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Sloping ceilings

Reading Time: 7 minutes | Article from 4.6.2024
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Sloping ceilings make bathroom planning a challenge. However, the right room design will transform your sloping-ceilinged bathroom into a haven of well-being.

Content

  • Bathroom planning under sloping ceilings
  • Sloping-ceiling bathroom design
  • Consider the perception of space
  • How to make the most of a bathroom with sloping ceilings

At a glance

  • Plan the locations of the main bathroom fittings, according to the floor plan and room height

  • Mirrors make small bathrooms look bigger

  • To enjoy a pleasant view, place the bath under the sloping ceiling

  • Decorate the bathroom using light, welcoming, natural colours

Bathroom planning under sloping ceilings

Planning a bathroom with sloping ceilings requires time and attention to detail. In most cases, you are dealing with unusual dimensions, and the variable ceiling height adds to the difficulty. The floor plan of the bathroom is also crucial. If you have a small bathroom, you may need to choose between a shower or a bath. The smaller the bathroom, the more creative you’ll need to be with the available storage space.

Bathroom furniture that combines several functions is a good choice in a bathroom with a sloping ceiling. Practical washbasin vanity units or mirror cabinets provide plenty of storage space but don’t take up too much room. Washbasin vanity units, such as those in Villeroy & Boch’s Avento series, are available in different sizes, so you can choose furniture specifically tailored to your needs and the available space. 

Calculate the space under the slopes

The first step is to clarify exactly how much space you have available. A small bathroom with a sloping ceiling will have varying heights at different points in the room. One factor is the room height, which is 2.30-2.50 metres on average. Standing height is another important factor in sloping-ceilinged bathrooms and needs to be at least 1.90 metres. A standing height of 1.90 metres is not always available under sloping ceilings, so you need to measure the actual height of the knee wall, i.e. the vertical wall under the slope. This will help you determine where you can place furniture. If there are dormer windows, more space is available in these areas. 

Know your requirements for bathroom fittings

Once you know how much space you have available, the next step is to establish your priorities. If you enjoy having a bath, you could consider installing a bath that includes a shower function. A shower curtain and a shower rail with a shower mixer, for example from the Verve Showers collection, will make the bath multifunctional.

It is also important to know how much storage space you need in the bathroom. Recesses can be used for shelves and built-in cupboards to make best use of the limited space. Towel ladders, hanging shelves and storage compartments in niches provide space to store all your bathroom essentials. 

View the range of products and installation options

There are plenty of options for making use of space under sloping ceilings. These slanted surfaces often include windows, which makes the space below a sloping ceiling ideal for a bath or, in a larger bathroom, a bench with storage space. A toilet can also usually be installed directly under a sloping ceiling without any problems. This leaves enough space on the straight walls for a washbasin with mirror or for the shower.

If the sloping ceiling creates a kind of larger recess, you could also install an open shower next to the sloping ceiling. The wide range of products from Villeroy & Boch's lets you put together your own ideal combination of shower tray, mixer tap and shower head for your dream shower. 



Small and slender bathroom fittings

Slender furniture and sanitary installations work particularly well in a narrow bathroom with a sloping ceiling. Compact furniture frees up space so you have more room to move around, which boosts your bathroom’s well-being factor. Sleek objects also look more elegant and stylish.

Washbasins should be relatively shallow. Vanity washbasins are usually particularly narrow, our recommendation here is the Finion and Venticello collections. This also eliminates the time-consuming search for the right vanity unit: simply choose a coordinating cabinet from the Villeroy & Boch range! When it comes to the toilet, choose a built-in model to hide the cistern under the sloping ceiling. A slimline design will work well for the shower and bath too. Baths with rounded corners, for example from the Oberon 2.0 collection, take up less space visually.

Small and slender bathroom fittings

Slender furniture and sanitary installations work particularly well in a narrow bathroom with a sloping ceiling. Compact furniture frees up space so you have more room to move around, which boosts your bathroom’s well-being factor.

Washbasins should be relatively shallow. Vanity washbasins are usually particularly narrow, our recommendation here is the Collaro and Avento collections. This also eliminates the time-consuming search for the right vanity unit: simply choose a coordinating cabinet from the Villeroy & Boch range! When it comes to the toilet, choose a built-in model to hide the cistern under the sloping ceiling. A slimline design will work well for the shower and bath too. Baths with rounded corners, for example from the Oberon 2.0 collection, take up less space visually.

Make clever use of space under sloping ceilings

Think carefully about what bathroom furniture can be placed under a sloping ceiling. It is obvious that you will not need the full height of the room when seated on the toilet. There is therefore nothing to stop you positioning the toilet under a sloping ceiling – especially if there is a window there. A corner bath can be easily placed under a sloping ceiling in a large bathroom. Whatever you are looking for, you’re sure to find it in the Villeroy & Boch Squaro collection. If you are designing a small bathroom with a sloping ceiling, the compact bath from the Subway collection is the perfect choice. It will easily fit under a sloping ceiling and won’t take up too much space in the room.

Tip!

The larger your skylights, the better the view from the bathtub! Enjoy a bath under a sloping ceiling and soak up the romantic atmosphere as you gaze at the stars.

Mirrors for a sense of well-being and spaciousness

Mirrors create an impression of space, and not just in the bathroom. If you’re designing a small bathroom with a sloping ceiling, make sure you plan at least one large mirrored surface. This could be a mirror above the washbasin, for example. In the My View Now collection, you can find large mirror cabinets that will create a sense of space in your bathroom.

However, if you place your washbasin directly under a slope, this may not leave space for a mirror. In this case, opt for a tall cabinet with a mirrored door placed against a straight wall. This will combine storage space for towels and other bathroom essentials with a handy mirror. If you have a very small bathroom with a sloping ceiling, you can also install a mirror on the inside of the bathroom door.

A Villeroy & Boch bathroom cabinet in light-coloured wood with two doors and two open drawers on a natural wall.

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White Artis surface-mounted washbasin with a Conum tap and Finion bath and furniture.

Lighting in bathrooms with sloping ceilings

Classic ambient lighting in the bathroom usually consists of ceiling or wall lights. These light up the room evenly, enhance safety and deliver bright light. In a bathroom with lots of nooks and crannies, floor-level spotlights can be a practical solution to ensure all areas are well lit. If you direct floor spotlights towards sloping ceilings, this will also make the room appear bigger.

In addition to ambient lighting, you can install zone lighting. When designing your sloping-ceilinged bathroom, look out for opportunities to fit additional light sources. The mirrors and mirror cabinets in the My View 14 collection are fitted with practical LED lights that offer three levels of dimming. LED lights in the shower or above the bath provide atmospheric lighting when required, adding to the feel-good factor in your bathroom.

Consider the perception of space

Light colours, sleek and slender furniture and the sparing use of decorative items create a sense of space in a room. When choosing accessories for the bathroom, opt for a streamlined design concept and a consistent style. Your bathroom accessories should not overpower the furniture and sanitary fittings.

Beige Manufacture vase with fragrance sticks on a tray with towels.

Light, natural colours for a sloping-ceilinged bathroom

Light colours are a good idea for a bathroom with a sloping ceiling as they will make the room appear larger. Avoid using bright colours such as pink or purple. Instead, opt for natural shades with individual colour accents. Choose white or cream colours for the walls. Tiles should be used sparingly, only in areas where they are really needed: at the washbasin and around the bath and shower. Choose narrow tiles as large tiles will make the room look smaller.

Choose light, natural colours for your bathroom furniture and accessories too –beige and light brown, for example. The accessories will coordinate with the colour of the furniture, while individual splashes of colour will liven up the room and artfully disrupt the harmonious colour scheme.

Note minimum dimensions for the washbasin and toilet

For optimal use of the sanitary fittings in a bathroom with a sloping ceiling, it's important to remember a few key points. For the washbasin, the distance between your head and the ceiling should be at least 40 centimetres to ensure you can use it comfortably. Therefore, if possible, do not place the washbasin directly under a sloping ceiling. One alternative is an asymmetrical design: place a surface-mounted washbasin, for example from the Villeroy & Boch Artis or Loop & Friends collection, not in the middle but off to the side of the sloping ceiling, and use the remaining space for storage. This configuration gives off a distinctly modern vibe.

To ensure comfortable use of the toilet, the rear wall should be at least 1.30 metres high. Otherwise, you might bump your head when you stand up. It should also be possible to stand up straight in front of the toilet.

Use recesses for storage

Bathrooms often have recesses caused by structural factors. You can incorporate these areas into your design to fit shelves or built-in cupboards. When planning a small bathroom with a sloping ceiling, it’s wise to think about incorporating a niche or two to maximise storage space.

If the shower is fitted in an alcove in a bathroom with a sloping ceiling, this usually also creates a recess that can be utilised. Create a niche in the dry wall to create an open shelf in the shower. This will be the perfect place to store your shower gel and other items – you can even tile it for easy cleaning. Narrow apothecary cabinets can also be built into drywalls and recesses next to the washbasin and used to store a hairdryer, toothbrushes and other bathroom essentials.

Bath and shower under a slope

Shower – sloping ceiling and small bathroom? This will usually work, but the shower needs a standing height of 2.30 metres. If you are less than 1.75 metres tall, you could install the shower directly under the sloping ceiling if there is at least one straight wall available for the shower head. Otherwise, for small bathrooms, you can fit a shower tray – from the Subway Infinity collection, for example – against a straight wall.

Tip

There is greater flexibility when it comes to choosing the bath. For easy access, there should be a standing height of 1.90 metres on at least one side. Apart from this, it is perfectly possible to install the bath under a slope because you won't need the full height when seated.

How to make the most of a bathroom with sloping ceilings

There are lots of options when it comes to designing a bathroom with a sloping ceiling. Choose modern, sleek sanitary installations and light colours to make the room appear larger. Make clever use of the available space with built-in cabinets and add decorative items sparingly as subtle accents. You can find a wide range of sanitary fittings and furniture for bathrooms with sloping ceilings in the Finion, Antao and Loop & Friends collections. 

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