Let there be light (in my bathroom)
Put’ big light on. There is only one bit of my lovely light-filled flat by the sea that is dingy, and that’s the bathroom. It’s sandwiched between two other rooms, and has a floor space so small that the cat couldn’t even swing a mouse. It’s very dark and, when the door is shut, rather claustrophobic. That’s before I even get on to the 80s leaf-print tile transfers and the lime green loo seat… Something needs done. Below is not my bathroom, but it’s not far off in terms of size!
The finishes and furniture can be tidied up or replaced no problem, but the light issue is what I’m having a good think about. As usual, the more I investigate the more options I can see, and the further away a decision gets. I’ve toyed with the idea of putting a frosted slit window into the room next door, but feel that would compromise the other room. Instead I’m thinking maybe I could just change the door.
I’m thinking of a door with half glass, which I could then add a privacy window film too. I love the traditional French style of door glass with a lace or lattice pattern printed on it. I think Brume do something like this. The door, whatever it is, will need to be painted black to match the rest of the woodwork, so I’m thinking it would look more like this:
Which leads to a further complication. The door leads out onto a u-shaped hallway that I have painted entirely black, even the ceiling, so just doing the door may not give me that much extra daylight. After a little googling I found this product by VELUX. I associate them with windows for loft extensions, but these products – called Sun Tunnels – are a sort of tube that runs from your roof to the ceiling below, channeling a soft daylight down like a skylight. Clever hey, and much more affordable than a skylight.
Source: VELUX
And then – as always – there is a third option, which is to embrace the darkness and make the most of it. I’ve made myself a rule that I won’t wallpaper in this flat – unlike in London – but perhaps I could break that for this little space. I quite like the idea of walking into it and getting a surprise of pattern, quite different to the rest of the house. Like this:
What do you think – have you had a similar issue with light in a bathroom – or any room? How did you solve it? And if you want to have a gander at the images above, you can find them and more on my Bathroom Moodboard Pinterest.
This is such a good idea, I love the idea of a half glazed door for a small windowless bathroom. I have a similar issue for an ensuite, I had almost decided that the room itself is not worth creating because of the lack of natural light but this has given me a wealth of different options! Thank you!!
thank you – I’m going to be thinking about it next week and will post some pictures. Budget, as usual, is nill, so it may be a cheap and cheerful solution for now x
What about halo lighting? I use it a lot in areas where there is little or no natural light. You could build a very small fake wall or ceiling with a gap around the perimeter and conceal LED strip lighting behind the wall. You won’t be able to see the LED strip but it will give a wash of natural looking light down or across your walls. Also not sure it it’s good news or bad news but you could use it with any of your ideas. It would also work really well with texture or high gloss (if you were confident of a perfect finish) let me know if you want some pictures and I’ll find some to illustrate what I mean… I’ve been meaning to do a blog post about it for ages!
Thank you! I’m pretty basic when it comes to lighting so this is a welcome tip. Am going to have a good look at said bathroom next week so I’ll keep this in mind. x
hi think sunpipes are great but also like going with what you have; last downstairs loo was windowless so went with Osborne & Little wallpaper (black background interspersed with pale gold trees)
looking forward to hearing what you go for : )
thanks. always love black-background wallpaper in small rooms so that may be what I go for. Will post some pictures soon. x
Some remarkable images there…
Regarding your issue with light in the bathroom, it might be a tad obvious, but what about mirrors which incorporate a backlit effect?
Clearly, it would not fit in with just any decor, but should help in providing soft lighting.
saw this on Pinterest and thought of you, not the decor but the windows…now to see if I can attach a jpeg
nope cant attach an image, any suggestions on how to get a jpeg to you?
I would place one big picture or eye-catching piece on the free wall above the toilet…. and it can be changed every month or whenever you feel like it. So the energy isn’t just one stagnant mess. I’d also hang a couple low-light plants (they’ll keep living from the overhead light) or a bright colour to keep things ‘fresh’ and the energy moving.
The bathroom in the top picture reminds me of the toilets in a quaint pub on the walk to the Mailbox, alongside the canal in Birmingham. Tiny with a claustrophic air about them when the door is shut, but functional nonetheless.
thanks for the piece on lighting, it can make all the difference to a room, even a tiny one
Hi guys,
I hope you’re well.
My name’s Adam and I’m from the dotcomgiftshop blog.
We are currently writing a post for our blog about small space design tips. While researching, we found your blog post – Let there be light (in my bathroom) – and we’d really like to give it a mention in our post, and maybe use an image (giving you and your blog full credit, of course).
http://www.myfriendshouse.co.uk/let-there-be-light-in-my-bathroom/
If you would rather we did not mention your blog or use an image, do let me know and I will omit it. I will also happily show you the post once it has gone live on our blog.
All the best,
Adam
http://www.dotcomgiftshop.com
Hi Adam, thanks for your enquiry – that’s totally fine with us! Ros