Designer Hazel di Pasquale, of Bauen Design, walks us through the creative process behind her award-winning bathroom project

Already faced with the challenge of creating a shower room in a small area, with low ceilings, Hazel di Pasquale of Bauen Design was then asked to provide more floorspace and a larger showering environment.

Working within an area of just 1.5m x 2m, Hazel admits the biggest challenge of the project was the limitations of the room itself.

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Designed for an existing client, where shel had also created their kitchen, the client was in the process of future-proofing their 100-year old home.

The client specified the bathroom was for use mainly by the ‘man of the house’ and also guests.

“It meant we had to think about ease of use for shower controls, as guests wouldn’t be as familiar with the use of the products”, explains Hazel who opted for push-control valves.

However, the starting point of the design was looking at how to increase floorspace, says Hazel, as she considered the building’s structure and added visual illusions, to meet her client’s brief.

The resulting bathroom project saw her win the Bathroom Designer of the Year at the recent Kbsa Designer Awards.

Increasing floorspace

The existing bathroom featured built-in furniture, with the WC and vanity positioned under a bay window, so Hazel looked at alternative ways to provide storage but without cabinetry encroaching on the floorspace.

So she squared off a small bay window, to provide more space for a shower enclosure, and looked to the cavity depth of the walls  to install the wall-hung WC and vanity, reclaiming redundant space.

Hazel points out: “We saw there was quite a deep sill to the window. By installing the concealed cistern under the sill, it created more floorspace.”

She also created additional storage by adding niches in the showering environment to store toiletries.

“There was a cavity wall, so you could gain useful space without taking anything away from the room. It was very cleverly done.”

Optical illusion

Equally, setting the mirror back into the wall cavity space, created a handy storage shelf above the vanity.

However, the truly innovative detail is the mirror behind the basin was also featured on the side wall to create a wrap-around effect.

The reflection provides the optical illusion of more space in the bathroom.

“It was the first time I had used the idea, but it works well. It was a successful set of elements in the room”, Hazel muses considering it as a solution for future small bathroom projects.

Shower space

With a mindful eye on the low ceiling for the showering space, Hazel had to ensure the enclosure fitted the environment.

While a standard room height will measure 2400mm, the shower room was 2200mm.

“We had to use a low-profile shower tray to make sure our shower enclosure wasn’t going to hit the ceiling and also to ensure the careful positioning of the overhead shower.”

Warmth and light

Proving that a small space doesn’t have to be “light and bright” to be airy, Hazel introduced warmth to the room through the careful use of texture and finish.

She used strip wood panelling on the wall, which also provided framing for the mirror, along with Black Chrome shower enclosure and Matt Black fittings.

“My client doesn’t like shiny chrome finishes, but the enclosure only came in shiny chrome, so we opted for black chrome to complement the matt black fittings”, she explained.

And to further enhance the cosiness of the scheme, Hazel has looked to the use of lighting details with a variety of options, from pendants to lit storage niche and illumination under the vanity and WC.

“We like to add lighting details and create a different mood, rather than always using spotlights.

“We have illuminated the shower storage niches and used pendants at the basin.

“There’s also sensor-operated LEDs underneath the vanity and the WC so when the clients get up in the middle of the night, there a little lightness but its not too bright”, explains Hazel, adding: “I think it helps to create the warmth in the room and because it’s such a small space you really need that sort of detail.

“The previous shower room was white, very cold and clinical , and this is the complete opposite.”

In fact, while Hazel says her favourite element of the room was the creation of illuminated storage niches, she said the client was super pleased with the overall aesthetic. “They just loved how everything came together with the accent tones.”