One of the most frequent questions were asked with our bathroom design service is how to make a small bathroom appear larger.
As nice as it would be to have a vast spa like bathroom, for most of us, this is not something we can afford or accommodate in our homes.
There are some tricks though to help maximise the space you have and starting with a good design is key.
Here’s a list of our top tips for maximising your small bathroom.
Mirrors
We all straight away go for the mirror above the sink but using mirrors elsewhere in a bathroom will reflect light, thus making the room seem more spacious than it is. If there is a window in your bathroom placing a mirror opposite is a great way to bounce natural light around.
Mirrors trick the eye too, elongating rooms by throwing reflections.
This ICE Mirror Cabinet by Saneux £486, helps achieve small bathroom needs providing needed storage, light reflection and bags of modern styling with touch tensor operated LED lights – fancy!
Keep things light
It’s a fairly obvious one, but keeping the colour palette light and neutral keeps the space open and makes it appear bigger. Dark colours aren’t your friend in a small bathroom unless there is copious amounts of natural light, but even then, I’d avoid it.
Using wood effect porcelain on the floor keeps things natural, and avoids the overall look becoming to clinical and stark.
The use of vertical tiles, like these Craven Dunnill Bijou Tiles £53 per m2 draws the eye up and creates height.
Mosaics can be used to great effect in small bathrooms, roman spa aesthetic, light reflecting luxury.
Stick to just a small area or feature wall with these though, less is more in small spaces!
Walls & Floors Glistening Mosaic Tiles £110 per m2
Toilets
Close coupled toilets work best in small bathrooms, check the space and consider a smaller cistern. This one by Burligton, comes with 440mm Cistern or 520mm, so you can pick which works best or you.
We have a Burlington 440 Cistern and Close Coupled Pan for £248
This Close Coupled Toilet by Saneux is perfect or a small clockroom or super small bathroom. Its 365mm width means it is suitable for the most modest of bathrooms. I-line II £319 including Seat.
Frameless showers
Modern shower enclosures come in all shapes and sizes. With most good quality suppliers offering bespoke options you are no longer restricted as to where you a place a shower.
Having an enclosure that is frameless allows light and your eye to see all corners of the room, unobscured, which equals space.
Matki make some beautiful frameless shower enclosures, with lots of styling options.
Opt for 10mm glass which is studier and consider a wet room look without a tray, tiling the floor instead for a seamless effect.
Ditch the Tub
Bathtubs use a lot of floor space, so if you’re a once a month bath user, why not ditch it all together and claim some of that space back.
If you are a family with small children this may not be an option for you, the bath being an easier way for the whole family to wash, but it is something to consider when space is short.
Wall mounted Basins and Cabinets
When you can see the space under the sink unit it opens the space visually. Various styles and sizes are available, so you needn’t worry about space and with storage included they pack more punch than the average pedestal basin.
The Saneux Indigo 1 Drawer 50cm Unit is in Gloss Grey for £321
Or the Saneux Austen 50cm 1 Drawer Unit in Pacific Walnut is illustrated below for £260
Storage Solutions
One thing that will always be hard in a small space is having enough storage.
Utilize all the space you can, hanging towels, clearing countertops of bottles and makeup by hanging as well. Small shelves can be put up in otherwise useless space providing storage for baskets, loo roll or anything else.
Tall narrow storage cupboards are an excellent choice, make sure they are as tall as the space allows creating height visually and have mirrored fronts for light reflection.
Roper Rhodes Reference Tall Mirror Cabinet £493
I hope this list has helped you think about how to design you small bathroom space, as always if you need any help you can always get in touch with us directly.
All these products are available by ourselves and the all prices are correct at date printed, subject to changes from outside suppliers.
