How to Fit an Extra Bathroom Under the Stairs
If that space under your stairs is going to waste, why not put it to good use and turn it into a bathroom
Adding another loo, bath or shower to your abode can be positively life enhancing if there’s bickering over your existing bathroom, or if you cringe when guests have to enter your sacred chamber – who knows what the kids (or your other half) left behind since last you looked! A powder room or compact bathroom can be squeezed into the smallest of under-stair spaces. All it takes is a can-do attitude and a little imagination. And, of course, some plumbing will probably help.
A similar doorway was chosen for this renovated terrace where space was at a premium. The design was inspired by the Adolf Loos concept of Raumplan, whereby rooms are stepped rather than stacked. Here they were interlocked Tetris-style within strict wall boundaries.
The shape of the space-efficient doorway is continued inside the powder room with a ceiling that follows the same lines. In this case, the materials and colour palette are a continuation rather than an interruption of the aesthetic in the rest of the home.
Looking for bathroom designers?
The shape of the space-efficient doorway is continued inside the powder room with a ceiling that follows the same lines. In this case, the materials and colour palette are a continuation rather than an interruption of the aesthetic in the rest of the home.
Looking for bathroom designers?
Make smart use of the space
Positioning the toilet where the ceiling is lowest makes sense, but if bumped heads are still likely, move the toilet out from the wall a little. This has the added benefit of enabling you to hide the cistern out of sight and making the room feel bigger.
A small basin tucked into the corner gives users more room to move than a vanity or basin positioned against a wall. And, far from making a room seem small as is commonly believed, painting the walls black can actually make them recede and enhance the sense of space.
Positioning the toilet where the ceiling is lowest makes sense, but if bumped heads are still likely, move the toilet out from the wall a little. This has the added benefit of enabling you to hide the cistern out of sight and making the room feel bigger.
A small basin tucked into the corner gives users more room to move than a vanity or basin positioned against a wall. And, far from making a room seem small as is commonly believed, painting the walls black can actually make them recede and enhance the sense of space.
Make it disappear
Converted old homes aren’t typically short on space, but why clutter up the open feel with an extra bathroom when you can sneak one in under the stairs? Although the interior of this powder room is a striking orange (aptly named ‘Pumpkin Pie‘) to match the front door, when closed you’d hardly know it was there. The stair wall and door feature the same textural finish, and the owners have even managed to fit in an additional storage cupboard into the under-stair cavity – see how well it’s disguised?
Converted old homes aren’t typically short on space, but why clutter up the open feel with an extra bathroom when you can sneak one in under the stairs? Although the interior of this powder room is a striking orange (aptly named ‘Pumpkin Pie‘) to match the front door, when closed you’d hardly know it was there. The stair wall and door feature the same textural finish, and the owners have even managed to fit in an additional storage cupboard into the under-stair cavity – see how well it’s disguised?
The stairs were unsafe and had to be rebuilt when the owners took on the task of making this home habitable, but the seed for the idea of an under-stair room had been planted.
See these under-stair planning and decorating ideas
See these under-stair planning and decorating ideas
The stair treads have determined the width of the gaps between the timber running across this stair wall here, and the powder room door fits right in. Again, when the door is closed it blends into the wall – who wants to advertise the presence of a toilet if they don’t have to?
A contemporary approach has been taken in this refurb. The dimensions of the door have been repeated in panels running the width of the stairway wall. Look carefully and you’ll see additional storage cupboards configured into the design as well.
When you’re sitting or lying in the tub, there’s simply no need for a lofty ceiling, as this creative bathroom reveals. The eco-friendly extension was part of a renovation to a Heritage-listed Victorian terrace in Melbourne’s St Kilda.
Check out these dazzling bath tubs
Check out these dazzling bath tubs
Use clever lighting
When much of your ceiling is at a slant, lighting can be tricky. A mirror with lighting incorporated is one solution – no other lighting is necessary.
Read more:
9 Clever Under-stairs Storage Hacks For Your Home
Tell us:
Do you have a powder room or bathroom under your stairs? Share your advice with fellow Houzzers in the Comments below.
When much of your ceiling is at a slant, lighting can be tricky. A mirror with lighting incorporated is one solution – no other lighting is necessary.
Read more:
9 Clever Under-stairs Storage Hacks For Your Home
Tell us:
Do you have a powder room or bathroom under your stairs? Share your advice with fellow Houzzers in the Comments below.
If the angle of your stairway is such that a standard-sized door won’t easily fit, an arched doorway could be a nifty solution. Your door can be narrower, for a start, and rounding off the corners defies the space restrictions a regular door would face. In this traditional home, a shapely doorway adds an element of surprise and the bright-red interior and modern fit-out provide further cause for delight.