We know it's still bedroom month here on AT, but we were recently swept off our feet by a snowflake white bathroom. A bathroom that is small to say the least, but after a renovation has been made to feel 2 if not 3 times its original size. Click through the jump for a slideshow of the transformation process of this tiny bathroom to it's current bright white state.
Benedicte lives in a tiny, 41 sq m condo in Bergen, Norway, has recently renovated her old bathroom. The small space was definitely a challenge, as was her very tight budget. There are still a few details she's working on, but we're sure you'll agree with us when we say, it's already reached a great level of perfection!
The old bathroom basically consisted of two small rooms (with an open doorway in between), where you'd first enter from the bedroom into a small laundry area, and then a step up into the shower/sink area. The laundry area had room for a washing machine and not much else, there was a strange cabinet built around the water heater in the corner, but the narrow door made it impractical to store anything in there.
Having the shower and the (tiny) sink so close together meant one person could not be brushing their teeth while the other was in the shower. Benedicte says that aside from being really impractical, the room was just plain out disgusting, much worse than the photos show. The tiles and grout were so dirty, and tiles were coming loose from the walls. The floor tiles had this kind of grainy surface which made it feel like it was always covered in sand. It was dark, with little access to heat.
Most the work was done themselves (they had some help with the radiant heat flooring) with as little money as possible. This small space is a true tale of drab to fab and helps us to remember that no matter how small you might think your bathroom is, there are always ways to make it feel light, bright and bigger.
If you'd like to keep tabs on the wonderful Benedicte, you can do so on her blog, Tippi+Ella.
Thanks B' for a glimpse at some great handiwork!
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view le_sacre's profile
It certainly is clean and fresh now. I'm a bit taken aback that this bathroom is repeatedly called "tiny." It looks about 3 times bigger than mine.
view MiklakMiklak's profile
I'm sure it's a huge improvement, but I just don't get why people get excited over rooms that are completely white. Yes, it looks nice and clean, but it's going to get dirty pretty much instantly and it looks unbelievably frosty and cold to me. I certainly don't mean to criticize the owner of the apartment at all--it's just a matter of taste--but all-white rooms, especially ones with tile, remind me of doctors' offices.
view STH's profile
MiklakMiklak -- I was thinking the same thing when I saw these. I would love a bathroom that big. I mean, one can open and close the door without being pressed against a wall.
view twitteringbirdie's profile
I completely agree about the size!!! My little MPLS rambler has a bathroom 1/3 the size of this bath...so what adj. would describe mine? Miniscule?
Anyway, I too, love the LOOK of an all white bathroom, but do not want for myself. I have white tile with white (gray?) grout and when I redo the bath, I want something more practical for me and all my boys.
view kav122's profile
It's a pretty standard European bathroom remodel and actually pretty big too.
view TheoJ's profile
This pic reminds me to our place.
Our bathroom is also small, mostly white with light grey tiles. It looks clean and functional, but I would like to add a little glamour an luxury feeling. Any Ideas?
view nicolezh's profile
Thanks for the feedback guys. I appreciate the comments about the size because that means we've achieved one of our main goals of making the most of the space and making it feel larger (for example by knocking down a wall, by using the height of the space to incorporate the laundry area which previously occupied half of the room, and by utilizing a hidden space to make room for more storage in the old, closed up doorway).
I'd say the all-white scheme is also one of the main reasons for the illusion of space, although I know it's not everyone's cup of tea (but hey, I'm Scandinavian after all, I love it! ;).
view Benedicte's profile
i realy don't understand all the snark about the white. i just love it!! and it's a simple design principle to choose white when spaces are small. great job!
view aad's profile
I love this makeover and how fresh and open the space feels. It must help in those winter months.
view lepapillonvert's profile