TOP 10 Tips for Small Bathroom Designs

Let's face it, we all love the idea of a granite freestanding bath sat in front of a huge panoramic window overlooking a white sand beach in the tropics. However the reality is most of us are lucky to have a 3 bed semi with one shared bathroom and a pokey downstairs cloakroom for when walking up the stairs to use the loo is just too much to bare. But let's not focus on the negatives and focus on the positives, it's YOUR personal paradise and there's still a plethora of lovely designs out there suited for the job, so don't give up hope just yet as we're going to show you the top 10 best tips and tricks you can use to make the most of the small space you have.

LIGHT IS KEY - DON'T IGNORE IT

Lighting is probably the most important factor that shouldn't be ignored and must be taken carefully into consideration. A sole dim light off a vanity unit will create shadows and dark areas in your bathroom which will make it feel considerably smaller. Even if you have good external light from windows during the day, for half the year it'll be dark when you get up and no doubt also be dark when you get home from work so you need to plan ahead. Aim to install staggered/directional spotlights that will light up different areas and if that's not possible, try to install more than one light source to help reduce shadows and maximise available light. Need ideas? Check out this lighting ideas board over at Elle Decor.

CORNER UNITS MAKE USE OF OTHERWISE WASTED SPACE

Most conventional bathroom layouts will only use the corners for baths and shower enclosures. Finding a good compact corner basin with a matching mirror/cupboard above or below can make a huge difference in the appearance of space in a small bathroom or cloakroom. If you struggle for space even with this method, using a wall mounted mixer tap could also reduce the size of the basin needed further so keep this in mind. (Link to the featured corner vanity unit above).

CONSIDER A CONCEALED CISTERN TOILET

Unless you're going for a traditional look, toilets with concealed cisterns offer a perfect modern touch to any bathroom with the added benefits of saving space, 50% less clutter and are considerably easier to clean. Whilst slightly more expensive than your standard 'bog-in-a-box', they are well worth the extra money and a choice we promise you will not regret. Featuring a wall/floor mounted toilet will make a huge difference to the appearance of space in your bathroom and are certainly worth the investment if your budget can stretch that far. (Click here to see the wall mounted toilet featured above)

NARROW SPACE? LOOK AT SLIMLINE CLOAKROOM BASINS

If you're redesigning your cloakroom or downstairs toilet, you will no doubt only have a narrow corridor to work with. Whilst corner sinks can work well in some situations, you may end up with a sink so small it's impossible to clean your hands effectively. In which case it may well be worth checking out a slimline cloakroom basin, they still offer the same functionality of a regular basin just quite simply stretched out to suit narrow walk ways.

MAKE USE OF THE SPACE UNDER A SINK

As modern bathrooms go, the tradition pedestal basin is on the way out. They use up much needed space, can look untidy and create yet another area for dust, muck and grime to hide behind. Finding a wall mounted basin with either storage space or a towel rail adds an extra purpose to the space a basin takes up and can greatly reduce the amount of clutter laying around your bathroom by giving you some much needed concealed shelf space. (Featured product: The Curl bathroom cabinet - Available in light and dark wood versions)

STRIPES CAN MAKE A ROOM LOOK BIGGER THAN IT ACTUALLY IS

It's not just physical items that can help make your bathroom appear bigger. Spending some time looking at well known wallpapers and patterns that can trick the mind into feeling less enclosed can be an invaluable, cheap and a very effective way to create the feeling of 'bigger' without actually doing much at all. Contrast horizontal stripes with a frameless wet room screen for a truly modern effect.

A LARGE MIRROR GIVES THE ILLUSION OF MORE SPACE

Mirrors serve several purposes other than the obvious. They disperse light and can be used in place of additional lighting, but more importantly, when cleverly placed do an excellent job at making a room feel much bigger than it actually is.

INSTALL UNDERFLOOR HEATING AND SCRAP THE BULKY RADIATOR

Underfloor heating isn't as expensive as you'd think and offers several important uses. Not only does it feel great to walk on during the winter, in a small bathroom good quality underfloor heating can be enough to take the chill off the room without a bulky radiator taking up valuable space. Among these important factors, underfloor heating is also deemed to be a luxury touch and can add value to your house when you go to sell.

HAVE THE BATHROOM DOOR OPEN OUTWARDS

Something that is often ignored yet possibly the easiest thing you can do it change the way in which the bathroom door opens. An inwards opening door in a small bathroom can result in you having to squeeze yourself up against a wall, basin or toilet to allow you to close it. If this sounds familiar, look at the possibility of switching the hinges to make the door open outwards instead.

GO 'FRAME-LESS' - AVOID BULKY FRAMED SHOWER ENCLOSURES

If you have a standalone shower enclosure or recess with a shower door, consider going frameless. Not only does it collect less grime, it's substantially sleeker, cleaner and removes the unwanted metal framework which can be quite an eyesore and mighty cumbersome. Frameless enclosures are not overly expensive and offer a range of benefits over their clunky framed counterparts. Browse our collection of Frameless Shower Enclosures & Doors.