The bathroom is too small!

There are almost no bathrooms that can be considered "spacious and adequate" in urban residential buildings. Many houses of nearly 100 square meters have bathrooms of only 4-5 square meters. In many cases, the shower head is right above the toilet so that people can squat and shower at the same time.

52 square meters old house in Paris, the bathroom is more than 6 square meters

49 square meters old Beijing residence, bathroom 2.5 square meters

So every time a friend comes to me with beautiful pictures of bathrooms taken by foreign home bloggers and asks: How about the effect of this?

I would most likely stop it - other people's bathrooms are at least 8m² in size, and if you put this bathroom cabinet in your bathroom, the door won't even fit.

If the space is small, it should be simple, light, and contain fewer things so that it looks clean and not cramped. Clear out anything that is not needed for a bathroom.

It is best not to have a bathroom cabinet when you bring your wash basin. If you must have one, the lighter and simpler it is, the better.

Optimal configuration for wash basin

Floating table, ultra-thin mirror

We see such bathrooms in many European homes: a high-legged basin or a floating basin, a mirror, a toilet and a shower, with all the basic functions of a bathroom.

I’ll just post pictures of the effects. Two bathrooms of similar size, it’s immediately clear which one is more refreshing and clean.

Small space without bathroom cabinet

Small space with bathroom cabinet

Why is the effect of single basin + mirror so superior?

Two points: no blocking and no protrusion.

Cabinets are blockers. Nowadays, when decorating a house, everyone knows that the first thing to consider is to remove the partitions. The more partitions there are, the less space utilization there is, and the more cramped it feels.

It goes without saying that the floating basin is fully "ventilated" both above and below, and the high-legged basin is not solid and heavy. At first glance, the four walls of the bathroom still appear to be a whole.

The protrusion is more obvious. For example, the large American floor-standing cabinet is so big that you have to subconsciously dodge it when passing by, which blocks the view visually.

High-legged basins are retro and stylish, and many foreign antique furniture brands sell high-legged basins.

Including Kohler's high-end line Kallista, high-foot basins are matched with elegant American hardware, creating a retro American style.

Source: kallista official website

The thin floating basin is clever and not exaggerated. The top luxury bathroom brand Laufen still mainly uses this type of basin, which can be modern or classical.

Source: Laufen official website

Source: Charly vignette official website

This is the best solution to make a small bathroom appear larger, cleaner, and more beautiful.

At this point, some people may be unable to hold back their keyboards: I need to organize!

I understand, but the bathroom is the worst space for storage in the whole house, no doubt about it.

The bathroom is not suitable for storage

First of all, the bathroom is humid. Apart from toiletries, towels, toilet paper, cosmetics, hair dryers... are not suitable to be placed in the bathroom.

Then there is the problem of limited space, soul-searching question:

Why should such an important small space as "Silver Guard" be used for storage?

The bathroom is so small, how much can it store?

Bathroom storage is to place those things that must be used in the bathroom/that are most convenient to use in the bathroom, not storage.

Make a list to sort out your needs and take away anything that is not a "must".

Source: Zhufaner self-photographed

For example, if your washing machine is placed on the housework balcony, don’t leave the laundry detergent in the bathroom; put the facial mask in the refrigerator, and put the spare toilet paper in a dry storage cabinet... clean out most of the bathroom.

Small amount of storage

Mirror cabinet or small shelf

Of course, we can’t throw the baby out with the bathwater just for the sake of appearance, and storage needs cannot be compressed (I am also a beautiful girl who has 3 bottles of body lotion, I understand).

Then please give priority to adding mirror cabinets and shelves.

Beauty Revolution 4.0 Shanggao Bathroom Cabinet

Source: Zhufaner self-photographed

Think about it yourself, most of the things that are used most in the bathroom are small things, such as bottles, jars, rubber bands, razors...

Compared with large cabinets and large spaces, small shelves with clear layers and plans are more suitable for storing them. Zhufaner user cases perfectly demonstrate this:

Source: Zhufaner self-photographed

Moreover, the depth of the mirror cabinet should be no more than 30cm, and 15-25cm is most convenient. The mirror surface will still be complete once covered, and the reflection of the mirror itself can also eliminate some congestion, so the exploitation of the sense of space will not be so serious.

Must be stored

High cabinets are preferred, followed by minimalist floor cabinets

If small items cannot meet your storage needs, then add tall cabinets. It is recommended that you consider floor cabinets last.

Storage efficiency: tall cabinet > floor cabinet

The tall cabinet itself looks better, it is tall and simple, it occupies three-dimensional space and does not look particularly large visually.

Source: IKEA official website

It would be best if it could be built-in, just like we open up the top cabinet for storage, so that it can become a whole with the wall and look neat.

The most important thing is that tall cabinets have high storage efficiency and are more convenient than mirror cabinets + floor cabinets that are scattered up and down.

How to choose a floor cabinet

If you must choose a floor cabinet, I only recommend that you choose a minimalist style.

Choose minimalist style for floor cabinets

The minimalist style is widely suitable for most families and is also the most popular style.

In fact, I personally like the classical style with rich details and exquisite decorations, but even if I have a big house and sufficient budget for the classical style, I will not buy European bathroom cabinets.

It is a retro fabricated out of thin air by modern people, an unsuccessful deconstruction.

The complete concept of modern bathroom has only been formed for a hundred years. Early "bathroom cabinets" served as washbasin racks, with the washbasin placed on a small cabinet.

A true vintage wash basin is a cast iron basin that is large and heavy.

Cast iron enamel basin

Source: Internet

The large cabinet with European-style decoration has a hole for embedding the washbasin, which is an incongruous "modern retro" style and does not look good.

For example, the "French Retro" bathroom cabinet:

The prototype is a small cabinet called "chest style", which is tasteful and beautiful in itself, but it is hard to describe how to make a basin by digging a hole in it.

Minimalism means clean, neat and stylish, choose it!

No decorative door

Pass over the "fake classical" European bathroom cabinets first. The simple American style with wireframe decoration and shaped door handles actually looks okay, but it is still not suitable for small apartments.

Not just bathroom cabinets, but all American-style furniture only looks good if it is wide and spacious enough. If the space restricts the physique, the decoration will become cumbersome and should be abandoned.

Flat cabinet doors and invisible handles give the most complete feeling and look the neatest, and are also the mainstream in the market - with many choices and moderate prices.

Source: Laufen official website

Simple color matching

Old fans may know that we also like unique and artistic cases with bold colors and unique aesthetics, and we share them frequently, but when talking about practical references, the most commonly mentioned one is "simple color matching".

Because aesthetics is not something that can be acquired overnight, good-looking designs are not necessarily suitable for the general public, and it is difficult for people without a professional foundation to master radical styles.

Beautiful but difficult to make color

There are so many beautiful colors, but for most people, the most classic simple color matching is to control the overall color to 4-5, which is harmonious and comfortable, and will not go wrong.

White is preferred

It is particularly important for the bathroom to look clean, and white is the cleanest color.

When it comes to bathroom products, from toilets and basins to wall tiles and floor tiles, white and light colors are the absolute mainstream. The biggest reason is that they look clean.

White is also very inclusive and will not conflict with floral tiles or bright white shower curtains.

Wood color should be small in area and fine in pattern

In fact, the grain and texture of wood have a sense of "weight", and it cannot exert its strength in terms of neatness and size.

If you want to use wood-colored elements, it is best to control the area and choose delicate patterns, such as: cherry, walnut, white oak, mahogany, etc.

Both are warm red new Chinese style wood grain. Comparing the two models of Faenza (above) and Hengjie (below), it is obvious that the Faenza with small area of ​​wood color and large area of ​​white is easier to match.

Black is more about shape than decoration

Most black bathroom cabinets are designed in a light luxury style, with gold hardware, thin legs and frames, and gold line decorations. At first glance, they are indeed exquisite.

However, I have always been reserved about this kind of "modeled" light luxury. It is not classic enough. Unless you plan to replace it every three or two years, it is impossible for it to be like wood color, where "traces of use themselves are also beautiful."

When choosing a black bathroom cabinet, the shape should be more important than the decoration. Ignore those ineffective hardware. It is worth buying if the cabinet has a reasonable structure and simple and smooth lines that make you fall in love with it at first sight and keep looking at it again.

Panel cabinet has the highest cost performance

The most common material for bathroom cabinets is multi-layer board. The moisture-proof technology is very mature. If you are worried about deformation and cracking caused by shower splashes, you only need a shower curtain.

The multi-layer boards we tested by exposing them to rain for 3 hours and soaking them in water for 18 hours, including the samples without edge sealing, did not deform or crack at all.

Before soaking

Source: Zhufaner self-photographed

Soak in water for 18 hours

Source: Zhufaner self-photographed

The surface material can be selected from melamine veneer, solid wood veneer, and rock slab, which can be flexibly combined and the cost can be controlled. You can get higher quality/appearance as much as you spend, and there are fewer pitfalls.

The best moisture-proof and waterproof effects are the blister (PVC) surface and the painted surface. There are no gaps in the edge joints, which can better protect the boards inside.

Compared with multi-layer boards, solid wood is too expensive and has a high shrinkage rate. There are also few simple and capable styles. If you are rich, please feel free to choose.

Aluminum alloy is waterproof and durable, but the texture is a bit poor and it is not cheap. It is more suitable for open-air housework balcony cabinets.

PVC products come in many colors, are not afraid of moisture, and are cheap. However, they have one disadvantage: the “plastic feel”.

Only ceramic or stone/rock slabs are available for countertops

The three most common materials for bathroom cabinet countertops are: ceramic, stone/rock slabs, and acrylic.

Ceramics are the most cost-effective and popular, and the one-piece basin countertop is very easy to clean.

Source: Zhufaner self-photographed

Natural stone represents nobility and high-end. Marble is the most commonly used material for large countertops in hotels, and the larger the stone, the more noble it appears.

The newcomer in the material circle in recent years, rock slabs are also very suitable for bathroom cabinet countertops. They are beautiful, waterproof, stain-resistant, easy to clean, and more environmentally friendly.

Acrylic, also known as artificial stone, can be molded into one piece to create arcs and circles, while natural stone can only be cut and spliced. Acrylic has an advantage in this regard. Many luxury bathroom brands make acrylic basin countertops.

But I don’t recommend acrylic to people who don’t know much and have a low budget. The quality difference is huge. The bad ones feel like plastic and will turn yellow and old.

If you want to buy acrylic, only buy DuPont's Corian, and don't buy any unknown brands.

Don't fragment the partitions

The more partitions a small bathroom cabinet has, the lower the storage efficiency is, or it’s a problem of partition compressing space.

It is best to choose a pure cabinet or drawer type, widen the boundaries of each space, and then plan according to your own habits.

Wall mounted, beautiful and clean

Floor-standing cabinets are definitely not recommended. Almost all modern tall cabinets can be wall-mounted. As long as conditions permit, wall-mounting is the first choice.

It is clean and refreshing, with space left at the bottom to ensure a "sense of flow" and no sanitary dead corners. It is a perfect solution for small apartments.

Everyone's concerns about wall-mounted countertops are nothing more than worrying about the load-bearing (sturdiness). In fact, whether it is kitchen cabinets, wall-mounted toilets, or wall-mounted bathroom cabinets, the technology is very mature - where are the load-bearing walls in the hotel? There will be no problem with wall-mounted marble countertops.

As long as the bathroom at home is not a light-weight wall, it is OK after being confirmed by the workers.

Water pipe into the wall

Wall drainage is the most recommended. Bury the inlet and outlet pipes in the wall. It must be planned and communicated before the decoration begins. It will be too late once the floor tiles and wall tiles have been laid.

The biggest advantage of wall drainage is cleanliness. The drain is not exposed and does not smell bad, and there are no sanitary dead corners on the walls and floors.

Secondly, it looks good. I have said it too many times. It has a sense of integrity and flow, and you don’t have to dig a big hole in the bathroom cabinet, which truly protects the storage space.

Some people worry that wall drains are prone to clogging. In fact, there is a dredging switch under the exposed U-shaped pipe of European wall drains. Therefore, what you should pay attention to is not the wall drain, but the selection of stainless steel or copper pipes, which are easy to dredge and can use solvents.

Another thing is, the bathroom drain is never blocked because of the bend, but because of hair!

If you pay a little attention when washing your hair in the basin, the chance of blockage will be very small.

Drain pipe offset

Move the drain pipe a little bit backwards/to the side, and don't let it run across the middle of the cabinet. This will make storage much more convenient.

Don't choose a countertop basin for a small space

The above-the-counter basin is indeed very beautiful, and Zhufaner's Appearance Revolution 4.0 has also added an above-the-counter basin option. However, in our model room, only the dry area with dry and wet separation uses the bamboo or wood countertop + above-the-counter basin method.

It is well known that above-the-counter basins are difficult to clean, but for people who love cleanliness, it is not a big deal.

The core problem is that the above-the-counter basin is protruding, which destroys the overall sense of the bathroom cabinet and once again adds visual elements, destroying the clean and fresh feeling that was hard to squeeze out.

Don’t do it in a small space. It is simple, elegant, easy to clean and very useful.

Size recommendations

Table width

Starting from 600mm, this width will not be too crowded for people of average physique to use, provided that the left and right sides are empty and not walls/cabinets.

The bathroom cabinet in a small bathroom should not exceed 800mm as it will be too crowded. If you need more storage space, it is better to directly use a tall cabinet.

Depth of countertop

About 500mm, too shallow and you will splash water, too deep and you will hurt your waist.

This super shallow basin from IKEA is only 40cm deep, and the faucet must be installed on the side. Unless you have an extremely small space, don't torture yourself.

Here is a simple and rough pairing suggestion:

Toilet area less than 4m²:

Floating table top + ultra-thin mirror

Floating countertop + mirror cabinet/tall cabinet

Toilet area 4-8m²:

Floating countertop + large mirror cabinet + tall cabinet/minimalist floor cabinet

Toilet area over 8m²:

Large mirror cabinet + minimalist floor cabinet (+ tall cabinet)

Large mirror cabinet + double basin minimalist floor cabinet (+ high cabinet)

Purchase points

Price range

The modern and simple bathroom cabinet, with a basic ceramic integrated basin and countertop, has the best value for money at a price of 2,000-5,000 yuan.

If you go to the factory to customize it yourself, remember not to bargain too much.

Most bathroom cabinets are semi-finished products. They are made according to the size of the order. They are available in various levels of boards, finishes, and hardware, and can be flexibly combined.

For example, high-end products use UV primer + double-group all-water-based paint, while ordinary products use paint-free boards. The price you lower must be the material cost, not the merchant's profit, and you are the one who suffers in the end.

If you want to get a good price, it is recommended to buy online, which is much better than offline stores. You can also visit several offline stores to ask for prices before making a purchase.

Selected from factory brands

Buying a big brand is buying a standard, but the technical difficulty of bathroom cabinets is not high, and good materials are the guarantee.

Bathroom cabinet production factory

Source: Zhufaner self-photographed

Everyone has their own preferences when it comes to design, but the basic and simple shapes don’t differ much.

OEM for big brands, with uncertain quality control, lowering costs and raising prices, is particularly unfriendly to consumers, such as Moen and Anhua.

Brands produced by own factories are more worth buying. The particularly large ones in Guangdong, such as Shanggao and Franklin, are good.

Customization is better than a single finished product

If you have enough budget, you can customize it. Whether it is a bathroom cabinet, wardrobe, or cupboard, you will definitely not buy a separate finished product if you can customize it.

The large size of the cabinet fits perfectly, which can effectively utilize the space without leaving gaps or unevenness.

The storage size can also be determined according to your needs. Finished bathroom cabinets often have storage space that is difficult to use, and you have to use additional shelves and storage boxes to supplement it.

Sockets in mirror cabinets

It can charge electric toothbrushes and shavers, and you don’t have to pull out long wires when blowing your hair. Those who have used it say it’s good! Zhufaner Beauty Revolution also has a mirror cabinet option with a built-in socket, which is widely praised by customers.

Before doing the plumbing and electrical work, just tell the workers to leave a hole. It's not troublesome and it also saves the trouble of having a large waterproof cover for the bathroom power supply.

Ring mirror headlights work best

As long as the light is good enough, everyone can be a fair-skinned fairy.

The arrangement of mirror lights is sorted by effect: ring-shaped > left and right sides; don’t even consider single-sided and top-lit ones, as they will either cause uneven illumination or cause projection and blinding effects.

Devil's top light, the whole face is full of projections

The round mirror ring lights that have become popular in recent years have the best lighting effect, but round cabinets cannot be effectively stored. It’s up to you to decide.

The lights on both sides are like those in the backstage dressing room on Broadway. If you want more decoration, you can replace them with beautiful wall lamps.

Infinity mirrors are easily damaged

Borderless mirrors are a popular trend, not only bathroom mirrors, but also decorative mirrors are increasingly coming in borderless designs.

Borderless + large size, it looks big! It looks high-end!

However, it is more prone to breakage during transportation and daily use, has sharp corners, and is especially unsuitable for families with children.

It is best if the mirror cabinet has a frame. If there is no cabinet, you can consider an ultra-thin round mirror with a frame. It has a retro and cool feel, like the charm of Sister Zheng Xiyi's "nodding kill".

Popular Brands

The bathroom cabinet industry almost completely overlaps with sanitary ware. Those who started out making toilets are now doing overall bathroom business, and those who started out making faucets and showers also need to do overall bathroom business, and bathroom cabinets are no exception.

Therefore, there are two main types of bathroom cabinet manufacturers: sub-brands of sanitary ware companies, such as Kohler and Hengjie; and specialized brands that focus on bathroom cabinets, such as Shanggao.

However, the core technology of sanitary ware is ceramics, and bathroom cabinets are made of panels. Every profession has its own specialties, and large bathroom cabinet manufacturers have the best cost-effectiveness.

Domestic production sites are concentrated in Foshan, Chaozhou, Hangzhou and Xuchang. Generally speaking, Guangdong manufacturers have the highest rate of high-quality products. There are many small workshops in Hangzhou, Xuchang and other places with uneven quality. Tangshan manufacturers mainly export.

Hengjie Bathroom

Price range: 2000-7000 yuan

Among domestic bathroom brands, Hengjie bathroom cabinets have a high market share. They are best at ceramic sanitary ware, and are one of the more worthwhile brands of bathroom cabinets in this category.

The quality and design are relatively balanced. It’s not a problem if they are not particularly outstanding. The industry says that Hengjie has “all the same stores”, and its channel management is very good and its quality control is relatively stable, which is reassuring.

Overall, it is cost-effective.

Matsushita

Price range: 5000-10000 yuan

Among bathroom products, Panasonic’s best product is the smart toilet lid. Other products do not have much advantage. First of all, bathroom cabinets are very expensive.

The quality is good, the functional details are well planned, the appearance design is a bit old-fashioned, and it is worth buying if you are obsessed with the brand/like its design (and have enough budget).

Shang Gao

Price range: 2000-8000 yuan

As one of the professional bathroom cabinet brands, the factory is one of the largest in the country. It mainly produces modern style panel bathroom cabinets, as well as light luxury and retro styles. The product line is relatively complete.

I recommend this company when buying modern style basic bathroom cabinets. It is also a partner of Zhufaner 4.0 bathroom cabinets and has a high cost-performance ratio.

Heart Sea Temple

Price range: 2000-5000 yuan

Foshan bathroom brand, Yasong and his company are from the same company. Pure solid wood bathroom cabinets are his flagship products, and in recent years they have started to make board bathroom cabinets.

There are more modern light luxury styles and the quality is good. It is worth buying if you like their design style.

Frank Bathroom

Price range: 1500-4000 yuan

It is also one of the largest factories with its own factories. In the past, it was mainly European classical style, and the quality was good.

Now we mainly make retro/antique bathroom cabinets. The new Chinese style design is good, but the operation is too poor, the channels are a mess, and it is difficult to buy.

Diwek Sanitary Ware is his e-commerce brand, which is more modern in style. It is worth buying if you like the style and design.

Reading Bathroom

Price range: 3000-8000 yuan

I reject the appearance design of Reading bathroom cabinets... It is also a Foshan brand with good paint technology. The quality of modern paint bathroom cabinets is well evaluated in the industry and the price is reasonable.

There are some horrible decorative designs, but simple basic ones are more worth buying.

IKEA

Price range: 800-2000 yuan

The first choice for low budget, a single mirror with a tall cabinet costs less than a thousand yuan, the quality is as expected, the material and craftsmanship are transparent, and the style is basic and generous.

If you have a very small bathroom and a low budget, it is a good choice to go to IKEA. They have very small cabinets/basins at very friendly prices.

Kohler

Price range: 3000-8000 yuan

Kohler's flagship product has always been the toilet. The basins are not top-notch, and the hardware and bathroom cabinets are also average. The bathroom cabinet OEM factory is in Foshan, which is completely localized and not much different from domestic brands.

The design is not particularly outstanding, the brand premium is slightly high, and the overall cost-effectiveness is average. You can buy it when there is a big discount.

Finally, I would like to say that I always insist that all home designs are based on the habits of the residents. First, you have your own needs, and then find ways to meet them.

Some people just don't have to use the bathroom cabinet, while others think that not having a bathroom cabinet in the bathroom is like not serving wide noodles in a hot pot.

Maybe home decoration will suddenly rise like life. You need to think clearly about what you really need in order to get what you really want.