SOMETHING EVERY HOUSE SHOULD HAVE

April 15, 2010

By Glen Peloso

The inspiration for this column comes from some mayhem at the start of a babysitting trip with the niece and nephews. On the way out in the morning – just as I was getting everyone bundled up in mitts, hats and snow pants, handing out lunches and turning on the house alarm – someone declared, “I have to go to the bathroom.” Off came the boots and the snow pants so that the child could go up to the second-floor bathroom.

The experience drove home the value of a key element that’s critical to life with kids, yet missing in so many Toronto homes. Why doesn’t every house have a main-floor powder room?

The original architecture of many older city homes doesn’t accommodate such a room. But when working with clients, I try to convince them to carve out a “wee” space. I’m still surprised at how little space such a room actually requires.

I’ve tucked them under staircases, or borrowed a few feet from the foyer, or carved a slice off the kitchen to make way for a powder room in various homes.

The room can be as small as three by five ft. – depending on the swing of the door. Pocket doors can be a great help if door swing is a problem.

If you’re considering going this route, the first thing you need to do is identify the location of the “stack” – the central drain that flows from the house to the city’s drainage system. In most homes, you’ll notice that all the “watered” areas are lined up. The kitchen sink is almost always located underneath the bathroom on the second floor and above the bathroom in the basement. Their location gives you a general idea of where the stack is. Ideally, you’ll want to keep the powder room close to the stack, or at least on the same side of the house.

The next step is to figure out where to borrow a bit of space from one of the existing rooms. Once you do that, hire a plumber to make sure the chosen spot isn’t going to be too difficult to use. If it means pulling up the floor or causing major damage to put in the plumbing, it might be best to rethink placement.

Using the roughest of ballpark figures, the job will cost $5,000 to $10,000 start to finish.

If you go ahead, the job of finishing is rather straightforward.

Manufacturers are aware that every inch matters in powder rooms and have produced sinks and taps designed to fit very close to the wall or in a tight corner, leaving space to manoeuvre.

“I’m still surprised at how little space such a room actually requires…
I’ve tucked them under staircases, or borrowed a few feet from the
foyer, or carved a slice off the kitchen to make way for a powder
room in various homes”

You can get away with just one light in the powder room. It’s nice to put that light on a dimmer, simply because a harsh light will blind guests coming from a cozy and warmly lit dining room.

For flooring, anything goes, but the best choices are those that are easily wiped up. Ideally, choose either white or bone-coloured fixtures, which aren’t as likely to date. Same thing goes for taps – chrome is a classic choice that lasts forever, just like diamonds.

Clients are often surprised when I suggest they use a dark colour in this room, or complex wallpapers to cover walls and ceilings alike. Common sense would dictate that this would make the space seem smaller. But, in fact, the opposite is true. A unified colour visually removes the corners of a space. When you use several colours, it’s easy to define the edges of the ceilings and walls. Think of being in the dark – everything seems to go on forever without definition. The idea here is similar.

All that’s left is the toilet-paper roll, which can go on the wall or on a floor stand in an unused corner; a hand towel, placed on a small ring or towel bar; and a little soap.

Now, another thing about being an uncle: when you ask children if they washed their hands, check to make sure. Sometimes they haven’t.

Glen Peloso has been an endless student of the creative process. In more than 10 years in the design business, Glen’s name is known internationally, appearing on more than 300 contracts in both commercial and residential design. His success lead to the start of his own firm, Glen Peloso Interiors. www.glenpelosointeriors.com

Filed under: FROM THE EXPERTS