Project overview:
A compact bathroom renovation in a 1930s flat in Richmond Hill Court. The brief required to create a family bathroom integrating full laundry facilities without compromising design quality or spatial flow.
The Challenge
- Limited bathroom space (approximately 4.5sqm)
- Need to accommodate washing machine and tumble dryer
- Client wanted to free the kitchen entirely for cooking and living
- Ensure proper ventilation and waterproofing for laundry appliances in wet environment
Our Solution
We integrated stacked laundry appliances into the bathroom design, creating a single, highly functional wet room that serves multiple needs elegantly. The wet room layout maximizes usable space while the geometric tile pattern honors the building’s 1930s heritage.
A key design decision was to combine the WC and bathroom into one generous wet room rather than maintaining two separate, cramped spaces. For a family of three, a single well-designed bathroom with integrated laundry proved far more valuable than preserving a small separate WC while sacrificing kitchen space to a washing machine.
The stacked washer-dryer configuration freed the kitchen entirely for cooking and dining-a significant quality of life improvement in an 85sqm flat where every square meter matters.
Project Details
Location: Richmond Hill Court, TW10
Property type: 1930s flat, 85sqm total
Bathroom size: Approximately 4.5sqm
Project budget: £20,000
Timeline: 1 months from concept to completion
Completion: 2020
Materials & Finishes
Flooring: Geometric patterned porcelain tiles
Walls: Textured ceramic tiles
Vanity: Composite countertop with surface mounted basin
Fixtures: Wall-mounted matte black taps and shower fittings
Shower: Frameless glass wet room screen
Lighting: Ceiling downlights & wall lights
Heating: Underfloor heating system
Appliances: Stacked Miele washing machine and tumble dryer with dedicated ventilation
Design Approach
Integrating laundry into bathrooms is common practice in Scandinavian design and works particularly well in London’s compact flats. This approach:
- Keeps kitchens uncluttered and dedicated to their primary function
- Makes efficient use of existing plumbing infrastructure
- Reduces noise transfer (bathroom doors provide sound barrier)
- Provides proper ventilation for drying cycle humidity
The geometric tile pattern was chosen to echo the building’s Art Deco heritage while the clean lines and natural materials create a contemporary feel. The result is a bathroom that feels spacious despite its compact footprint, and serves multiple functions without compromise.
Why This Works
This bathroom demonstrates that compact spaces don’t require compromise. By carefully considering how the space would actually be used-not just how it would photograph-we created a room that serves the daily needs of modern life while respecting the character of a period building.
The laundry integration freed 2-3 sqm of kitchen space, transformed the functionality of the flat, and eliminated the common London compromise of having a washing machine dominate the kitchen.
