Help me beautify this bathroom
August 18, 2015 7:00 AM Subscribe
Hi everyone. I just moved to a lovely new place, but there is a major downside: the bathroom floor has a door on it, leading to a small basement room. Please help me figure out how to best cover it!
The door is about 4 feet long and 1.5-2 feet wide. There is a raised lip around the edge, that comes up about 1/3 inch. Here's a picture! basement door. We don't need to get down there often (less than 1/month) but any solution does need to allow occasional access. Based on proximity to the toilet, a rug seems less than ideal. It would also be great to put a small bathmat over the part of the cover next to the tub. Best case scenario would be something where you can't tell there is a door underneath, and I'd like a solution that is both practical and aesthetically pleasing. Thank you!
The door is about 4 feet long and 1.5-2 feet wide. There is a raised lip around the edge, that comes up about 1/3 inch. Here's a picture! basement door. We don't need to get down there often (less than 1/month) but any solution does need to allow occasional access. Based on proximity to the toilet, a rug seems less than ideal. It would also be great to put a small bathmat over the part of the cover next to the tub. Best case scenario would be something where you can't tell there is a door underneath, and I'd like a solution that is both practical and aesthetically pleasing. Thank you!
For some reason I am jealous that you have a door in your bathroom floor and I imagine it leads down to somewhere magical, or at least the place where you keep your beer supply.
The hinge looks like it's almost flush with the floor. How much of a bump is it?
What if you cut a piece of Linoleum to cover your entire bathroom floor? You'd of course have to measure carefully and leave cutouts for the sink and toilet. You could tack down the edges somehow or put a lip around the wall to tuck it under to keep it flat. When you need to go down to the Bat Cave you can just roll it up.
You could do the same thing with a rug and I do know people who have rugs in their bathroom but this is wrong in so many ways I'm going to suggest you don't do that.
posted by bondcliff at 7:11 AM on August 18, 2015 [2 favorites]
The hinge looks like it's almost flush with the floor. How much of a bump is it?
What if you cut a piece of Linoleum to cover your entire bathroom floor? You'd of course have to measure carefully and leave cutouts for the sink and toilet. You could tack down the edges somehow or put a lip around the wall to tuck it under to keep it flat. When you need to go down to the Bat Cave you can just roll it up.
You could do the same thing with a rug and I do know people who have rugs in their bathroom but this is wrong in so many ways I'm going to suggest you don't do that.
posted by bondcliff at 7:11 AM on August 18, 2015 [2 favorites]
I know you said a rug wouldn't work, but how about a long narrow one, like a runner so it goes from the bath towards you? If it's narrow enough that it fits between the sides maybe you can hem it so that it fits right in the middle of the door? I'm imagining something in rich stripes. And add velcro stickers on the underside so it doesn't shift around?
posted by like_neon at 7:11 AM on August 18, 2015
posted by like_neon at 7:11 AM on August 18, 2015
If you owned the home I would say it's time for a totally new bathroom floor, possibly with a smaller door than this, and different flooring material. That aluminum flashing does not look friendly to bare feet.
If it's a rental I would just go with an oversized bath mat or two. Or find something an attractive piece of scrap marmoleum or linoleum to cover the whole thing up. Or a large wood or bamboo bath mat.
posted by bennett being thrown at 7:11 AM on August 18, 2015 [11 favorites]
If it's a rental I would just go with an oversized bath mat or two. Or find something an attractive piece of scrap marmoleum or linoleum to cover the whole thing up. Or a large wood or bamboo bath mat.
posted by bennett being thrown at 7:11 AM on August 18, 2015 [11 favorites]
I would use these 3/8" thick interlocking rubber floor tiles. They can be cut to fit quite easily with an Exacto knife.
posted by mal de coucou at 7:32 AM on August 18, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by mal de coucou at 7:32 AM on August 18, 2015 [2 favorites]
In case you thought that the door looked hideous: it looks charming and mysterious.
posted by amtho at 7:33 AM on August 18, 2015 [7 favorites]
posted by amtho at 7:33 AM on August 18, 2015 [7 favorites]
It looks sharp and toe-lacerating to me
posted by showbiz_liz at 7:35 AM on August 18, 2015 [17 favorites]
posted by showbiz_liz at 7:35 AM on August 18, 2015 [17 favorites]
New bathroom floor, at least in the long run. That toilet's gonna overflow from time to time, and that door will complicate the sh--, er, the heck out of cleanup every single time.
posted by Sunburnt at 7:39 AM on August 18, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by Sunburnt at 7:39 AM on August 18, 2015 [1 favorite]
Does the bathroom door (not the not so secret basement door) open out into the hall way, in into the bathroom, or is it a pocket door?
If it opens to the hallway and / or is a pocket door, I'd throw some appropriately trimmed gym floor mats on it and a few cotton throw rugs atop it. I have a high-traffic half bath and I have two cotton rugs I rotate through the wash weekly. The gym floor mats can be taken outside and hosed down from time to time (or just in the tub). I'd even look at getting a good steam mop.
posted by tilde at 7:46 AM on August 18, 2015 [1 favorite]
If it opens to the hallway and / or is a pocket door, I'd throw some appropriately trimmed gym floor mats on it and a few cotton throw rugs atop it. I have a high-traffic half bath and I have two cotton rugs I rotate through the wash weekly. The gym floor mats can be taken outside and hosed down from time to time (or just in the tub). I'd even look at getting a good steam mop.
posted by tilde at 7:46 AM on August 18, 2015 [1 favorite]
Get an appropriately-sized woven plastic mat. They are surprisingly nice looking, light, wear well, are absurdly easy to clean, and can be easily moved out of the way when you need access to the door. We have several we got from Ikea for almost nothing, and two very nice ones from Mad Mats in the basement. They get lots of use and always look lovely.
http://madmats.com
posted by djinn dandy at 7:47 AM on August 18, 2015 [2 favorites]
http://madmats.com
posted by djinn dandy at 7:47 AM on August 18, 2015 [2 favorites]
I don't understand why proximity to toilet disqualifies a rug solution? Rug is so much nicer for your feet. I would get a really nice bath rug - oversize, plush to disguise the lip of the door, with a good nonskid backing, not some skimpy thing from Ross. (I recently upgraded the rugs in my bathroom to the nicest ones from Bed Bath & Beyond, two of them so the whole floor is covered, and they make me happy every morning.)
posted by fingersandtoes at 7:49 AM on August 18, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by fingersandtoes at 7:49 AM on August 18, 2015 [1 favorite]
I would put down a large washable non-skid rug or a rubber mat as a base, running from the edge of the tub all the way across to the doorway/wall, and plan on replacing it every couple of years.
On top of that, I'd put a memory foam bath mat (soft cushiony comfort without the squick of shag) in front of the tub, and maybe a second one in front of the vanity. ("Contour rugs" that go around the base of your toilet tank are a thing, but it'd be hard to fit both that and a bath mat.)
posted by Pandora Kouti at 7:49 AM on August 18, 2015 [1 favorite]
On top of that, I'd put a memory foam bath mat (soft cushiony comfort without the squick of shag) in front of the tub, and maybe a second one in front of the vanity. ("Contour rugs" that go around the base of your toilet tank are a thing, but it'd be hard to fit both that and a bath mat.)
posted by Pandora Kouti at 7:49 AM on August 18, 2015 [1 favorite]
Make a paper template of the floor, leaving cutouts for the toilet.
Get a piece of linoleum, and cut to the template.
Pop linoleum over the entire floor.
posted by hmo at 7:51 AM on August 18, 2015
Get a piece of linoleum, and cut to the template.
Pop linoleum over the entire floor.
posted by hmo at 7:51 AM on August 18, 2015
Our bathrooms came with wall to wall rugs and it was pretty gross.
But I do love having a mat under my feet when I am in the bathroom, so we have loose rugs that we wash once a month or so. It works perfectly.
I think a big loose rug would work well for you and would be an excellent decorative element if you get the right colors and patter.
posted by SLC Mom at 7:57 AM on August 18, 2015 [1 favorite]
But I do love having a mat under my feet when I am in the bathroom, so we have loose rugs that we wash once a month or so. It works perfectly.
I think a big loose rug would work well for you and would be an excellent decorative element if you get the right colors and patter.
posted by SLC Mom at 7:57 AM on August 18, 2015 [1 favorite]
The nice thing about area rugs in a bathroom is you can pop 'em into the washing machine every couple of weeks.
posted by Andrhia at 7:59 AM on August 18, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by Andrhia at 7:59 AM on August 18, 2015 [1 favorite]
Maybe some kind of teak floor tile?
Maybe you could start them and stop them in some way that makes sense, lays flat, and stays put.
posted by vitabellosi at 8:24 AM on August 18, 2015 [1 favorite]
Maybe you could start them and stop them in some way that makes sense, lays flat, and stays put.
posted by vitabellosi at 8:24 AM on August 18, 2015 [1 favorite]
Wooden interlocking deck tiles. It might create a feel like an outdoor shower or spa bathroom floor?
Similarly, they make Flexible Teak Bathroom Shower Mats. You could get a really big one (I've seen this) or a few put together, and make cutouts for the toilet and vanity plumbing. They are really really easy to keep clean, and I'll never use another type of shower mat!
posted by jbenben at 8:30 AM on August 18, 2015
Similarly, they make Flexible Teak Bathroom Shower Mats. You could get a really big one (I've seen this) or a few put together, and make cutouts for the toilet and vanity plumbing. They are really really easy to keep clean, and I'll never use another type of shower mat!
posted by jbenben at 8:30 AM on August 18, 2015
I would do the interlocking deck tiles as well. Ikea has some for their summer products that should be in expensive.
posted by betsybetsy at 8:43 AM on August 18, 2015
posted by betsybetsy at 8:43 AM on August 18, 2015
What about finding (or cutting to size) a rug/mat/set of vinyl tiles/other attractive floor covering that covered only the moveable part of the door.
So, you'd have the the brass coloured frame around some kind of colourful *thing*. You could make a cutout for the handle as well.
I understand why you wouldn't want a rug so close to the toilet (especially if you have people who stand to pee in the house... gross) which is why a colourful vinyl tile (I'm thinking like this) could be nice. Here is what 45 seconds in mspaint thinks that that might look like.
posted by sparklemotion at 8:48 AM on August 18, 2015
So, you'd have the the brass coloured frame around some kind of colourful *thing*. You could make a cutout for the handle as well.
I understand why you wouldn't want a rug so close to the toilet (especially if you have people who stand to pee in the house... gross) which is why a colourful vinyl tile (I'm thinking like this) could be nice. Here is what 45 seconds in mspaint thinks that that might look like.
posted by sparklemotion at 8:48 AM on August 18, 2015
I'd look fpr a rag rug large enough to cover it. They're washable.
posted by theora55 at 9:15 AM on August 18, 2015
posted by theora55 at 9:15 AM on August 18, 2015
Design-it-yourself Flor rug tiles. Or go to Overstock.com and search for indoor/outdoor runner and cut it to size. Then get a synthetic mat to step on, which you drape over the tub. Bed, Bath, Beyond carries them in their area rug department.
posted by Elsie at 9:33 AM on August 18, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by Elsie at 9:33 AM on August 18, 2015 [1 favorite]
We have these wooden deck tiles on our basement floor and we love them, A++++++++++++++, would use indoors and against manufacturer's specs again and again. They have held up really well and are so pleasant to walk on. I wonder if they're not the best solution for you, though, because:
1. when I bought them they were $9.99/pack and now they're $34.99/pack which makes the cost considerably more; if you're going to spend that kind of money you might be able to get something better. Each pack does nine square feet, you'd probably need three or four packs total?
2. I can't tell how significant the lip around the door is and how uneven the floor might be; we have a drain in our basement and the floor is generally sloped and uneven and the tiles accommodate that perfectly but if there's a ridge around the door the tiles may not lock together which could be really annoying.
They ARE really easy to cut and installing them takes literal seconds, I'll say that.
posted by kate blank at 9:37 AM on August 18, 2015 [2 favorites]
1. when I bought them they were $9.99/pack and now they're $34.99/pack which makes the cost considerably more; if you're going to spend that kind of money you might be able to get something better. Each pack does nine square feet, you'd probably need three or four packs total?
2. I can't tell how significant the lip around the door is and how uneven the floor might be; we have a drain in our basement and the floor is generally sloped and uneven and the tiles accommodate that perfectly but if there's a ridge around the door the tiles may not lock together which could be really annoying.
They ARE really easy to cut and installing them takes literal seconds, I'll say that.
posted by kate blank at 9:37 AM on August 18, 2015 [2 favorites]
I am not you, but I think I would play up the "eee there is a door in our floor" apsect to it and do the linoleum thing that hmo describes and then I would get some vinyl letters off of ebay (look for mailbox stickers, they will make them custom) that says "Please do not let the monsters out" in some sort of suitably ridiculous font. Then have a bath mat or the teak floor tiles but then when you have to pull it all up to get at the basement it will make you smile not be all "I hate this stupid door" I might even put a picture of stairs on it like this.
posted by jessamyn at 9:42 AM on August 18, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by jessamyn at 9:42 AM on August 18, 2015 [1 favorite]
When I was a kid, people often had those bathmats with a slot in them that went under the toilet. you don't see them so much anymore, but they do exist and they're washable, so just wash them regularly. I would do one of those with a regular mat in front of the sink. You'll still be able to see the door thing, but I'm not sure that's worse than a much more cumbersome solution.
A lot of the solutions above aren't exactly easily washable. That's what bathmats and normal bathroom floors have in common - you wash them.
posted by vunder at 9:52 AM on August 18, 2015
A lot of the solutions above aren't exactly easily washable. That's what bathmats and normal bathroom floors have in common - you wash them.
posted by vunder at 9:52 AM on August 18, 2015
Maybe you could put down slick black Lino around the door. Then keep hinges, opening reveal and make a new door out of super tough opaque glass or clear-ish Perspex so you can see light/s from basement and have a floor light box. You could dance on it as you brush your teeth. Disco, babeee.
posted by honey-barbara at 10:11 AM on August 18, 2015
posted by honey-barbara at 10:11 AM on August 18, 2015
Rug that close to the toilet is fine, so long as it's washable. I would buy a selection of easily-washable cloth mats and tile them to fill the space, trimming out corners and curves to fit around the fixtures (not all the way around the toilet, just a couple of inches past the front of the foot). Then cut a second mat identical to the one around the toilet. Lay the mats, carry on as normal, and when it's time, throw the mat nearest the toilet into the laundry and replace with the spare. Having a spare means you don't miss it while you're waiting for the laundry to run and makes it much less of a chore to wash the floor mats.
posted by aimedwander at 10:42 AM on August 18, 2015
posted by aimedwander at 10:42 AM on August 18, 2015
Alternatively, you could remove the vinyl from the door, and paint a sign. Dungeon. Radioactive Chamber: Do Not Enter. Laboratory. Seekrit Tunnel. If it were my house, I'd use a rag rug, but paint the sign for people who peek under the rug. Because immaturity is amusing to me.
posted by theora55 at 10:52 AM on August 18, 2015 [4 favorites]
posted by theora55 at 10:52 AM on August 18, 2015 [4 favorites]
I see a lot of ideas on here, but that raised lip the OP mentioned is why I said foam "gym" "tiles".
You will feel that raised lip through thin rugs, it will break linoleum/iino "tiles", and you'll feel through Flor tiles and I suspect deck tiles will rock (unless they are soft like gym tiles). Maybe I'm an aberration but I trip on lint, never mind slightly uneven sharp metal edged doom traps of doomation.
Of course, if you really want to have fun with it, then put one of these down cut to be framed by the door frame. And this on the ceiling. And install a very bright motion sensitive light so you don't wander in and trip in the dark.
posted by tilde at 1:08 PM on August 18, 2015 [1 favorite]
You will feel that raised lip through thin rugs, it will break linoleum/iino "tiles", and you'll feel through Flor tiles and I suspect deck tiles will rock (unless they are soft like gym tiles). Maybe I'm an aberration but I trip on lint, never mind slightly uneven sharp metal edged doom traps of doomation.
Of course, if you really want to have fun with it, then put one of these down cut to be framed by the door frame. And this on the ceiling. And install a very bright motion sensitive light so you don't wander in and trip in the dark.
posted by tilde at 1:08 PM on August 18, 2015 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Sorry about the late follow-up - we haven't set up internet yet and are living in a cave of boxes atm. Thank you all so much for all of the ideas/inspiration. I'm going to keep thinking about it, and let you all know what we decide!
posted by likeatoaster at 7:53 AM on August 19, 2015
posted by likeatoaster at 7:53 AM on August 19, 2015
Response by poster: Hi everyone! We are still in limbo on this whole door situation (get it), as it seems that a bathmat big enough to cover it (which is frustratingly 25.5" wide) would cost upwards of $80, BUT thanks in part to you all I have gotten over my initial resistance to just putting a big old bath mat or rug over it, so I'm sure we will come up with something. Mostly, though, I am just posting to share this wonderful pic of the bathroom, this time with the door open.
posted by likeatoaster at 5:45 PM on August 29, 2015 [4 favorites]
posted by likeatoaster at 5:45 PM on August 29, 2015 [4 favorites]
New idea! New idea!
The "bath mat" might be $80 but a big rag rug might do well as well. If it's big enough, it might not slide. Just have to hang it up more often (like when you leave for the day, putting back down at night when you come home) to keep it dry.
posted by tilde at 7:44 AM on August 31, 2015
The "bath mat" might be $80 but a big rag rug might do well as well. If it's big enough, it might not slide. Just have to hang it up more often (like when you leave for the day, putting back down at night when you come home) to keep it dry.
posted by tilde at 7:44 AM on August 31, 2015
This thread is closed to new comments.
They do make giant bath mats which seem pretty perfect for this actually!
Given the placement of the toilet, it might actually be best to get one of these and use a craft knife to cut out a small curve where the edge of the toilet is.
posted by showbiz_liz at 7:09 AM on August 18, 2015 [4 favorites]