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Remodeling Design Dilemma Bathrooms

Tiny 1920s nightmare bathroom!

2 years ago

last modified: 2 years ago

Help! Not quite in a position to do a full reno yet (if that will even be possible with all this important-looking piping!) I have only 16" in width for the sink. How can I upgrade this space to make it feel more welcoming and functional?

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Comments (14)

msjoan
2 years ago
Not as deep as the current sink but probably too wide?
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eld6161
2 years ago
last modified: 2 years ago
When you are ready to replace the toilet, look into a wall mounted Toto. With that extra space, you might you might be able to do a wider sink.

Can you draw a floor plan?
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You might try posting this on the bathroom forum, that is where the pro tile guys hang out or on the john bridge forum http://www.johnbridge.com/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?forumid=1 Try the bathroom forum first. The 2 tile guys are Bill and mongo. Address the question to them. You should get a response.
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K Mull
Original Author
2 years ago
I feel the sink width is limited because of the piping along the wall, not because of the toilet. But I appreciate any suggestion to make the space feel larger, so thanks!
latifolia
2 years ago
Is this a single family home or apartment
J Steel
2 years ago
It looks like you have a cabinet on the wall next to the sink. Can you put it on the wall where the mirror is and hang a narrow mirror above the sink?
User
2 years ago
looks like there's a medicine cabinet off to the left. it's hard to tell in the pic, but it seems like it would make it even more difficult to stand comfortably at that sink. what if you removed the cabinet, and placed a small mirror instead? if you need it to be a medicine cabinet, consider one that's recessed into the wall.

make up for the loss of storage by adding a cabinet above the toilet. remove the mirror off to the right, it's awkwardly placed.

of course you have a lack of counter space, so install a couple of wall mounted dispensers under the new mirror. try to find something that doesn't stick out too far. fill one with soap, and the other with hand sanitizer. like this (from etsy):

or get two of these(from etsy):
K Mull
Original Author
2 years ago
I don't know how to reply to individual comments but this is a single family home. The "cabinet" on the left is actually housing a breaker box and can not be moved, and can't really be used for storage either. There is a window above the toilet so can't hang storage there, either!
AGKY
2 years ago
I would embrace the vintage vibes and paint your walls (and pipes if you can figure out how that works) a dark moody color. If your sink is in decent shape, maybe get it it recoated and replace the faucets with updated chrome vintage-look faucets.
acm
2 years ago
I suspect that the right advice is to never mess with this bathroom, because nothing you do can ever pass modern code. I mean, recess a wall-mounted toilet in order to turn the sink, and now the sink is under a breaker box! I'm not sure a breaker box can even be within 14" of a main drain line like that -- imagine if you got a leak!

1) consider this a Magical Bonus Bathroom that was fit into an impossibly small space to give you a powder room you could never manage today! :)

2) go for cuteness -- paint the pipes with stripes of flowers, put a cute print where the (never used) mirror is, get a cute colorful tiny mirror for over the sink. find a cute tiny sink that upgrades the look without impinging on the knee space.

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Kitch4me
2 years ago
Maybe skirt the sink, add a glass shelf and small mirror. Replace toilet seat. Also, remove mirror on the right and replace with art . Something like this.
apple_pie_order
2 years ago
Ideas:

1- build a white wooden box around the pipes.

2. change tiny sink to new tiny sink

3- add tiny mirror over sink

4- scrub the floor, then paint the grout the same color white as the tiles.

5- replace the missing white caps on the toilet bolts.

6- get a new white toilet seat OR touch up the worn through white spots with black nail polish

7- if you have the budget, wallpaper with something spectacular.

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decoenthusiaste
2 years ago
last modified: 2 years ago
Remove the sink and cap those pipes so you can add some storage where the sink is. Add a toilet top sink to your toilet or to a new one. Or buy one ready to go. For a powder room it will be a conversation piece and will do the trick for simply washing hands.

https://www.amazon.com/toilet-top-sink/s?k=toilet+top+sink
Olychick
2 years ago
last modified: 2 years ago
hard to tell without measurements, but is there any way the toilet could swivel to face the camera, with its back against the wall to the right of the pipe? Or is there room to create a false wall around the pipe and along the existing wall and turn the toilet against that? You would lose a few inches but might gain functionality with the toilet facing the other direction. Maybe even put all those pipes behind a wall and move the sink forward, too.

Or a corner sink maybe?
Olychick
2 years ago
last modified: 2 years ago
Commenting again to add this...here's another thread with a similar (but much worse, imo) problem. The last response suggests getting aluminum sheeting (which is cheap and very thin, according to him) and build a box out of that, then paint it:

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/2856246/help-what-should-i-do-with-this-ugly-pipes-in-my-bathroom

And another...count your blessings, lol.

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/4710272/help-with-ideas-to-hide-bathroom-pipes

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