Bathroom ergonomics: rules you need to know

The bathroom is designed differently for a single person, different for a family with one child, different for three generations. Think about what a morning looks like in your house, who uses the bathroom and when. This will determine whether you need two wash basins that are so fashionable, or if you need one, but with a larger worktop. Another thing is the toilet - can you move it to a separate room? There's also the question of choosing between a bath or shower. We wrote about this in our guide: Shower or bathtub - how to choose.

When we talk about space, we mean not only whether the bathroom is big or small (we recommend our guide: Small bathroom - proven ideas), but also the need to keep certain fixed distances. It is worth remembering, for example, that the washbasin should have the upper edge of 80-85 cm from the floor. In addition, there is the question of a mirror above the washbasin. If you do not decide on a high mirror, and there is a big difference in height between the occupants, a movable mirror may be the solution. You can install a shower mixer in the shower enclosure - here the optimum height is 110-130 cm from the floor. If you choose a shower head, it should be 200 to 220 cm above the bottom of the shower tray. Or, you can add 30 cm to the height of the tallest person in the household.

There should also be room for opening the shower enclosure door - unless you choose the sliding door option. We recommend our sliding door shower cabin guide.

A large, visible bathroom with a window is a dream, but it is not always possible to set up the interior of a house or apartment in this way, especially in blocks of flats. Moreover, even in such a bathroom, additional lighting is necessary, especially at the mirror above the sink. We wrote about how to design a windowless bathroom in our guide. Apart from lighting, remember about good ventilation - otherwise moisture will damage walls and furniture.

We've already got the bathroom drawn, everything fits in, the shower is large and comfortable... But where's the towel space? And where to plug in the dryer? These are important details you don't always think about. Plan for clothes hooks, shelves or cabinets for spare towels and at least two electrical sockets, which are splash-proof. Remember: the bathroom must be comfortable above all. For all members of the household.