sq. m require a competent and attentive approach when choosing finishing materials, colors, flooring and walls. The separate layout of the toilet and bathroom also needs to be decorated and furnished in a single color and style. Then the sanitary room will look harmonious and comfortable..
Colors
The choice of color palette should be focused on the main style of the room. For a small space, it is better to choose light colors, decorative elements and objects of medium size.. Mirror surfaces on cabinets, decorative elements, lighting fixtures will help to visually increase the space.. The ideal color for such a room is all shades of beige, salmon, yellow, green, pistachio, olive, a combination of chocolate and milk shades..
Finishing materials
Ideally, the ceiling can be simply painted with white paint.. For this purpose, there are acrylic, water-based, silicone, silicate paints.. They are water resistant, adhere well to the surface, and are easy to care for. The ceiling can be made matte or glossy. If its surface is not entirely even, it is advisable to level it with a sheet of drywall, into which compact lamps for spot lighting are often built. Even with a low ceiling, a few centimeters lost from above will not change the overall space of the room..
Walls are best painted with paint or ceramic tiles.. Plasterboard, chipboard sheets, plastic or wood panels, due to their thickness and method of fastening, will take a lot of space from the room and significantly reduce its useful area.
You can choose acrylic and water-based paints for painting walls.. Tiles on the walls can be monochromatic or have a combination of several tones of the same color, a smooth glossy surface expands the space. In a toilet room isolated from the bathtub, even moisture-resistant non-woven wallpaper in a pleasant color scheme with a discreet pattern can be used as wall decoration.
On the floor, porcelain stoneware is best suited, floor corrugated tiles. The practical-to-use self-leveling floor looks good. A more budget-friendly flooring option – linoleum. Color scheme – brown, chocolate, coffee with cream, black, dark green and any other tones that echo the color of the main finish.
Choosing furniture
The small footage of the bathroom in the “Khrushchev” requires a compact, thoughtful placement of furniture and plumbing in it. To save space it is better to use suspended structures that provide free space under them. Wall cabinets built into the shelf niche behind the toilet or above the front door will significantly expand the functionality of this room. From floor furniture, you can use a narrow pencil case (with combined bathroom and toilet).
Small toilet lighting and decor
For full illumination of a small space, one ceiling lamp will be enough. You can install spot lighting on the ceiling and walls, if desired, hang the sconce. As a decor, lay a bright, contrasting rug on the floor, it can be smooth or fluffy. Place original toilet paper holder, stylish toilet cleaning kit.
Style solutions
Let’s consider several style directions that are most suitable for creating an interior in a small-sized bathroom “Khrushchev”.
Loft
Loft-style decoration – the optimal solution for a small washroom. Style implies the use of simple materials (brick, artificial stone, concrete), the complete absence of decorative elements. Large-sized materials in a small room can be replaced with tiles with imitation of stone, brickwork. The room will look brutal and strict.
Minimalism
Small bathroom, decorated in the style of minimalism, looks laconic and elegant. The color palette is soft and muted. White, gray, beige tones, compact built-in appliances, shiny metal surfaces, a minimum of decor will create a sense of balance and tranquility.
Retro
To design a small room in a retro style, you can safely use two materials – paint and tiles. Tiles can only be laid at the bottom of the walls, and the top can be decorated with paint. Paintings, photographs in black and white, a vintage lamp will look good as a decor on the walls..
Provence
Provence – it is always comfort and harmony in everything. The style loves floral prints, check patterns or polka dots, decorative objects made of wood. It is recommended to place narrow round wicker baskets-tubes for storage in the corner or along the wall, hang the original wrought-iron holder for toilet paper.
Eco
Style dictates the use of natural materials in decoration and decoration, natural and environmentally friendly. Natural wood, stone or its imitation will create a feeling of a corner of nature in the room. As a decor, wooden boxes are good for various items that can be put on the floor or placed in a niche behind the toilet, wicker baskets made of willow branches and other flexible shrubs.
Feel free to experiment. Choose your own unique design. And of course, do not forget to legitimize the idea of redevelopment of the bathroom in the existing order..
Read more about the alteration of the combined bathroom in "Khrushchev" you will find out in the next video.
