Bathroom in an apartment block – how to arrange it efficiently and aesthetically?

Arranging a bathroom in an apartment block isn’t the easiest task. Especially when the floor area of the room set aside for the bathroom isn’t very large. That said, a bathroom in an apartment block can absolutely be both fully functional and aesthetically pleasing. The key is to plan the bathroom space properly, where every square centimetre counts!

Planning – the most important thing is the bathroom concept!

Idea, plan, concept – that’s where you should start. Without properly analysing the room and its character, taking into account every recess, soil stacks routed in particularly awkward places, and the small floor area, arranging a bathroom in an apartment block will be very challenging.

Even at the planning stage it’s worth considering not only the purely technical issues, but also the household’s habits. A functional bathroom is one that allows comfortable use of every fixture, cabinet, shelf and drawer.

Functionality is of course crucial to a bathroom working smoothly, but don’t forget about aesthetics. Comfort in using the bathroom will only grow as the room becomes more beautiful. Everyone’s taste is a little different, true. Still, when space is limited, white bathrooms in apartment blocks are often one of the best choices. The only one? Of course not, although a small bathroom in darker shades will require a bit more creativity!

Bathroom design in an apartment block: go for minimalism!

Older building stock, especially from the era of the Polish People’s Republic (PRL), means large-panel prefab apartment blocks where bathroom floor areas were kept to very modest dimensions. There was little room for grandeur, space for a bath, washing machine, basin, shower and tasteful accessories. But these are not spaces that a designer working in a minimalist spirit can’t handle!

Minimalism, contrary to appearances, doesn’t mean cutting back beyond reason, but making the most of what’s limited. Sound complicated? The bathroom is small and the household like both a shower and a bath? Why not combine them? After all, a bath with a bath screen and a shower mixer mounted at the right height will take up far less space than a separate bath and shower enclosure. That’s minimalism in practice: maximising the use of space and current interior trends! Add to that a countertop basin (interesting options available here), a wall-hung toilet with a concealed cistern, and the space will be used in a smart, attractive way.

And accessories and ornaments? Do you have to get rid of them? Not at all! Aesthetics are extremely important in any bathroom, whether minimalist or large and lavish. In a minimalist bathroom, however, it’s better to opt for just a few accents (one or two) placed in the right spot, which will deliver a big visual impact, draw the eye and highlight the character of the entire bathroom to the fullest.

All toiletries, hygiene products, shampoos and other personal care items should have their proper place. Ideally, they should be tucked away in a way that still lets you find them quickly. Built-in cabinetry is your ally here!

Colour palette and patterns – ideas for a bathroom in an apartment block

How do you design a bathroom in an apartment block so that it’s a pleasure to look at and looks beautiful? For small bathrooms, it’s worth choosing light shades of tiling. The tiles shouldn’t have overly bold patterns either. Why?

Light colours for bathroom fixtures and tiles will visually enlarge the bathroom. Choosing dark colours can pose some issues and make the bathroom feel a bit smaller. Admittedly only visually, but it can still come across as a jarring note. You need to be judicious here, and if dark colours do appear, it’s worth offsetting them with light ones.

There’s a good reason to avoid tiles with large-scale patterns – they won’t have the space to show their potential and, instead of pleasing the eye, may leave you unsatisfied. A bright, simple, minimalist and functional bathroom in an apartment block – that’s our recommendation!