Monday, March 23, 2009

Wet Room Wisdom



Can we say I have some catching up to do? Won't bore you with the details, but let just say that toddlers and technology don't always mix. But big thank-yous to those of you who've checked in. So now that I have a new monitor :-) Let's chat!



Truth be told, the time away allowed me to indulge in another voyeuristic activity - attending Open Houses! Here in Brooklyn, this economy certainly makes a renter like myself want to have a 'looky-loo' to see what's out there. And I'm telling you it's not a pretty sight! So many homes under 900 sq. feet and with hefty price tags to match! Well, as you might imagine, teeny homes equal tiny rooms. One postage stamp-sized bathroom in particular I can't seem to get out of my head.



For a diminutive space such as that, I think a wet room is order. Popular in Europe, but yet to catch on stateside, wet rooms or shower rooms feature a sink, toilet and open shower area where the water converges to a drain in the floor.



Livingetc has lovely photo selection of these small yet airy spaces. For a twist, the final two pics demonstrate how a glass or wall partition can be added for practicality or modesty. Would you try something like this in your home?

Photo credit: Livingetc

7 comments:

Nadienne said...

Great to see you back! :)
This is "Nadine" btw; I figured out some blogger.com login stuff~

Like the photo examples, I imagine a 'wet room' would be at its best with a lot of light. I love sunlight/natural light so if I were do have something like this in my home, I would want a lot of windows and/or light fixtures. Also, this is extra info...but, I have a phobia or something about wet bathroom floors... So the open shower would have to be in the back, and avoidable if all I want to access is the toliet or sink...

But very nifty way to use space! Although, I imagine... it would be quite a task to actually alter a bathroom to do that...

Pretty*Practical said...

Hi Nadine, thanks for dropping by! I don't think you have a phobia about wet floors though, just sounds like good commonsense :-) There will be some splashing so your placement idea sounds about right.

In the U.S., I would imagine a wet room would work as a fun shower area attached to an outdoor space or replacing a tub in a way too small city bathroom.

Wally said...

Great bath rooms I love all of them!

Kristi @ Addicted 2 Decorating said...

I would absolutely try one. I used to live in Turkey, and had one in my apartment there. I currently live in 834 square feet, and I have to make the most of every space. I just might keep this in mind when it comes time to remodel the bathrooms.

Pretty*Practical said...

Annette and Kristin - Welcome and thanks for co-signing on this one :-) I've never seen wet-rooms here in NYC but given the square footage of many homes here it makes total sense. Kristin, if you decide to go that route with your remodel, I'd love to see the results!

Linda@ Lime in the Coconut said...

Some great photos!

I kinda-sorta have a wet bathroom...our shower does step down a couple of steps though. Works for us!

Lalu said...

I'm a little late, but would still like to comment. I absolutely love wet rooms and would definitely do one. They're probably tricky though and I expect that the angle of the floor and the set up of the bathroom would be key. I was first introduced to a wet room in Barbados in a house that I think had some European influence (possibly Dutch). The design made the bathroom feel much bigger and really open. Showering was quite an interesting experience...The bathrooms in these pics are great btw!!