Sharing any small space can be difficult but with the bathroom it's personal in more ways than one. Each person wants their time and space in the bathroom. This can be anywhere from 10 minutes for necessary functions to an hour for a relaxing bath. When schedules don't jive, battles begin. When space is at a premium the boundaries overlap and chaos can ensue.
Well, maybe I'm overstating things a bit but there are ways to alleviate tension and create more bathroom bliss when sharing one small bathroom.
Scheduling
This is huge, especially in the morning. If each of you needs to get in the bathroom in the morning at the same time of course this is going to cause turmoil. Why start your busy day harried and stressed before you even get out the door? If one of you can get up even ten minutes earlier to start the bathroom process ahead of the other you'll save yourself a lot of headaches. Some grooming processes can be done the night before which will free up valuable morning bathroom time.
Too many functions in the space
Small bathrooms just aren't conducive to all of the rituals one could normally cram into a larger space. Some functions, like putting on makeup and hair styling, could be set up in another room (like the bedroom) to free up bathroom space and time. A simple vanity in a corner of the bedroom can be set up for these necessary daily rituals thus freeing up bathroom time and valuable space.
Doubling up
Counter space and elbow room are sparse in a small bathroom so having a simple system in place to alleviate overflowing countertops, wet towels on the floor and so on will help keep the space clean and your nerves calm. A few things that you can do is to have two of the things you might be vying for. Two mirrors is a good idea. One at the sink and a second full length one behind the bathroom door (or wherever you can fit one) will give each person a little breathing room and will brighten up the space at the same time. Even a pull-out wall mirror can be helpful and usually has a magnified mirror on one side for putting on makeup. A second towel bar or ring (I prefer towel bars as the towels dry better on them) will help keep your mate's towels from being under your feet. Adding decorative hooks for items like bath robes is also a great idea. Even if the items hang in plain view, at least they're not on the floor. It is a bathroom after all so having items like bathrobes in plain view is not a crime and might actually give the space a spa-like feeling.
If you have the space to install second sink and/or a larger vanity then by all means do so. Two sinks will enable you to each do your thing at the same time saving time and possibly your relationship! If you have the option to install a sink and vanity in your bedroom, as in our feature photograph, even better. More and more designers are blurring the lines of the bathroom and bedroom areas and are placing more bathroom items right into the bedroom. Claw foot tubs, shower stalls and the like can be found right in the master bedroom in many new designs.
If a second sink/vanity is not an option, you can lessen the dispute over counter space in a couple of ways. One idea would be to purchase a small caddy for each person in which to keep their essentials, like hair brushes, hair spray and so on. This caddy can be stored in the bathroom (if you have the space) or kept in another area and brought into the bathroom as needed. Installing additional storage units on the wall might be another option. Each person gets a designated space and everything is out of sight when the cupboard doors are closed. Hanging storage, like wire basket trios, can hold items like hair brushes, bath supplies, face cloths and bar soap for easy access and will not affect the small footprint of the room.
If your laundry room is in the basement, see if you can install a laundry chute in the bathroom or in close proximity (like in a closet floor) so that the wet laundry can be sent out of sight immediately and down to the laundry room in the basement. This will help keep the space tidy.
connieoliver@shaw.ca
