2021 ᐈ

Finish options

In modern homes, the bathroom can be combined or separate. A separate toilet usually has a very limited area, sometimes less than 1 square meter. m. This significantly complicates its arrangement. In apartments of later construction and in private houses, the toilet area is usually much larger.

Modern finishing materials make it possible to furnish both cramped and large rooms equally beautifully and stylishly.

When choosing a material, you need to proceed from the fact that the toilet is a public space, so the material should be:

strong, reliable, durable;
hygienic, easy to clean, so you can quickly wash or clean the walls using detergents;
resistant to moisture, not subject to swelling or darkening;
environmentally friendly, fireproof.

In addition, the wall covering will need to be protected from mold and mildew, which often appear in high humidity.

Before choosing a material, you should determine the stylistic direction of the design, then calculate the required amount of work and materials. If necessary, make the following preparation:

replace the door;
level and raise the floor;
install new pipes and plumbing;
arrange shelves, cabinets, cabinets, if required by the project.

After the final finishing of the walls, ceiling and floor, it is the turn of the lighting fixtures.

Regardless of the finishing method, you should remember that it is better to decorate the walls in a small room in light, pastel colors or pure white. The usual blue or light green shades always look great.

Toilet design requires minimalism. The interior is complemented with dark elements (floors, stripes, panels), bright lacquered objects, chrome elements, faucets, and fittings.

Wallpaper

The humidity in the toilet is not very high, so it is possible to use wallpaper to create an interesting interior. This is democratic, accessible material. It is necessary to choose the right colors and patterns so that a small room does not look even smaller.

Geometric patterns and light cellular shapes on a dark background visually expand the space.

It is recommended to choose wallpaper that is resistant to moisture - textile, vinyl, non-woven, liquid. It’s easy to glue wallpaper yourself, the main thing is to ensure that the surface of the walls is perfectly flat before doing so.

Plastic panels

The humidity in the toilet room is slightly higher than in other rooms, but much lower than in the bathroom. Therefore, finishing a toilet with plastic panels is the most common and affordable design method, since the panels perfectly retain their properties and appearance even in conditions of high humidity.

They are easy to install, they look very beautiful and modern.

In addition, their low cost is attractive. The disadvantage is that before hanging the panels on the walls and ceiling, a frame is built, which makes the cramped room even smaller:

For the frame, bars measuring 30 x 30 are used, which are nailed in increments of 40-45 cm, and panels are hung on top.
Ceiling panels should be a lighter shade.
The joints are decorated with plastic corners and ceiling plinths.

If the room size is less than 2 sq. m, then the panels are attached directly to the wall without a frame. Sometimes they do not sheathe the entire surface of the wall, but only its lower part to the middle. In this case, multi-colored panels with drawings look original.

The remaining part of the wall and ceiling is covered with wallpaper or self-adhesive film, and the border is marked using molding. Before gluing wallpaper or film, you will need to carefully level the surface of the walls.

Ceramic tiles and mosaics

The traditional, and still the most popular type of interior decoration for a toilet room is tiles. Its main advantage is the ability to choose the shape and color to your liking - manufacturers offer a wide range of this environmentally friendly, beautiful material.

You can easily choose a variety of decorative elements and accessories for it.

The tiles are different:

strength, durability;
ease of care;
water resistance.

It does not absorb odors, which is extremely important in the bathroom.

The tiles are laid simultaneously on the floor and walls, beautifully combining colors and configurations. The mosaic looks very stylish. However, it is advisable to use it to dilute a plain surface of tiles or wood. It is not recommended to decorate the entire surface of the wall with it; it visually makes the room smaller.

The walls are pre-leveled; a base made of plaster or cement-bonded particle boards is suitable for installing the tiles.

A quick, practical finishing option can be considered painting the walls, for which they are first perfectly leveled. Use moisture-resistant latex or silicone paints. Decorative plaster allows you to give walls an unusual relief.

At the same time, it is practical, moisture- and vapor-tight, and not susceptible to fungi and mold.

Designer finishing

This option is acceptable for those who plan to spend a significant amount of money on finishing. Moreover, the area of bathrooms in the houses of such people is always larger than in ordinary apartments. A designer is invited to design the interior of the toilet, select materials, and monitor the progress of work.

Natural stones are usually used - marble, granite, onyx, malachite. They are combined with wallpaper, bamboo, fabrics, and cork.

The interior is additionally decorated with mirrors, lamps, and decorative elements.

The combination of several materials looks very beautiful: marble, wood, wallpaper, panels, glass. To do this, the room (even a small one) is divided into several zones, each of which is finished individually.

Multicolored tiles – add brightness to a utilitarian room

Tiles with a pattern or ornament have been used for wall cladding for so long that it is already difficult to find the origins of the use of this bright and non-trivial finishing material. With the help of colored tiles, you can create any mood for the toilet room, highlight accent areas, emphasize the perimeter or individual interior items and plumbing fixtures.

Using patchwork style tiles to cover the entire space of a small room is not only expensive, but also too colorful. But for finishing individual surfaces, especially areas exposed to the greatest moisture and pollution, ceramic tiles with a pattern are ideal. The motley pattern of the tiles adds variety to the color schemes of the bathroom and gives the room a positive mood and lightness.

One of the options for using tiles with ornaments is to decorate an accent wall. In this case, your toilet is guaranteed a bright and original interior.

Several bright, saturated tones on one surface will provide a high degree of quality to your interior. An accent wall will look advantageous next to light trim and neutral colors.

Matching colors

Despite the fact that color solutions when decorating a toilet can be very diverse, they are not always successful. And the matter may be either in the perception of space when a certain color dominates, or in an unsuccessful selection of color combinations.

To prevent this from happening, it is worth considering several nuances:

A small space needs visual expansion. This cannot be achieved by using dark colors that outline the boundaries of the room.
In a limited space you cannot use many tones; this creates visual ripples and makes the interior tacky, contrary to the principles of style.
A stylish project needs a maximum of three colors, one of which will be the dominant or background, the other its contrast, the third a connector of two tones.
The walls need to be visually moved apart, so the base should be a light color. It will relieve the negative atmosphere that is created in a tiny space.
All elements of the arrangement are maintained in the selected colors. There is no need to include something into the interior composition that will stand out from the general background.

A small toilet should have white. It is this that should be taken as a basis when choosing a tone for the ceiling. The walls can also be white, even partially.

White goes well with all tones of the color palette. It takes on their emotional coloring and is a softener and expander of space. Whatever color it is combined with, the contrast will be harmonious.

For example, the best companions for him can be blue, green, pistachio, light blue, and coffee. It goes well with gray and brown.

White color goes well with wood tones; today this solution is considered one of the most popular. In addition, with the right approach to color, it can be combined with black, which will allow you to create an interior in neutral tones.

However, the amount of black in this case is dosed so that it does not change the perception from expressiveness to negative.

Among other tones, when choosing a color scheme, it is worth taking a closer look at combinations of white with lavender, violet-burgundy, orange and asphalt, blue and brown (sand, chocolate). When choosing a color, sometimes the decisive factor is, for example, the wallpaper print. For example, it can successfully combine red, gray-blue and white.

It will not compete with the main background if white or light gray is chosen as the basis for the design.

It is undesirable to resort to negative contrasts, for example, combinations of red and black, green and acid orange, wood and poisonous red. There should be a sense of taste in everything.

If it is difficult to decide on the choice of harmonious contrast, you can use the color wheel. With its help you will be able to choose the most correct solution.

When choosing a color to decorate the interior of a toilet, one cannot help but take into account the background design of the home itself. Of course, no one says that the color in all rooms should be identical. But its radical change can change perception from harmonious to negative.

For example, when the interior of an apartment or house is made in neutral colors (in combination of white with gray, black), a poisonous red or red-gray version of the background solution will not fit into the design concept.

Gilding in a small space looks heavy, which is why it has to be dosed, reducing the ornateness of the finish. Chrome will look quite harmonious with white (for example, in the decoration of fittings, toilet paper holder, etc.). You should not combine green or blue with yellow, red with orange and brown.

Grey-mint goes well with silver and white, beige with gray and white, chocolate with white and milk. When choosing a suitable combination, the temperature of the tones is taken into account: it should be similar.

Advantages and disadvantages of gray in bathroom design

Gray color is great for decorating a bathroom. It is often chosen by designers when decorating a room in different styles.

The main advantages of the color under discussion include:

Versatility. Gray can be harmoniously integrated into the design of any style. It goes well with most complementary colors and shades.
Neutrality and psychological stability. The gray color does not catch the eye and does not tire. It can be successfully combined with both discreet shades and bright contrasting ones. At the same time, the color calms and does not overload the nervous system.
Low eye strain. It is comfortable to stay in a gray bathroom even for a long time. There will be no effect of color saturation.
Feeling of freshness, cleanliness, abundance of air. This is true for spaces of any size.
Good reflective effect.

Thanks to gray as the main color in the interior, it is easy to make it chic and rich. This effect can be achieved even with a minimum of expensive parts.

But the color also has some disadvantages when used in the bathroom:

Boredom, monotony, banality. This result can be obtained if there is too much gray in the room.
The need to choose lighting wisely. Even a small mistake in the placement of lamps can ruin the entire design idea.
Visual coldness. It prevents you from creating a truly comfortable, cozy space.
The likelihood of a visually smaller room when using too dark shades.

To neutralize the visual coldness of a gray bathtub, it is worth using a warm tone of lighting. It will also help to correct the problem of mother-of-pearl in the finishing, as well as wooden structures.

Project planning

The modern design of a small toilet begins with careful consideration of all the details and taking measurements of the room. That is, you will need a pencil and paper.

Next, it is necessary to provide in the project such basic points as:

Dismantling works;
Repair work;
Finishing activities;
Installation of modern equipment.

Each point needs to be described in detail and specific actions identified. The spatial capabilities of the room will be of key importance, which should be used as efficiently as possible. To do this, you need to pay attention to such inconspicuous places as room corners, various niches, and areas near the toilet.

You should also ask yourself whether it is possible to hide plumbing and engineering communications in the thickness of the wall. Because if they were previously visible, this will allow you to gain extra meters of such important space.

Further, the next point could be the arrangement of false walls, the installation of compact niches for storing household products, and placing water meters.

However, first you will probably need to level the floor and wall surfaces. Once this has been decided, you can roughly imagine the free zones for installing plumbing equipment. It could even be a heating boiler if it is compact in size.

The last point will be the task of competent organization of lighting, which implies not only the selection of a suitable lamp, but also the installation of hidden cable wires in the room.

Planning actions

In a modest area it is often quite problematic to place all the necessary interior items and plumbing fixtures. However, there are no impossible tasks. In this case, the goal of any designer will be to competently redesign the space to increase the comfort of staying in the bathroom. The presented photos of a bathroom renovation in a panel house confirm the need to use comprehensive measures to ensure convenience and a harmonious interior of the bathroom.

The use of comprehensive measures to transform space will change the design of the room for the better

As you plan your actions, remember that the process usually goes like this:

dismantling worn-out equipment and finishing;
leveling walls and conducting communications;
finishing of all planes;
placement of lighting fixtures;
equipping the bathroom with plumbing fixtures and necessary furniture.

To begin with, it is worth deciding on the nature of the restructuring. Sometimes cosmetic finishing of the room will be enough. However, if the water supply or sewer system fails, the optimal solution would be a complete restoration of the bathroom.

The redevelopment project will help specify the tasks

It is necessary to draw up a floor plan with a detailed diagram of communications and lighting. It would be advisable to have color sketches in order to determine the design of the cladding and the placement of plumbing fixtures. This stage of work will greatly simplify your task in the future.

Choosing an interior style

The most common mistakes when creating the design of a small toilet are the lack of overall balance, an abundance of decor, a very bright palette of colors.

Below we will consider style directions that harmoniously fit into a small room area.

Minimalism style in a small toilet

For a small toilet, the ideal combination is comfort and functional simplicity. Minimalism welcomes light contrasts of dark and light shades, natural finishing materials (stone, wood, glass), and the absence of bulky decorations.

They can be replaced by panels on the ceiling and decorative compact lamps.

Classic style in a small toilet

If the overall interior of the house is made in a classic style, then the toilet should be decorated in this luxurious direction. Metal mosaics, ancient statues, large chandeliers will be out of place in a small room.

Here you need to give preference to marble floors, antique mirrors, and antique sink shapes.

Provence style in a small toilet

Light colors combined with the elegance of each individual detail can add additional space and lightness to a small toilet. Attention should definitely be paid to decor and textiles.

It is worth giving preference to linen rugs and towels, mosaics and paintings, which include discreet ornaments, as well as floral elements.

Eco-style in a small toilet

The name of this style speaks for itself. The uniqueness of the room will be emphasized by eco-friendly finishing materials and textiles, and the atmosphere here will be made more stylish by ceramic tiles and small stone souvenirs.

Colors should be in harmony with each other and be as restrained as possible.

Loft style in a small toilet

Industrial notes are becoming more and more popular in design. For a modern person, not only practical, but also aesthetic aspects are important. The loft style in a small toilet is a wall-mounted toilet, wooden elements, flat facades.

One of the walls is made accent and decorated like a brick. Taken together, it will look comfortable, original and simple.

Choosing furniture for a gray bathroom

A gray bathroom allows you to experiment with furniture of different styles. These can be modern, laconic sets or designer versions of unusual massive cabinets, sinks, benches, and shelving.

If you plan to combine gray decoration and the same furniture in a room, then their shades should be very different. For example, a light background and darker objects on it. Gray furniture is practical and looks stylish. It is possible to choose both matte and glossy facades for it.

An interesting option is to use wooden furniture in a gray finish. For example, from walnut, oak or other moisture-resistant material. Wooden furniture allows you to add warmth and comfort to a room.

The combination of gray finishes and snow-white furniture in the bathroom is considered a win-win. In this case, it is better to choose matte tiles. You can additionally use a variety of bright, stylish accessories.

Paintings in the toilet room

It is not recommended to decorate the interior of the toilet with paintings by famous artists or works of art. Sometimes one simple painting is enough, although their number depends on the taste and design decisions of the owners. The main thing is that they must match the style of the toilet room:

Paintings with images of animals, fish, and plastic letters look great against a dark, monochromatic background.
You can hang pictures in beautiful frames on a plain, bright background.
If the toilet is decorated with delicate, soft colors, images of flowers and other paintings made in pastel shades are suitable.
If the decoration is made in country style, then images of butterflies and other insects are appropriate.

In the toilet you can hang landscapes, abstractions, images of nude figures, any paintings related to the sea, water. Panels and embroidered fabrics are suitable for toilet design if it is possible to constantly ventilate the room.

Combined finishing with tiles

Using tiles of different colors and textures within one surface is a good option for diversifying the interior of a bathroom.

The successful juxtaposition of glossy metro tiles and textured multi-colored tiles brought harmony to the decor of a small toilet. Despite the use of neutral shades, the room looks bright and inviting.

The reddish-brown shades of porcelain stoneware and pebble stone, used for a combined finish, created an interesting image of the room. The original design of the sink completed the non-trivial image.

Ceramic and mosaic tiles perfectly complement each other; a discreet but memorable union fits harmoniously into the interior of a small toilet with snow-white sanitary ware of an original shape.

Toilet design with installation

In the interior of a small bathroom, a toilet with an installation is often used. This is a special engineering device with which the attached equipment in the toilet (toilet, bidet, sink) is attached to the walls, and sometimes additionally to the floor.

All communications and the drain tank remain invisible, the load falls not on the floor, but on a special module that can withstand up to 400 kg.

If the wall is solid or concrete, you should select a wall mount. If the walls are not strong, they are mounted on the floor.

Advantages of the installation: it can be placed anywhere; there is no need to trench walls or floors. A large volume of space is freed up due to the lack of visible communications, and cleaning is noticeably easier.

Installations are:

Frame. They consist of a steel frame, which bears the main load.
Block. They consist of a flat tank, fasteners, and a drain button, which are hidden behind a false wall. The outer part is a floor-mounted or wall-mounted toilet.
Installations can be straight , that is, installed directly against the wall, or corner .

Plumbing and furniture

The most important thing in a toilet is high-quality plumbing. Choose compact models that will be comfortable and will not overload the space.

It is very important to practice hygiene and wash your hands every day. It is important to choose the right sink. Choose compact models that will not take up much space. Corner sinks have become popular in the last few years. They can also be mounted above the cistern. It is important that the mixers are also compact. If you have free space, you can install a sink with a cabinet.

Pay special attention to the toilet. Choose miniature models that will save space in the toilet. Floor-standing, wall-hung and corner toilets are popular. Shades should depend on the overall style of the room.

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Toilets can be used as accent pieces. Red or black toilets will look original in the interior.

You should not place massive cabinets in the toilet. Hang a wall cabinet or shelf to store cosmetics and cleaning products. The compact toilet paper holder looks original.

Lighting

Given the limited space, the choice of lamps for decorating a toilet will have to be approached carefully. If the project is combined, in addition to central lighting, auxiliary lighting is used. Moreover, wall lamps can be located on both sides of a small mirror, above it, and sometimes behind the toilet.

In general, small, laconic-shaped lamps are used for lighting.

These can be panels (flat and rounded), point lighting fixtures with directional luminous flux, sometimes spots, as well as LED strip. The last type of lighting is considered the most rational: the tape takes up little space and allows for installation on walls and ceilings. Depending on the number of LEDs, it can illuminate the room partially or completely.

And if you choose the RGB class option for arrangement, then the owners will be able to change the shade of the supplied light at their own request.

To choose the right lamps, you need to think about their location, take into account compatibility with the decoration, and select shades in accordance with the stylistic decision. Chandeliers, voluminous and bulky lamps are excluded. The size of the lighting device is selected based on the height of the ceiling and the area itself.

In modern trends these are often laconic spotlights.

Flooring

Materials for finishing the floors of restrooms and bathrooms in panel buildings must simultaneously meet several criteria. They must be durable and not afraid of moisture, and also not be subject to deformation due to the combined influence of the specific microclimate of small bathrooms.

Today, floor finishing with natural wood or waterproof laminate is very popular. However, in tiny rooms it is better to refrain from such a decision. Firstly, these coatings, despite their characteristics, are still not suitable for rooms with a high content of wet steam. Secondly, often the cost of these quality materials is too high and is comparable to the price of floor tiles.

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Laying tiles diagonally in a checkerboard pattern creates the illusion of expanding space

An inexpensive and fairly simple solution would be to lay linoleum. However, such a coating is highly susceptible to mechanical stress and will lose its aesthetic characteristics over time.

Given the modest area, the best option would be to cover the floor with tiles or porcelain stoneware. Only this material guarantees long-term use while maintaining its original appearance.

In general, repairing a toilet in a panel house, photographs of examples of which you will see below, should be done as functionally and simply as possible.

Decor

This is not to say that in a space with a limited area you can place a lot of accessories. However, if you approach this issue from a functional point of view, then you can decorate the interior of the toilet effectively and stylishly. If the design is laconic, the facade of the niche can be decorated with “self-adhesive” with a discreet print, characteristic of the chosen stylistic solution.

This way the niche will be camouflaged, and the interior will be more expressive.

Often, when arranging a toilet, they add a soft rug. However, when purchasing, they often do not pay attention to the fact that the rug does not suit the design of a particular toilet room. If you choose it to match one of the shades of the interior composition, it will be a completely appropriate and functional element that also carries a decorative load.

Its color can be similar to the panels, the finish of the lamp, the color of the switch, or the paper holder.

Sometimes you can see fresh flowers in the interior decoration of the toilet. This technique cannot be called successful and logical, because flowers need light and air, and the toilet room is dark and closed. You should not hang framed pictures on the walls - this approach to decoration is devoid of common sense. You should not admire the paintings in the toilet; it is intended for a different purpose.

A wall cladding print can be an excellent decorative element of the interior. At the same time, in order to look expressive, it should not be large and flashy. Previously, there was no such variety, which is why the walls of the toilet were often decorated with all kinds of flowers.

Today, the construction market is filled with all kinds of goods, which allows you to choose truly appropriate finishing elements.

For example, this could be a finishing composition on one of the walls with the texture of a board or stone. Against the background of such a wall, any lamp will look not only functional, but also as a decorative element of the interior.

At the same time, figurines, flowerpots, clocks and decorative candles are not accessories for the toilet room.

They have no place here, because the role of a decorative component can be taken by the same soap dish, organizer or lamp. At the same time, these accessories will not waste space in an already limited space.

We make an estimate

It is very important to determine the amount of materials needed for restoration and draw up a budget for the event. You should know that about a quarter of the required amount should be included in this estimate for unforeseen expenses. If your financial situation does not allow you to completely replace all objects, it would be advisable to choose what will be a priority and where you can save.

Find out in advance about the types of finishing materials, as well as their quality and cost. In a small room, the best solution would be to use really high-quality products. However, this does not mean that you will have to choose the most expensive materials. You can always find the optimal match of both quality and price.

If you are planning to replace plumbing, look for non-standard solutions that can visually increase the size of the bathroom in a panel house. The same rule applies to the choice of furniture and other decorative elements.

It makes sense to choose non-standard models of plumbing fixtures

In most cases, hiring professional craftsmen to carry out repair work becomes a separate expense item. To reduce your budget, think about at which stage you can save money without compromising quality, and where you can’t do without the help of specialists.

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Sink above the toilet in a small toilet

Combo toilets are becoming widespread in modern design. This is a combination of a toilet and a sink on a cistern. The sink serves as a cistern lid. This is very beneficial for owners of small toilets, as it saves space.

On the other hand, there is a noticeable saving of water (up to 25%) due to the fact that the water used for washing hands enters the tank and is used for flushing.

There are various filters inside the tank to purify used water. Automation controls the overflow of the tank if too much water accumulates after washing hands. If there is not enough water, it comes from a special unit. Often the combo toilet is equipped with a shower.

The downside is the water temperature; you won’t be able to wash your hands with warm water.

Additionally, access to the sink may be difficult. An important factor can be considered natural disgust, which not everyone can overcome: it is psychologically difficult to carry out hygienic procedures over the toilet - cleaning the combo toilet should be carried out in the morning and evening.