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Room Tour: A Small Bathroom With a Sloping Ceiling is Reworked
This small loft bathroom had been built for two, but then three children came along and the layout no longer worked
Eleven years ago, when Sophia Fish and her husband, Reuben, first designed this bathroom, children weren’t in the picture. Consequently, it had little storage, a corner bath tucked under the eaves and a separate shower. “We thought that would do us fine, as we also had an en suite,” Sophia says. “This was the main bathroom of the house, but it wasn’t used that much, so it didn’t need to perform hard and storage wasn’t important.”
Then, as the family grew from two to five, the bathroom came in for heavy use – and became less practical. “The kids kept banging their heads on the sloping ceiling when they were playing in the bath,” Sophia says. There was hardly any storage, the tiles were tired, and everything was getting grubby. On top of this, the couple’s son has a sensory processing disorder and ADHD, and Sophia wanted the new design to provide a comforting environment for him.
Then, as the family grew from two to five, the bathroom came in for heavy use – and became less practical. “The kids kept banging their heads on the sloping ceiling when they were playing in the bath,” Sophia says. There was hardly any storage, the tiles were tired, and everything was getting grubby. On top of this, the couple’s son has a sensory processing disorder and ADHD, and Sophia wanted the new design to provide a comforting environment for him.
On the sensory design front, Sophia explains that the approach needs to be carefully tailored to the individual. “The correct – and personal – balance of colour, tone, texture, scent, sound and movement is key to its success,” she says. “These prompt our sensory responses – ie, sight, touch, hearing and smell.”
It’s definitely not about creating a plain or sparse environment. “Spaces that are too bland, without a ‘balance’ of these elements, can create sensory lows,” she says.
Sophia’s 10-year-old son, Maddien, loves nature and finds it calming, so that was a focus. “I went for deep green and natural materials. I [also] wanted to add pattern without it being busy.”
As such, the terrazzo-style tiles feature earthy tones and the grout is a gentle off-white. “Soft lighting was also a must – so you don’t have to have the main light on in the evening.”
And Maddien? He’s delighted with the result. “It’s like being teleported into nature. When I’m in the bath, I feel like I’m floating in a forest lake,” he says. “I feel so relaxed and safe; when I’m in there, my head feels quieter and calmer. The pattern reminds me of the forest floor and the shower feels and sounds like a waterfall.”
Terrazzo tiles, Boutique Stone. Terracotta tiles, The Baked Tile Company. Jasmine grout, Mapei. Bamboo shelf unit, Oliver Bonas.
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It’s definitely not about creating a plain or sparse environment. “Spaces that are too bland, without a ‘balance’ of these elements, can create sensory lows,” she says.
Sophia’s 10-year-old son, Maddien, loves nature and finds it calming, so that was a focus. “I went for deep green and natural materials. I [also] wanted to add pattern without it being busy.”
As such, the terrazzo-style tiles feature earthy tones and the grout is a gentle off-white. “Soft lighting was also a must – so you don’t have to have the main light on in the evening.”
And Maddien? He’s delighted with the result. “It’s like being teleported into nature. When I’m in the bath, I feel like I’m floating in a forest lake,” he says. “I feel so relaxed and safe; when I’m in there, my head feels quieter and calmer. The pattern reminds me of the forest floor and the shower feels and sounds like a waterfall.”
Terrazzo tiles, Boutique Stone. Terracotta tiles, The Baked Tile Company. Jasmine grout, Mapei. Bamboo shelf unit, Oliver Bonas.
Find an interior designer on Houzz today.
“I used eggshell paints,” Sophia says. “They’re perfect for bathrooms, as they’re hard-wearing, can go on both walls and woodwork, and can be wiped clean.”
She chose an off-white colour with pink undertones for the ceiling. “It’s calming and goes with the green,” she says. “Sometimes, my son just needs to lie in the bath to calm down. If there’s too much white or harsh lighting, it can have the opposite effect.”
She also added lots of plants and had a live-edge worktop and shelves made from reclaimed oak to incorporate relaxing natural elements and textures. Even the tile trim is oak and the frame of the Velux window is unpainted timber.
Walls painted in Green 05 Rome House; ceiling painted in White 06, both Lick. Faux coral ornament, Rockett St George.
She chose an off-white colour with pink undertones for the ceiling. “It’s calming and goes with the green,” she says. “Sometimes, my son just needs to lie in the bath to calm down. If there’s too much white or harsh lighting, it can have the opposite effect.”
She also added lots of plants and had a live-edge worktop and shelves made from reclaimed oak to incorporate relaxing natural elements and textures. Even the tile trim is oak and the frame of the Velux window is unpainted timber.
Walls painted in Green 05 Rome House; ceiling painted in White 06, both Lick. Faux coral ornament, Rockett St George.
Sophia liked the bathroom in its previous incarnation, but it had become shabby and was no longer fit for purpose.
The move that unlocked the space for more practical use was to switch the bath, so it ran along the side wall, and fit the eaves with much-needed built-in storage. “The cupboards are really deep,” Sophia says.
She added the terrazzo tiling to protect the wood and wall from splashes. This also creates useful shelf space.
More: What Happens When you Hire a Bathroom Designer?
She added the terrazzo tiling to protect the wood and wall from splashes. This also creates useful shelf space.
More: What Happens When you Hire a Bathroom Designer?
“I realised that if we reversed the location of the bath and had an over-bath shower, we could get the head-height,” she says. However, this arrangement created an issue when it came to sourcing a shower screen.
“We needed to find a screen that would fit from the end of the bath to the angled part of wall while still providing splash protection. We searched for ages before finally finding one the right size.”
The L-shaped bath provides room a bit further away from the shallow-pitched ceiling area, as well as a generous, 90cm-wide square at the shower end. The screen opens so the children can use the full bath.
She kept the original black radiator, which ties in well with a new basin and toilet.
“We needed to find a screen that would fit from the end of the bath to the angled part of wall while still providing splash protection. We searched for ages before finally finding one the right size.”
The L-shaped bath provides room a bit further away from the shallow-pitched ceiling area, as well as a generous, 90cm-wide square at the shower end. The screen opens so the children can use the full bath.
She kept the original black radiator, which ties in well with a new basin and toilet.
“I wanted a square not a round shower head,” Sophia says. “It ties in better with shapes around the room – there are lots of straight lines.”
Shower, Victorian Plumbing.
Shower, Victorian Plumbing.
The original layout at the opposite end of the space, seen here, wasn’t too bad, so little was changed and Sophia retained the mirrored cabinet, which is semi set into the wall to maximise space. However, the leafy wallpaper had to go. “Not practical with little fingers,” she says.
She also replaced the basin with a black stone design.
She also replaced the basin with a black stone design.
The new toilet matches the basin. “It’s sad to get excited about loos, I know,” Sophia laughs, “but this is lovely. I love black accents in a bathroom and I thought white wouldn’t look as considered and would stand out, whereas this balances out the black accents elsewhere.”
Wall-hung toilet, Rak.
Wall-hung toilet, Rak.
The cabinet knobs are hammered brass. “The shape and texture of knobs is a really good way to add interest to a room, and these ones mirror the shapes in the terrazzo.”
Hammered brass knobs, Anthropologie. Towels, John Lewis. Ceramic bowl, Abigail Ahern.
Hammered brass knobs, Anthropologie. Towels, John Lewis. Ceramic bowl, Abigail Ahern.
Sophia’s accessories add a lovely finishing touch to the bathroom and echo the colour scheme. “With the towels, I wanted to add another element of pattern,” she says. “The green stripe is the same green as the walls and goes well with the terrazzo. Towels are a great way to do that in a bathroom and it’s so easy.”
Tell us…
Do you have a small bathroom? What are your top tips for making it work? Let us know in the Comments.
Tell us…
Do you have a small bathroom? What are your top tips for making it work? Let us know in the Comments.
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Who lives here? Sophia and Reuben Fish and their three children – a son, 10, and two daughters, 6 and 4
Location Near Maidstone, Kent
Property A new-build chalet bungalow designed and built by the owners on the site of a 1930s prefab
Room dimensions 2.4m x 3m
Designer Sophia Fish of Golden Feathers Interiors
Contractor Woodstock Carpentry
Project year 2022-23
Photos by Louisa Bedford and Sophia Fish
“For us, as a family, the bathroom needed to change,” Sophia says. “We couldn’t alter the ceiling, so I just stood in the room and thought, ‘OK, what do I need this room to do?’”
In terms of practicality, it came down to three basic requirements: improved headroom, hard-wearing finishes and better storage.
Sophia’s other need was that it was a “sensory design”; in other words, that the aesthetics created a stress-free environment for her son. “I wanted it to be a place to chill out, away from the rest of the home,” she says.
She explains that his condition means certain environments – due to sounds, colours, textures, patterns etc – can feel very stimulating, making him feel overwhelmed and out of control.
But of course, Sophia is a designer, and it also had to look good.