Self-care is more important now than ever before! The past few years have been extremely taxing on our mind, body, and spirit. It is essential to have a space that is calming + restorative to escape the stress of the day and relax the mind.

Have you been considering a bathroom renovation? Dreaming of your very own luxurious retreat but wondering how to make your small bathroom look and feel like a spa?

Don’t let a small space deter you from realizing your dream spa bathroom. With the right design, your bathroom can become a luxurious + restorative oasis where you begin and end your day in tranquility!!.

We thought we would share our Case Study of a bathroom remodel project we completed in 2021 which is chock full of luxury spa bathroom ideas that you could incorporate into your reno!

Our design process journey will take you from Concept to Completion.

**This bathroom won a Silver Award in the DDA Design Competition – Bathrooms over 30K.

To view more pictures of this project, please visit our Portfolio Page.

Case Study – From Blah to Blissful Spa

The design brief was clear, “we want our own personal Nirvana – a perfect place of peace and happiness”.

The clients had been through many stressful years due to one of them experiencing some serious health challenges.  They envisioned their tired, dark, small, only bathroom, transformed into a modern, bright, blissful spa with a hotel vibe designed for comfort and luxury. More importantly though, dedicated to optimal well-being with healing in mind.  Easy to maintain, ample counter space, a hit of glam, and storage were other must-haves on their wish list.

The Before Pics

• It was necessary to reconfigure the footprint to create the illusion of a larger space in this small 46 sq. ft. bathroom.
• The current locations of the 24” vanity and toilet were flipped making room for a larger 46” vanity.
• This 1955 bungalow was originally built as a cottage, and once the bathroom was demolished, some structural issues surfaced.
• As a result, the main wall required additional floor joists for support and the floors required leveling and reinforcement.
• Additionally, much of the original plumbing required replacement in the crawlspace to accommodate the new bathroom requirements.

Floor Plan – Before and After

Mood Board

Colour Palette + Biophilic Design

We used a mainly white colour palette to create a spacious, luxurious and modern sanctuary the clients were after.

To introduce nature and inspire peace and tranquility, Biophilic design was incorporated into the space

Biophilia is “our inherent human connection to the natural world” and therefore, when incorporated into our spaces, helps enhance our health and well-being. Think of stone, marble, wood, trees, plants, the ocean, the sky, and the sun! All compliments of Mother Nature!

To achieve this, large format marble-look porcelain tiles wrap around the tub, shower area, and main wall.  The deep soaking tub, with a double pivot door, allows for relaxing, barrier-free bathing, and easy maintenance.

The addition of fresh flowers and nature-inspired artwork infuse the space with some colour and life.

Chevron-laid, wood-look porcelain floors adds warmth and coziness to the mainly white space. Besides infusing interest and layers of texture, both wall and floor tiles are easy to maintain, sustainable, and at the same time, their neutral tones add timeless elegance.

A large stainless-steel niche meticulously organizes shower essentials. A decorative grab bar was installed for safety allowing the clients to enjoy the bathroom in the long term.

Pièce de Résistance

AXENT One’s luxurious, intelligent wall-hung, low-profile, tankless toilet was installed giving back 6 inches of needed space. It has all the bells and whistles of modern integrated bidet toilets appeal and floats above the bathroom floor offering an easy-to-clean bathroom solution. “The AXENT.ONE Plus wall-hung toilet offers aesthetic appeal, cutting-edge hygiene, and the highest level of sanitary cleanliness thanks to its exceptional engineering and hidden tank.”

This award-winning shower toilet brings style to your bathroom. A single control regulates the position and flow of the shower spray, as well as the water temperature. Located discreetly to the right of the toilet bowl, this control is as easy to use as the crown on a Swiss timepiece.

Axent Switzerland

Custom-Made Vanity + Layers of Lighting

The white, high-gloss, custom-made, 2-piece wall-hung vanity with white quartz countertop and several drawers, provides the needed counter space and ample storage for personal care items. An additional drawered shelf below stores extra towels and enhances that spa feeling. Brass-toned fixtures and drawer pulls embrace that extra glam lusciousness the clients desired.

Lastly, to amplify the overall sense of tranquility, three layers of lighting were carefully curated.  Concealed low-level under vanity occupancy lighting washes the floor with light and casts a warm ambiance. An expansive LED dimmable round illuminated mirror is perfect for grooming tasks while also creating the illusion of a larger space. 

Chromotherapy

We specified, voice-activated, app-controlled LED recessed lights, that are dimmable from warm to bright white. They also provide Chromatherapy capabilities (coloured lights).

Chromatherapy is a therapeutic modality and a proven method to calm, energize, soothe, achieve balance and harmony. So perfect for healing!

In Conclusion

This small bathroom is now living LARGE. The clients are delighted that Nirvana – their perfect place of peace and happiness has been delivered!

I hope this Case Study we have shared with you has demonstrated that you can create a luxurous + restorative bathroom spa in a very small space. It is not necessary to have an enormous sprawling principal bathroom.

We would love to hear your thoughts on this Blissful Spa project!

Hopefully, you have been able to gather some great ideas from this post and it has encouraged you to possibly consider creating your own Blissful Spa!

To learn more about how we can help you create your bathroom spa click here. We offer a complimentary 30 min call.