Characteristics of the design of the dressing room

What is a dressing room?

This is the name of the room from which people enter the steam room and washroom. Ideally, the dressing room should be separated from the main exit by a vestibule, but in modest private baths it is usually directly connected to the street. The standard area of this room is 3×2 m, and if you plan to not only change clothes here, but also relax, you need to add 1.5 sq. for each regular guest.

What should be taken into account when arranging?

The dressing room performs two mandatory functions: changing rooms and storage of bath equipment, but can also play other roles:

• rest room;
• refectory;
• hookah bar;
• billiard room;
• bath.

It’s all about the availability of free space, tastes and capabilities of the owners. In addition, the dressing room serves as a climatic buffer between the street and the steam room, through it the salvo ventilation of the bathhouse is carried out, and the energy efficiency of the building and its operational life greatly depend on it.

The steam room never has a through passage, and the dressing room should be a walk-through one. Additionally, it is recommended to equip one or two small windows there. The correct ventilation layout in the bathhouse is of utmost importance, this work should be entrusted to professionals.

The topic of door panels should be touched upon separately. The entrance door can have standard dimensions: 80-90 cm in width and 2 m in height. It should open towards you and have a protruding trim edge around the perimeter to retain heat. It is better to make the door from the changing room to the steam room narrower and lower, 70×160 cm, it should also open towards you, and for sealing and combating moisture, you need to provide a protruding wooden edging.

What can be used for finishing?

High demands are placed on the cladding in the changing room: moisture and heat resistance, environmental friendliness, ease of maintenance, durability, presentable appearance. Despite the widespread use of modern polymer and composite types of finishing that are not afraid of heat and moisture, most owners prefer to use natural materials when arranging a bathhouse.

Walls

Brick buildings with reliable external protection from the cold can be left unfinished inside. In a building made of rounded logs, it is most reasonable to leave the walls in their original form, and in an inexpensive block bathhouse, it is better to put a bar, unedged board, clapboard, planken or block house on top of high-quality thermal insulation, beautifully imitating log relief.

When choosing a material for finishing the walls in the dressing room, it is difficult to imagine anything better than wood: oak, linden, ash, alder, larch, cedar. The last two species, although they are coniferous, unlike pine, do not emit sticky resin when heated. But they emit phytoncides — natural antiseptics that are useful for people with chronic respiratory diseases to inhale.

Porcelain stoneware, natural or artificial stone can be a worthy alternative to wood. You can choose an interesting texture and complex shade to give your bathhouse a bright individuality.

Provided that forced and natural ventilation is properly organized, it is permissible to look at hydrophobic wallpaper and plaster, spectacular polymer panels, but I, for example, see a deep contradiction here. Let everything in the bathhouse be natural.

Floor

If the path from the changing room leads to the washroom, the rooms are located on the same level, and there is no threshold between them, it is recommended to tile the floors, make a slope of 1-2% and provide a drain hole in the corner. If water penetration into the room is excluded, it is better to lay it with a good floorboard.

I would not consider artificial moisture-resistant coverings, such as linoleum and quartz vinyl, despite their practicality, but there is an exception – decking, decking or WPC (wood-polymer composite). This is a durable, wear-resistant, non-slip, beautiful and healthy material that is perfect for finishing the changing room.

Ceiling

There is little choice here. In a log bathhouse, it is worth leaving massive beams visible, they will bring a special spirit to the interior, and if they are not there, but you like the design, you can arrange wooden false ceilings. A universal option is to cover the ceiling with timber, unedged boards, or clapboards. I think it is better to avoid using PVC panels.

Features of zoning

When the changing room is tiny, you don’t have to think about zoning when drawing up a project; you just need to fit things in and put a bench. If the space allows, it is advisable to separate the space for storing clothes and changing clothes with a linen screen or a wooden partition, hang a mirror there, and use the main space for leisure.

In an average changing room (from 6 sq. m), a table with chairs or benches will fit, then you need a corner for preparing and serving food. This could be a small sideboard, a cabinet or just a serving table and a wall shelf for dishes. In a separate bathhouse, a stove, an electric kettle and a portable refrigerator would be useful, so you don’t have to run into the house.

It’s unlikely that you’ll be able to organize a full-fledged TV area; it’s easier to hang a flat screen on a clearly visible wall. It makes sense to keep the bath equipment in plain sight, it has a decorative meaning, like firewood – it’s good if there is a place for a woodpile.

A spacious dressing room in a bathhouse of more than 10 sq. m can be equipped with a full-fledged kitchen island with built-in furniture, and the dining table can be replaced with a comfortable seating area with a sofa, fireplace, armchairs and a coffee table. Further plans are determined only by available meters, wishes and financial capabilities of the bathhouse owners: at least a swimming pool, at least a hookah, at least billiards.

Recommendations for choosing and arranging furniture

The best furniture for the rest area will be made of natural wood: linden, oak, elm, hornbeam. A good option is bamboo or rattan furniture, if it is stylistically justified. Stainless metal is unlikely to be comfortable to use. You should definitely avoid fiberboard and chipboard, these materials will not last long and will release harmful chemical compounds into the air when heated.

A soft corner with non-removable fabric upholstery in the rest room in the bathhouse is a bad idea, let it be genuine leather. And if you need to save money, decorate hard wooden chairs and benches with comfortable seats sewn by hand or stuffed covers. All textiles in the bathhouse must be removed and washed regularly.

For For modest-sized dressing rooms, a tall wardrobe, either a corner wardrobe or one that takes up the entire wall, like those installed in hallways, will be a godsend. It is convenient to place large items on the mezzanine: supplies of sheets, robes, and brooms. Clean towels, bath cosmetics, and fragrances will find a place on the horizontal shelves. You can hang outerwear in the section with a crossbar without worrying about wrinkling it, and hide shoes in the lower cabinets.

How to organize the lighting?

The light in the relaxation room in the bathhouse should be warm and softly diffused, and not bright, cold, and white. The use of conventional energy-saving incandescent lamps is acceptable, but they need to be protected with fire-resistant shades made of tempered glass or natural stone.

A great option is sconces or glowing panels made of Himalayan salt blocks, which, when heated, enrich the air with healing minerals.

A large single chandelier rarely looks good in such a room; it is better to replace it with lamps hung at a level slightly above height along the perimeter of the dressing room, halogen, fiber optic or fluorescent lamps in the ceiling. They quietly and unobtrusively illuminate the room, and can be supplemented with smooth brightness control if desired.

Beautiful design examples

Most people in our country rely on the Russian style when decorating the interior of the dressing room in the bathhouse. Traditional design accents: wooden buckets, ladles and troughs, a samovar and embroidered tablecloths on the table, brooms and felt hats on the walls. You can deviate a little from the classics, delve into folklore and give the room a fairy-tale look of a wood goblin’s house or Baba Yaga’s hut.

In addition to the Russian style, any other historical village styles are well suited for arranging the dressing rooms: country, Provence, chalet. The latter option is not much different from the concept of a Russian hunting lodge and will certainly appeal to fans of fishing and hunting – there will be a place to show off trophies.

Fans of oriental flavor will like the idea of arranging the interior of the dressing room in Greek, Turkish or Moroccan style. It is not necessary to be the owner of a real hammam or antique sauna, but such a design solution will require space and significant investments in the decoration and decor of the relaxation room in the bathhouse. The mosaic alone is worth it…

Among the fans of the bathhouse there are many progressive young people who are accustomed to the corresponding environment. There is nothing to stop you from creating a cozy dressing room as in the photo, in a modern style – Scandinavian, Japanese – or going for minimalism, eco, loft. The latter option is perfect for those who would rather expose the brick instead of decorative finishing of the dressing room.

The arrangement of the dressing room is an individual matter, because everyone has different needs, possibilities and ideas about beauty. However, everyone needs to measure their wishes with safety and hygiene requirements, so that the money is not wasted.