The vanity should be the focal point of any bathroom when the door opens.
The main door for any bathroom deserves attention concerning its placement and design. The direction the door opens can affect traffic flow in the bathroom or a nearby hallway. The width of the door and placement along a wall can have a large impact as well. Moving the door just a few inches to one side can provide lots more room for the vanity area or tub-shower combo. Spacing the bathroom fixtures differently can also make a lot more room for the door to open and close. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. Think about the direction the door should open. Review design books and remodeling magazines to look at bathroom layouts. Allow the door to swing inside the bath area against a wall, if there is room. Place the vanity or tub-shower away from the door's impact, if the door will swing open into the room. Install the door to open outward into a hallway, if the bath area is tiny. Sketch various ways the bathroom can be laid out, so you can review more than one option.
2. Design the door opening to be at least 30 inches wide. Use a tape measure to assess the overall space. Design the shower-tub combo to be in a corner that would not be appropriate for the commode or vanity. Place the commode off to one side behind a dividing wall or inside its own small closet. Install the vanity along a larger wall to allow for a large mirror. Focus on the vanity area as the true focal point of the room once the door is fully open.
3. Avoid placing the door to clash with a bathroom mirror or artwork in a hallway. Install a door stop behind the door that is sturdy enough to protect the wall from damage. Secure one door stop to the door itself, plus an additional door stop along a baseboard or low on the wall, if you have active young children.
4. Match the design of the bathroom door to other doors along a hallway. Buy the door in the exact materials and number of recessed panels, for example, that fit your other doors. Don't install a bathroom door too close to a closet door or a bedroom door. Place the opening at least 18 inches away from framing of nearby doors, if you can make room.
5. Install a door knob that does not stand out above the rest, but one that blends well with other nearby knobs. Never install a deadbolt lock on a bathroom door. Keep in mind that any household member could slip and fall, so install privacy locks that can be opened with a simple tool in an emergency.
Tags: door stop, Install door, away from, bath area, bathroom door, direction door
