The 7 key design rules for small bathrooms (2024)

As we’ve already pointedout above, a small bathroom can be tricky to design, but, on the positive side,it’s also a room where you can let your imagination run riot. Let’s take a look atthe7keyaspectsto considerwhen it comes to thinking about a small bathroom, whether you’re starting from scratch or planning a makeover:

• Shape
• Colour
• Showervsbathtub
• Sanitaryware
• Space-savingsolutions
• Tiles
• Mirrorsand lighting

Let’s take a look at each of them in a little more detail.

The starting point is, unsurprisingly, the shape of the bathroom. Whileyou can see all sorts of odd shapes, in general, they tend to fall into two rough categories: rectangular and square.

• Small rectangular bathrooms(long and skinny)
  A great trick for an elongated bathroom is to paint or decorate the ceiling. It not only creates the perception of a longer, bigger space, but also draws the eyes upward, so that you don’t focus on the smallness or narrowness.
  A rectangular bathroom can also be the perfect space to have a bath rather than shower, placing it at the far end, but more on that further on.

• Small square bathrooms
  When it comes to square bathrooms, there is no firm rule of thumb, as much of how you furnish it will depend on where the door is. Nine times out of ten in a long, narrow room, the door will be placed on the short wall but when it comes to a square, there are no hard and fast rules.

If you are designing from scratch and have no plumbing limitations to consider, the important thing is to think about how to best place the key elements(usually shower, toilet and basin) so that you can move around freely, and think about how the door will impact your movements, especially when you open it (and don’t forget to pay attention to whether it will open into the bathroom or outwards, and to the left or right!).

Howcan the colour of the floor and walls change the perception of space in a small bathroom? Colour plays a critical role here, but the good news is that here you are in total control, with nothing to hold you back, such as plumbing limitations, window placement and so on. It’s all about your own personal taste, together with a couple of guidelines that can help make a bathroom seem larger.

Generally speaking, lighter, softer colours will create a sense of airiness and spaciousness,and of course they are also awonderfullyversatile canvas for accessories. White is an easy, safe solution, but you could also opt for pastels, beige, or light green or grey, if your priority is to make your bathroom seemlarger than it is.

Having said that, however,over the past few years, darker colours have started to be used more widely, even in the tiniest bathroom, and theycan create a lovely moody atmosphere. Black can be a little overpowering on its own, but if applied in the right dose, it can be a stylish and striking accentagainstsofter or more neutral hues.

It goes almost without saying that in a bathroom where you are pressed for space, a shower is the simple, smart and functional solution.For those who love nothing better than a lovely hot bubble bath at the end of a day, sadly, this is often the first thing to be sacrificed and, in some spaces, even we can’t magic up a trick to get around this. Having said that, there are so many variants available todaycompared to a few years ago, that youmayfind one that fits, otherwise, why not go for a gorgeous bespoke shortened but deep built-in tub in natural stone nestled neatly into a corner or the far end?

However, if the shape or size of your bathroom means that a shower is the only sensible (or even possible) option, you still have some flexibility.There are two main shower solutions that lend themselves to small bathroom layouts:

• Quadrantshower.
  Thisislike a square which nestles into a corner, and has had the two sides facing into the bathroom smoothed off so they are curved. It optimises the usable space inside the shower enclosure without eating into the rest of the room.
• A clear glass door.
  Avoid any patterned or smoked glass or Perspex, and instead open up the entire space by optingfor transparent glass.

When planningyourbathroom layout,there are set standards that determine how much space should be kept free around key fixtures.As these differ from country to country, you will need to check out your local regulations.There will generally be minimum distances, but often it is advisable to increase these to ensure comfort. For example, is there enough space between the toilet and the wall for a tall person to be able to comfortably sit?

Obviously, if you are already tight for space in your bathroom, having to create clearance space according to regulations can pose yet another obstacle, but, at the same time,the rules are a useful tool for creating a bathroom that is actually usable.There is nothing worse than having everything installed, only to find you have to scuttle sideways out of your shower or pull your knees in when sitting on the toilet.

Obviously, you can mitigate somespace issues by choosing a smaller basin, whether in terms of width or depth, and the same goes for your shower.If the depth of your floor allows, opting for a floor-mounted toilet rather than one with wall plumbing can also save a few valuable centimetres.In a small bathroom, every centimetre can count!

If there is one room in your home where you want to use tiles, it’s the bathroom and they have, in fact, long been a staple design element.However,apart from floors, when it comes to vertical surfaces,they have traditionally tended to be used only in“watery”areas such as a basin splashback or on shower walls, whereas there is no reason they can’t be used to cover an entire wall, or even walls.

Drawing onrecent technological innovations,the design sector has been highly successful in developing practical and stunning textures that go beyond the conventional idea of a tile. Whether in natural stone or ceramic, there are a myriad of fantastic tiles for all styles and tastes, and even some that deliver on the sustainability front, made from offcuts of natural materials.

They come in all sizes, but when it comes to choosing tiles for the walls ofasmall bathroom, there is one cardinal rule.If you want your bathroom to appear bigger than it is, even though it may seem counterintuitive, you should use larger format tiles on the walls,rather than small dimensions.

Last, but most definitely not least when it comes to decorating a small bathroom, you need to give some serious thought to how you use lighting and mirrors.We’ve grouped thesetwo elementstogether because they really are a winning combination, especially in a small space.

Alone, or together,mirrors and lights areinvaluablewhen it comes toaltering the perception of spaceand creating the right atmosphere.Avoid opting for one, centrally-placed light, and insteadscatter different light sources around the bathroom, placing them over the shower or bathtub, the WC and, of course, most importantly, above the basin and / or vanity unit, which should also be crowned by a gorgeous and sizeable mirror. Don’t go scrimping on size when it comes to mirrors,especially in a small bathroom!