March 20, 2008

Renovating the Not So Big Bathroom


Behind door no.2 .....

The smallest pedestal sink available on the market


Notice the corners of the bath beneath the window
( that's the width ! )



The length of the bath and the tiled border make it appear roomier

My old house didn't have a first floor bath when it was built in 1904. As a matter of fact just having an indoor bath was a luxury in those days and it was usually located in the family quarters on the second floor.

A former owner closed off the maid's staircase to the second floor and carved out a space for the world's tinest bathroom. Very clever and a good use of wasted space ! It's only 3 feet wide and located right next to the door that goes to the lower level so I had to place signage on it because guests kept opening door number 1.

During our whole house remodelling, we discovered a fake wall and proceeded to remove it , not knowing what we might find. Much to our surprise we found a beautiful old original oak window which I painted to mimic stained glass. The two feet we gained gave us a storage area on the right and more floor space which makes the bath appear larger.

Getting a sink small enough was a challenge but I found what has got to be the smallest one on the market - a mere 14 inches in diameter. Adding a terra cotta tile with a border made the small bath appear even larger.

9 comments:

  1. Very nice! Another lovely painted glass window.

    I had a tiny powder room like that in a farm house rental many years ago. It wasn't done as nicely as yours. You've really created the illusion of more space with your tile and sink choices.

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  2. Very charming, Carolyn. Love the window! Though time consuming, it's fun finding fixtures for old homes ... (It is, isn't it?)

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  3. What a good job you did on the window, I thought it was stained glass. A good laugh was had about your sink, we did literally find the smallest sink available at the time, with matching toilet for our guest bath, after deciding to put a full tub in instead of a tiny shower stall. The maker was Thomas, I think. It looks just like yours. LOL
    Frances

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  4. Hey, this is turning into a great tour! I love ths window, too. Maybe I'll throw up pics of our small master bathroom, I've been painting it (forever, itseems!)

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  5. I'm curious about you finding a window behind the false wall. Wouldn't you have seen the window on the outside and wondered what room it was for?

    Regardless, your window painting is beautiful!

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  6. Yes maam I would've been curious long before now if I had seen it from the outside but it was covered over with layers of old siding which we had removed.

    So our century old house is practically new both inside and out now and should last a few hundred more years I'm hoping.

    Thanks for the compliment, Carol.

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  7. Thanks, Lintys, Joey, Nancy, Frances and Muum for your comments.

    Let me know if you ever do come to Chicago Nancy. I can give you the quarter tour.

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  8. What a great find behind the wall! We don't have a 1st floor bathroom either, and I read that 3' in the minimum size -- which you have shown us is possible -- now I have to find 3' somewhere ... All I want is a toilet and a sink so my guests don't have to use our bathroom with my shampoo laying about!

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  9. Love, love, love that copper sink. If I ever get the chance to renovate again I am definitly stealing that little design nugget. Nice job.

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