Basement Bath, Design Stage, Considerations and Solutions

A 10 feet by 8 feet space was once considered large for a bath, but that was before the excesses of the 90s led to baths becoming a featured element in home designs.  Large cavernous baths began to appear and the simple, functional baths of earlier days were mocked by Realtors who wanted baths to resemble palatial gardens and large spas. Well, that was before 2008 and the economic meltdown we are just now beginning to recover from.  Can you accomplish the luxury of a larger bath in  80 square feet of space. I think you can by incorporating creative solutions and focusing on what the purpose of the bath area is.

Our intent was to create a high-end space where relaxation was the goal. Being on a tight deadline for the magazine, time was precious and time saving elements would need to be used.  With this in mind, we chose a larger 5×5 Kohler Model Corner Bath/Spa. Using the larger 5 x5  tub accomplished two goals, it obviously offers the relaxation aspect with its deep sides, spa features, ample size and the larger footprint meant less floor area to finish.

Choosing a sink for a smaller area bath need not be limited to pedestal sinks, but I chose one for the look and style we were going for.  Kohler has quite a selection of various styles of sinks, but I liked the Revival series in a pedestal style. I chose pedestal, because I am one man among many women using this space  and I have seen what becomes of cabinet space in my world and it doesn’t go to me.

The toilet choice was to match the sink style, so we went with Kohler’s Revival Series once again. This particular toilet has a top trip style flush mechanism.  Now to most homeowners this would seem to be a style choice, but my years of taking care of houses and fixing broken toilets tells me the top trip will last indefinitely. Front and side mount flush handles have a tendency to wear out and need replacing. Top trip handles are dumb simple and I like that, no lever arms to bend or break, and no plastic pieces joining the handle to the lever inside the tank. You pull up on the knob, the toilet flushes, simple and elegant in my opinion.

With the main fixtures chosen, our attention could be focused on the other bath elements, mirror, towel bar, soap dishes, tumbler and hand towel ring.  We chose Kohler’s Revival Series once again to match the larger fixtures.