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10 Space-Saving Ideas for a Small Bathroom

Henry Brook
October 3, 2024
A small bathroom
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Bathrooms are typically the smallest rooms in the home, but that certainly doesn’t negate their importance. A well-designed and aesthetically pleasing bathroom can be transformative, adding joy to your day, not to mention value to your property.

The good news is that even if you’ve got a tiny amount of square footage to work with, there are plenty of ways to create a showstopping small bathroom – it’s simply a case of clever design ideas. Here we delve into all the practicalities and hacks that get small bathrooms working hard.

How to Design a Small Bathroom

Small bathroom design is all about thinking creatively: smart uses of space, clever storage solutions and being wise to how colour, pattern and materials can play into the overall feeling of openness. But most of all your bathroom needs to work for you and your lifestyle.

If you swap a bath for a shower, that’s likely to free up some floor space, but will you miss that me time? Opting for free-floating cabinets can make the room look bigger, but might not be the best idea if you have small children. There are plenty of workarounds, but make sure to consider how you and your household use the space as a priority. 

The first thing to think about is layout. Are you able to reconfigure your bathroom or are you re-tiling and replacing the fixtures? Optimising the arrangement is easy in theory, but tends to be a bigger job and involves plumbing work, so is not always in budget.

If you are reconfiguring, start with the toilet positioning. Unless you’re up for moving the soil pipe (waste pipe) you’ll likely be limited as to where this can go, so once you’ve figured that out you can think about the bath or shower and sink. We’d always recommend getting advice and quotes from contractors before falling in love with a layout.

Get quotes for a bathroom renovation here

Space-Saving Ideas for a Small Bathroom

Now to pair all that functionality and layout with style. Below are some of our recent small bathroom renovations, which make clever use of everything from tiles to natural light. 

Make the most of mirrors

Project: https://www.the-page.co.uk/project/kilravock-street-w10-1/

Mirrors are a small bathroom renovator’s secret weapon as they bounce light around, creating the optical illusion of more space – a light, bright room will always feel larger than a dark one. The bigger, the better, so consider incorporating mirrored cabinets or even making part of a wall mirrored to really reap the benefits of this trick.

Look to your walls

Project: https://www.the-page.co.uk/project/ely-cottage-sw8-1/ 

This contemporary bathroom makes clever use of wall space by incorporating a storage unit above the loo, freeing up the floor. A neat and tidy space (either through floating shelves or cabinetry) also looks less cluttered and therefore bigger – a win-win. The narrow built-in shelf here is another nifty solution, providing another useful surface with minimal spatial impact.

See how Camilla subtly added in a Traditional shelf from Etsy 

Don’t shy away from pattern

Project: https://www.the-page.co.uk/project/leppoc-road-sw4/

Small spaces can absolutely take pattern, you just have to be thoughtful about the colour and scale. If anything, a small bathroom is the ideal place to create a feature wall or be bold – patterned tiles or wallpaper can be expensive, and you have less surface area to fill. Using small patterns, like geometric shapes or flowers, works well as they’re eye-catching without overwhelming the space. If you’re more of a fan of big patterns, try to limit them to a specific space, like the shower, to avoid the room feeling crowded. 

Lay tiles vertically

Project: https://www.the-page.co.uk/project/burrows-road-nw10-bathroom-2/ 

Another great tip is to lay tiles vertically – it draws your eye upwards so makes the ceiling appear higher. This works particularly well in long narrow spaces like shower cubicles, as it draws attention to their height, in turn making the entire bathroom look more spacious. 

Keep tiles consistent

Project: https://www.the-page.co.uk/project/heythorp-street-sw18/ 

Using the same tiles across a walk-in shower and on the walls can trick your eyes into thinking that the space is bigger than it actually is, due to the continuous flow. This can help to balance out using darker coloured tiles, which reflect less light – the effect here is warm and welcoming. 

Keep things light and earthy

A bathroom that has been renovated

Project: https://www.the-page.co.uk/project/burrows-road-nw10/ 

Alternatively, if you’re not into the idea of bright colours, earthy tones and textures are very on-trend for bathrooms at the moment. They help to create a relaxed feeling, which is just what you want for this space. For small bathrooms, softer colours have the added benefit of reflecting more light than dark colours, creating an airy spa-like effect.

Pick an oval bath

Project: https://www.the-page.co.uk/project/loughborough-junction-sw9/ 

If bath time is non-negotiable, why not choose a freestanding oval bath? Not only do they look lovely and contemporary, but their curved edges allow for easier placement than with a rectangular tub. Plus they often take up less floor space compared to other options of the same capacity. 

Check out how Adam & Camila planned out this bathroom

Embrace a bath-shower

Project: https://www.the-page.co.uk/project/montague-road-e8-2/ 

Or, if you can’t decide between a bath and a shower and don’t have the space for both, this is an easy two-in-one decision. If you’ve got a tight budget, simply changing the fittings and re-tiling can breathe new life into an existing bath-shower setup.

Work in storage nooks

Project: https://www.the-page.co.uk/project/thorney-crescent-sw11/

No space for extra cabinets? No problem. Factoring storage nooks and shelving into the walls of your shower is not only practical (no more hopping out to find that product) but makes great use of space. And they’re nice design features to boot. 

Don’t forget about the details

Project: https://www.the-page.co.uk/project/montague-road-e8-3/ 

Little things make a big difference, especially in a small space. Here shiny gold taps, shower fittings and a towel rail add a touch of luxury, plus work a bit like mirrors – they reflect light adding to that spacious feeling that the white tiles create. 

How to Make a Small Bathroom Look Bigger

Our top suggestion for making a small bathroom look and feel bigger is to maximise visible floor space.

So look to wall-mounted sinks, toilets and bathroom storage that help to create an open feeling. Don’t overlook the corners: corner sinks or triangular showers are great for tight layouts, as they efficiently use space that might otherwise be wasted. 

It goes without saying that choosing compact versions of fixtures goes a long way. Think slimline loos and shallow sinks. And when it comes to storage, you can maximise vertical space by installing shelves or cabinets above the toilet or around a mirror. Floating shelves or recessed wall cabinets are great space-saving ideas too.

While there are tons of ways to actually breathe life into a small bathroom, it all starts with knowing exactly what you want. Don’t be afraid to brainstorm with your contractor to find what works best for you – and if you do need a helping hand, The Page is here to help!

Henry Brook
October 3, 2024
Tags
Bathroom

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