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38 | Kitchen & Bath Design News | February 2015 By Andrea Girolamo Creative Bath Storage I t's the place most people begin and end their days…in a room so important to daily routine, keep- ing the tools of daily life organized and easily accessible becomes a key task for bath designers. That task is complicated by the sheer number of things homeowners seek to store there. Bulk shopping means today's economical 40-packs of toilet paper and jugs of shampoos have to go somewhere. Gone are the days of the ubiqui- tous, general-use linen closet. Instead, designers are working in ever-more specifc-use types of storage, from interior-lit magnifying cabinet mirrors for makeup storage and application, to vanity drawers where small corded appliances can be plugged in, along- side a charging cell phone. Must-haves are increasing, while square footage stays consistent. Kitch- en & Bath Design News recently spoke with designers to survey how they handle the bath storage balancing act. DURABLE, CONVENIENT, BEAUTIFUL According to Scott Haig, CKD, the challenges that storage presents for any other room in the house are pres- ent in designing beautiful and efcient bath spaces, too. Haig says his most common friction points in designing storage into baths revolve around "trying to ft all of the client requests into the [project's] limited square footage – and budget!" He names de- signing creative storage solutions that "feel correct in the design" as his other prominent challenge. Haig, a designer at Bay Area Kitchens in Houston, TX, has seen notable changes in the way clients regard the bath as a center of activity and, with those changes, evolving new expectations of how their bath's orga- nization can facilitate bettering their daily routines. "It's easy to trace the evolution of the bathroom from solely a func- tional space to one more experiential in nature," says Haig. "This requires a more sophisticated approach to place- ment of storage options and materials. Clients who want designers to create spaces they'll use every day need items to be durable, convenient, beau- tiful and moisture resistant." Just as the kitchen has to be fex- ible as the nerve center of the house, baths have to accommodate many diferent functions: morning pit stop, relaxation spot, recharging station, frst aid clinic, and countless more. Erica Ell, who designs for HAVEN design+building LLC in Richmond, VT, says that some needs are universal, however. "Everyone needs storage for the basics: towels, bath and shower supplies, cosmetics and toiletries, and corded items like hair dryers. The most common request is that stored items are hidden but easily accessible, and visible when the storage area is opened." DESIGNER: Scott Haig, CKD FIRM: Bay Area Kitchens LOCATION: Houston, TX PRODUCTS USED: Brookhaven Cabinetry's Vista slab door; Eurocube vanity faucet by Grohe; Icera Riose one-piece toilet; Delta Faucet Vero shower trim; Shower Doors of Houston shower door; Silestone by Cosentino Altair Quartz surfaces on the vanity and shower; Danze Sirius towel bars, toilet paper holder. DESIGN CHALLENGES: "The main challenge in accommodating the clients' storage needs was to incorporate more storage in a small, daily-use bathroom that originally included a bathtub. Vertical storage space was carved out of the original bathtub area and covered by a mirrored door. Shower niches were incorporated for shampoo and soap and also over the vanity, where power outlets were part of the recessed niches there." Savvy Storage Designers charged with creating smart and stylish storage spaces for the bath face a wide array of challenges, but some clever ideas can help to keep the clutter corralled.