garage conversion
Bathroom at a Glance Who uses it: A creative couple Location: East Vancouver, British Columbia Size: 42 square feet (4 square meters) White tiles cover the walls and floor, making the space light and airy. Next, Tanya Mclean and Nichole Skladan of Mango Design Co brought in teak and brushed gold materials to give the couple the midcentury style they wanted. Then, the design team added a boho rug, a paisley shower curtain and pieces of the couple’s art collection to give it a personal, and fun, feel. Ceiling and wall paint: Cloud White, Benjamin Moore
The renovated unit is one open space, except for the newly plumbed bathroom, which is an enclosed room past the kitchen and living area. The bathroom includes a shower, toilet and sink. A kitchenette hugs the unit’s front corner, and a closet system on the right conceals a foldaway bed. An open living area, including a couch and TV, sits at the other end of the ADU (behind the viewpoint of this photo). The team kept the garage’s original exposed roof structure and decked ceiling, preserving the space’s rustic quality. The horizontal structural elements across the ceiling are new, added after an engineering assessment, but the structure otherwise remains intact. New insulation in the walls and ceiling and a mini split for heating and cooling keep the space comfortable and in compliance with California energy codes. New skylights bring in more natural light. On especially sunny days, a screen can be pulled down to reduce brightness. The green triangle above the doorway, seen here, is a storage loft René-Weissman added above the new bathroom. She painted it a warm, earthy green (Parsley Snips by Benjamin Moore), giving the space more color and tying it in with the garden beyond.
The project was a creative exercise in balance, with city codes, limited space and attractive design always vying for attention. “There were a lot of gymnastics to it,” René-Weissman says. This is clearly seen in the built-in storage unit. By incorporating the closet, the architect added valuable storage and pulled the usable living space farther away from the property line, as required by the city. As mentioned, the bed can be folded into the wall during the day, clearing the floor for other uses.
Finding a ready-made vanity that will fit the narrowest of spaces, but will still provide plenty of storage, can feel like an impossible task. Solution: Look to more creative ways of tackling extremely slim bathrooms and solving the space issue. Having a vanity or storage cabinets built to your own design and exact dimensions will be a big luxury, not to mention a big cost, but it will transform your awkward bathroom into a functional space that everyone can use. What’s more, stylish cabinetry will take the focus away from a petite sink or faucets that aren’t very glamorous.
Of course, the other option is to combine the shower and the bath, which is cheaper and more practical. This layout may not feel as luxurious as a walk-in shower, but if you opt for a frameless glass screen, you will achieve a similar contemporary look that will maximize the sense of space and light.
If you have enough room to prep a meal, that’s really all you need, and in so many kitchens long stretches of counter space go unused anyway, with the island being the go-to prep space. Consider trading off 24 to 48 inches of counter for one or two extra full-height pantry cabinets, or cabinets that integrate your major appliances, for a more efficient use of space.
Open Up a Pass-Through One very effective way to make your kitchen feel bigger is to open up a partition wall to create a pass-through space. If you build a counter around the opening, even extending it a bit to the other side, you can cheat out the functional size of your kitchen a little bit by borrowing some space from the adjacent room.
Things to consider. Depending on its height and depth, a floating bench can potentially accommodate a wheelchair user. Professional installation is particularly important with a floating bench, to ensure that the seat is strong enough for sitting. This teak bench is structurally supported by three low-profile brackets, according to Hickox Williams Architects.
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