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If you have a small toilet or downstairs cloakroom, then there are various ways to make the most of it. We’ve already talked about how you can transform your downstairs toilet into a stylish and functional space (see our blogs here and here) and now, we’re turning our attention to windows.
Whatever the size of your toilet room, lighting is key to creating a sense of spaciousness and making it a well-lit, welcoming interior – and windows are a big part of that. They also provide essential ventilation in humid spaces like bathrooms, where air circulation is important to prevent mould and mildew.
So, without further ado, read the rest of our blog below to find out our top tips when it comes to windows and how you can use them to the best advantage in your bathroom.
Research shows that exposure to natural light helps to improve our mental health and wellbeing – it enhances our mood and boosts serotonin, the ‘happy hormone’. Having lots of natural light in your bathroom – and particularly in smaller spaces like toilet rooms – will therefore lighten both your mood as well as the interior, making it more welcoming.
Natural light also creates a calm, soothing ambience, so is ideal for those spaces where we go to relax and unwind. Encouraging natural light in humid spaces like bathrooms also helps to prevent the growth of bacteria and mould, which prefers darker environments, so it’s great on the hygiene front as well.
Natural light will help make your toilet room appear more spacious.
If you have a small toilet room or cloakroom then hopefully, you’ll have at least one window within this to let in natural light. Depending on the shape of the room, however, it might not appear as illuminated as you want it to be – and most rooms can always do with a boost when it comes to lighting, anyway.
Here are some of our top tips, then, for maximising existing natural light in your toilet room:
Keep windows clean: It might sound like an obvious thing to do, but the simple act of keeping your window/s clean can have a big effect on the light in your toilet room. Murky, grimy windows can block a lot of light coming through – and you want to make it as easy as possible for it to filter into the room. So, giving your windows a wipe down regularly is a quick and easy way to make sure that whatever size of window you have is allowing the maximum amount of light inside.
Use minimal window accessories, such as blinds: It’s best to limit any type of window dressing on your bathroom windows, as blinds, curtains or shutters will all serve as an additional obstacle when it comes to light entering your space – even when open or pulled back. Having accessories around windows can also make them appear smaller, while keeping windows clear will open up the space.
Hang mirrors: Adding mirrors to your toilet room will instantly lift the space, making it appear lighter and airier and creating the impression of a bigger room. Using multiple mirrors and/or larger ones is a good way to add character as well as enhancing the natural brightness of the room, with light bouncing off the glass.
The Clear Look Bibury Bevelled Mirror has a classic rectangular design with bevelled edges for added visual interest and is a frameless mirror which can be hung in either portrait or landscape format for convenience.
The Clear Look Bibury Bevelled Mirror will help to bounce natural light around your toilet room.
Fitting taps like the Eliseo Ricci Exclusiv Tall Mono Basin Mixer will add another light-reflecting surface.
Choose reflective, gloss surfaces: Similar to mirrors, glossy surfaces will help to distribute light around the room, reflecting it to create an airier and more attractive space. Tiles, fittings such as taps and handles, or gloss countertops can all help to move light around, so it’s good to think about what surfaces you want to use in your toilet room, for this reason.
Fitting a brushed brass tap like the Eliseo Ricci Exclusiv Tall Mono Basin Mixer is one way to incorporate more reflective surfaces within your room, while you can also pair this with a matching waste. Polished chrome will also work well in this regard, while you can choose polished, gloss-finish tiles for splash-backs and for elsewhere in the room to create even more opportunity for light-enhancing surfaces.
The Pool-green Brick-effect Wall Tile has a smooth, gloss finish which is great for bathrooms and toilet rooms, with an easy to clean surface and that all-important light-reflecting surface. It also has an attractive pale green tone which is very on trend and will add instant visual interest to your toilet room.
The Pool-green Brick-effect Wall Tile.
Metallic finishes: Introducing metallic finishes in tiling and other bathroom-ware is another way to maximise light in your toilet room. Again, you can choose metallic-inspired taps – for example, the Nuie Arvan Tall Basin Mixer in Brushed Gunmetal will add a contemporary style to your interior while the smooth surface still has that potential for reflecting light.
The Nuie Arvan Tall Basin Mixer in Brushed Gunmetal.
The Penny Stoneglass Gold Mosaic Sheet is perfect for creating a feature wall and has a distinctive metallic finish which will assist with light enhancement. The gold tone will also add a warmth to the room as well as visual interest, so is a great all-round choice.
The Penny Stoneglass Gold Mosaic Sheet has a metallic finish which can help to enhance light within your toilet room.
Add a skylight (if your room is upstairs): This will instantly bring more natural light into your room and will really help to open up the space, while also providing privacy.
Use more artificial lighting: Good lighting from overhead lights, wall lights or LED mirrors will also help make your space appear brighter – and will help to boost the natural light within your room.
If you don’t have the ideal windows in your toilet room, then there’s always the option of using window inserts to provide a better solution.
What are insert window replacements?
Basically, this means that you can install a new window within an existing frame, offering you a more cost-effective solution to upgrading your windows. It’s also referred to as pocket window replacement and involves replacing the sashes and hardware.
The other alternative is a full-frame window replacement, although this requires more work as it involves removing the entire window frame.
Depending on what you have in your toilet room or downstairs bathroom, you might also want to add window inserts to your shower, if you have one. This will help to open up the space and provide that additional ventilation as well as letting in more natural light.
Meanwhile, if you’re worried about privacy, then you can put window film over the glass to enhance this without blocking any of the light entering the room.
Shutter blinds let you control how much light enters your bathroom.
As already mentioned, leaving windows unadorned will make the most of that natural light, but you may also want to make more of a feature out of them. If this is the case, then you can use items such as window film, as detailed above, so light will still enter the room while also allowing you better privacy.
If you don’t have an inspiring view from your window and would like to add some embellishment and make this area more interesting and artistic, then you can also get decorative window film. This can feature patterns and designs which will immediately elevate your windows.
While keeping windows clear of accessories is particularly good for smaller rooms which might not have much natural light, if you really want window dressings then another option is bespoke shutters. These will allow you to control the light getting into your toilet room, while also adding a stylish element to the space.
Using sheer panels will also create an elegant, ethereal aesthetic and allow light to easily filter through into the room. The fabric will further help to soften the space, adding texture and visual interest. Meanwhile, patterned roller blinds can also add an artistic edge to your room when they’re pulled down.
Adding plants to your windowsill can also make it into a calming feature and it’s been shown that including plants within your bathroom helps to make it appear brighter. They also purify the air, while plants which are suited to humid environments are a particularly good choice.
Hopefully, this blog has given you some inspiration when it comes to window solutions for your toilet room – both in terms of how to maximise natural light as well as dressing windows as a feature. If you need any help with bathroom-ware for your home, then be sure to check out our range of products online.
For all your bathroom needs, visit our website at bathshack.com. Alternatively, if you have any questions, just email our team at info@bathshack.com, call us on (028) 9077 0188 or use our online chat.
