Has it happened to you? You’ve seen a house that you want to buy for a renovation; it has great indoor and outdoor space, it’s near to great schools and amenities, views to die for, and a windowless bathroom. You discount the house immediately. You draw the floorplan and try to work out how best you can move supporting walls to provide a window: it’s not going to be possible. Or do you already have a windowless bathroom in your home that makes you cringe every time you enter it? All is not lost though; there are some clever design tricks that you implement into your design scheme to transform your windowless bathroom from an awkward space into a bathroom you can be proud of.
Mirrors
The use of mirrors in windowless bathrooms is mandatory; you have no other option. Placing mirrors in unexpected places such as near the ground helps to not only reflect the available light, but offers a stretch of flooring that suggests a sense of space. A full wall mirror, or at least to the sink unit, can double the space visually. Using a gallery of smaller mirrors can be used as a feature and a smart way to reflect light (just be careful to avoid mirrors being placed opposite each other, you will end up with a fairground effect infinity reflection).
Glass and Lucite
Avoid restricting your eyes’ view of the room, use glass or transparent bath or shower screens or internal room dividers to add to the sense of space. To add interest to the dividers explore textured glass or metal mesh curtains: be brave. Choose your bathroom accessories wisely: lucite is a wonderful material for your functional items that you need and will demand less of your attention than opaque objects.
Sink unit
To encourage the feeling of space within the room, choose a sink unit that stands tall and allows the legs of the unit to be exposed, what you lose in storage, you gain in the feeling of openness.
Lighting
This is the most important aspect of a windowless bathroom to get right. Your initial reaction is to have an extended network of downlights; however, this can create shadows in places that do nothing to flatter either the room or you whilst you shave or put makeup on. The trick is to layer your lighting with the addition of wall fixtures or vanity lights that provide horizontal light to counterbalance the vertical of the downlights.
Color
There are two opposing schools of thought for choosing color for a windowless room. White to maximize reflection, or embrace color to act as a distraction to the fact there is no window. The braver option is to choose a bold paint or color, but be sure to choose the tone carefully to avoid the feeling of clutter. A white room can be the perfect place to showcase a statement piece of brightly colored furniture such as a stool or a chair.