10 space-saving tips for small bathrooms

While everyone would prefer to live in a home with multiple spacious bathrooms, many residences both new and old come with small and limited facilities due to lack of space.

This can leave people struggling for ideas to make the most of their unsatisfactory bathroom space. However, having minimal square footage doesn’t mean you need to sacrifice style and comfort to achieve a functional small bathroom.

It may seem challenging at first, but with strategic planning and clever design choices, even the most compact en-suite or cloakroom can soon become an inviting and sophisticated space.

Here are ten practical tips to help you transform your tiny bathroom into an efficient yet stylish setting that works for you, your household, and any guests who might use it.

1) Light colours

As smaller rooms that may not have windows, light colour schemes have always been popular for bathrooms. Less is more in small spaces, so a neutral palette is a practical choice.

When you use lighter colours for the walls and main fixtures, they reflect light and appear brighter, whereas darker colours absorb light and won’t help the room look bigger.

Shades like white, cream, beige, pale grey, and pastels are all great at creating the feeling of a larger space that seems more open and airy than it really is – especially with a gloss finish.

2) Large mirrors

Speaking of reflective materials, a mirror is a must in every bathroom – not just to assist with washing your face and brushing your teeth, but also to bounce more light around.

Mirrors are a go-to space amplifier for interior designers, as they reflect natural light from windows and artificial light from interior light sources, creating the illusion of more space.

Though you should keep sizes in proportion to the room, installing a large mirror above the sink and vanity area will do wonders for making the bathroom appear more expansive.

3) Floating furniture

The key to keeping bathroom floorspace as open as possible is to avoid using bulky furniture – it also helps to lift more compact fixtures off the floor by mounting them on the walls instead.

For example, installing a floating vanity unit with a built-in sink and a wall-mounted toilet rather than a pedestal style will keep your fittings accessible and the floor beneath them clear.

Say goodbye to tripping hazards and hello to a streamlined look, with more room to move throughout and uninterrupted flooring visibly extending to the walls (that’s also easier to clean!).

4) Corner fixtures

No matter the shape of the room, one of the best ways to create more space in small bathrooms is to utilise the corners – be it a corner sink, corner bath, or corner shower enclosure.

Fixtures that fit snugly in a corner will leave more floorspace free in the centre of the room, creating a feeling of airiness while still allowing you to access everything you need.

To ensure you can move around a small space smoothly without bumping into corner edges, it also helps to install toilets, sinks, baths, or showers with curved or rounded edges.

5) Shower baths

In some bathrooms, the space may only allow for a square shower enclosure and no bath, but not everybody wants a walk-in shower or wet room – an actual bath adds a sense of luxury.

If you don’t have room for separate bath and shower units, you don’t have to sacrifice one for the other. With a shower bath, you can combine both by installing a shower over a bath.

This works for standard straight baths, but L-shaped or P-shaped baths offer a bit more room at one end, so you can experience both comfortable showers and relaxing baths as needed.

6) Seamless tiles

Smaller tiles and fussy patterns can visually overwhelm a small bathroom, so the best solution is to use large tiles or panels with a simple continuous pattern for both the floor and walls.

The larger the tiles and the fewer and thinner the grout lines, the more seamless and cohesive the room will look, providing a more palatial atmosphere along with a spa-like appearance.

Slab-style large format tiles are not only striking due to the high-end jointless look they create, but they’re also easier to clean and maintain, as there are fewer places for deposits to build up.

7) Closed storage

Clutter like bottles, tubes, and accessories spread across counters, sinks, or bath edges is bound to make the room feel messy and cramped – so hidden storage for organisation is a must.

Edit belongings left on display down to the minimum essentials that you use every day, and store anything else out of sight – but within easy reach – using drawers or baskets.

Vertical storage solutions that optimise wall space can help to make the bathroom feel less cluttered, such as a tall narrow cabinet, a towel rack, or floating shelves for toiletries.

8) Simple fittings

Don’t overlook the finer details, as the finishing touches to bathroom décor can make or break the aesthetic and function of the space – especially if the hardware isn’t the right size.

Smaller bathrooms should avoid obtrusive hardware and look for slimline fittings and handles, or even recessed fittings to take up as little space as possible while remaining practical.

Everything should be proportionate throughout the room to maintain continuity – nothing overly large, but nothing too diminutive, either – and favouring polished finishes can also help.

9) Extra lighting

Getting the lighting balance right is essential for small bathrooms, as overly large fixtures or artificial lights that are too bright or too dim can wash out the space or give it a dingy feel.

It’s important to emphasise natural light where possible, using frosted or obscure window glass to allow light in without compromising privacy, instead of blocking it with curtains or blinds.

Otherwise, a mix of task lighting around key areas like the mirror and sink and ambient lighting to eliminate shadows, combined with reflective surfaces, can boost the brightness effectively.

10) Frameless glass

Whether you have a bath or shower bath combo, you’ll need something to prevent water from splashing all over your tiny bathroom – but a shower curtain will create a visible divide.

The last thing you want is to divide an already small room into even smaller segments, but glass shower screens can save the day by maintaining an uninterrupted view and light flow.

Frameless glass screens are ideal due to minimal fixings, but you’ll still have a choice of hardware styles and finishes to match with other fittings for visual cohesion throughout.

By cleverly combining these design tips for small bathrooms, you could benefit from a stylish and comfortable restroom that looks and feels far more spacious than its actual footprint!