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32 | Kitchen & Bath Design News | October 2015 Designer's Notebook familiar with hanger systems and bowls available from our respected plumbing fxture manufacturers. » » Oversized recessed medicine cabinets are much better than surface-mounted cabinets in a small space. You do not want to overlook the value of increasing the visual sense of space. The way your room looks or feels can add dramatically to the sense of space. Some sug- gested guidelines: » » Use oversized tiles: Do not use small tiles in a small bathroom – it just makes it look smaller. » » Repeat or continue the same prod- uct in much of the space. Concentrate on adding a simple focal point to be enjoyed. In this shower, it's the tall vertical stripes at the back wall. » » Whenever possible, use frameless shower enclosures with clear glass so the depth of the shower is part of the space. » » As I mentioned earlier, free- standing, console-type furniture can make a bathroom feel much larger than enclosed space. CASE STUDY #2 If you're planning a small vanity, ofset the lavatory so you can have a decent set of drawers. I think centering the sink is a waste of space: one larger landing space and wider drawer/cabi- net shelving makes more sense. Rather than a sliding or swing- ing shower, become familiar with decorative ceiling-mounted shower curtain systems that allow the en - tire shower area to be open to the bathroom when not in use. Here's a Web site you might visit: TRAX, www.ceilingshowerrod.com. Using the same material through- out the entire bathroom, but changing the size or confguration, can add in- terest yet still keep the sense of space open. In this bathroom, a slab stone is seen as a vanity top. Matching stone tiles are then used in a "car- pet" pattern on the foor: combining 12"x12" tile with a 1"x1" border, and fnished by a 6"x6" diagonal center pattern. The same material is used in the wainscoting and for enclosing the shower. I suspect most of us look for linen closets to repurpose when attempting to stretch bathroom space. Let's take a look at other adjacent room spaces that might be repurposed to increase a bathroom's size. CASE STUDY #3 When considering a bathroom that needs more space, measure all of the rooms adjacent to it. It is also critical to identify the di- rection of the ceiling joists so that you can consider expanding the bathroom space without being required to engi - neer a wood or steel beam. If the bathroom opens into a bed- room, measure the furniture and bed in that room and make sure you and the client clearly agree on what is re- quired furniture in the bedroom and, therefore, what foor space might be repurposed for the bathroom. Use angles to help you solve dif- fcult spaces. This bathroom solution (see photos, page 34), designed by an NKBA award winner, employs angles. » » The new closet space is angled to maximize rod length so the owner had just about the same amount of space in the new closet as was avail- able in the former two-closet design. » » The angled solution in the show- er provides acceptable access at the entry and shower usage area under the showerhead. The shower then becomes much more narrow at the back bench and hand-held shower area. » » The vanity was also angled back from the door so that it provides storage…and drama! CASE STUDY #2 Here is a hall bathroom that was locked into the existing square footage. The foor space occupied by the linen closet opening into the hallway was reallocated to the bathroom, so the highly desired stall shower could replace the combination bathtub/shower enclosure. Note the addition of a bench at the end of the space. A simple vanity replaced the pedestal fxture, providing storage and counter space. Images courtesy of Ellen Cheever, CMKBD, ASID, CAPS, Ellen Cheever & Associates, Wilmington, DE, www.ellencheever.com, and Pietro Giorgi, Sr., CMKBD, Giorgi Kitchens & Designs, Wilmington, DE, www.giorgikitchens.com. Photography: Peter Leach, Peter Leach Photography, www.peterleachphotography.com Continued on page 34