Glass Jewel Box Half Bath

HALF BATH PROBLEM

The 14.5 square foot (36" x 58") WC in this Montclair home needed more than a style update: inside the bathroom the toilet and sink were too close together, and out in the hall was a hot mess traffic jam. The door from the entry hall into the back hall was too narrow, the opening into the kitchen was too narrow, and the half bath door opened into the tight hall creating a bottleneck. The situation was compounded by the low ceiling height as the hall and bathroom are located underneath the stairs and 2nd floor landing. The family of 3 often found themselves bumping into each other in the cramped space.

HALF BATH SOLUTION

Several door modifications improved the situation immensely. The door and its casing were removed from the hall which visually and physically widened the door from 30" to 37". The kitchen opening was also widened (from 30" to 42"). Most importantly, the half bath door was relocated to the adjacent wall. In place of the old door is now a full height wall of decorative tile on the hall side, a focal point seen from the front door.

The half bath materials play an integral role in creating an expansive feeling in this tiny space. A wall mount dual flush toilet was installed to gain even more clearance between the sink and toilet, appearing to float above the floor. (The length of the wall mount toilet is 21" vs the standard round front toilet at 26" and elongated toilet at 30".) The original wall mount sink was detached from its makeshift vanity to reduce its bulk, and reused with new faucet and decorative shut off valves visible under the sink. A recessed niche to the left of the sink holds soap and lotion, eliminating the need for a shelf to project into the space. The pale glass tile is installed from floor to ceiling, helping to visually raise up the low 83" ceiling height.

Lighting is also critical in the success of this project. As seen in the image looking straight up at the ceiling from the floor, low voltage LED tape light is installed on all 4 walls at the ceiling behind a simple painted wood molding. The warm glow adds even further to the improved feeling of spaciousness and height. In addition to the LED tape light, a 4" LED recessed light was installed above the sink instead of the more typical wall sconce which would have felt crowded. In this bathroom, less is more! A decorative metal vent cover hides the exhaust fan.

General Contractor: Jason Aksman, Fine Custom Carpentry