Small Bathroom Ideas
of Your Space
A small bathroom doesn’t have to feel cramped. With the right layout, bathroom furniture and a few clever design choices, even a compact bathroom can feel comfortable, stylish and surprisingly spacious.
Making a Small Bathroom Work
Whether you’re redesigning a small family bathroom, updating an en-suite or trying to make better use of a downstairs bathroom, the key is choosing products that work with the space rather than simply trying to fit full-sized bathroom furniture into a smaller room.
Here are some of our favourite small bathroom ideas to help you make the most of every inch.
Choose Wall-Hung Bathroom Furniture
One of the easiest ways to make a small bathroom feel bigger is to keep as much of the floor visible as possible.
Wall-hung vanity units are ideal for this. Because the unit is mounted above the floor, your eye can see underneath it, creating a greater sense of space.
You still get useful bathroom storage for toiletries and everyday essentials without the room feeling dominated by a large piece of furniture.
For particularly narrow bathrooms, look for slim or compact vanity units with a reduced depth.
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Consider a Wall-Hung Toilet
The same principle applies to your toilet.
A wall-hung toilet can create a much cleaner, less cluttered appearance because the cistern is concealed within the wall or a WC unit.
The toilet pan itself also sits above the floor, making the bathroom easier to clean and helping the room appear more open.
If a wall-hung toilet isn’t practical for your bathroom, a compact back-to-wall toilet is another good option.
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Look for a Compact Basin
A standard-sized basin can take up a surprising amount of space.
For smaller bathrooms and cloakrooms, consider a compact or cloakroom basin instead. These are specifically designed for rooms where space is limited and are often much narrower than conventional basins.
Corner basins can also work particularly well in awkward layouts where an otherwise unused corner could become a practical washing area.
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Make Your Shower Work Harder
If you’re designing a bathroom from scratch, think carefully about how much space your shower enclosure actually needs.
Large framed shower enclosures can visually divide a small room. Frameless glass, clear shower screens and simple walk-in shower designs allow light to travel through the bathroom instead.
For bathrooms with particularly awkward dimensions, a quadrant shower enclosure can make good use of a corner without projecting too far into the room.
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Don't Automatically Rule Out a Bath
Having a small bathroom doesn’t necessarily mean giving up your bath.
Compact and short baths are available for bathrooms where a traditional full-length bath simply won’t fit. A shower bath can also provide both bathing and showering within the same footprint.
If you need a bathroom that works for the whole family, this can be a much more practical solution than trying to squeeze a separate bath and shower enclosure into the room.
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Use Mirrors to Create a Sense of Space
Mirrors are particularly effective in smaller bathrooms because they reflect both light and the surrounding room.
A large bathroom mirror above your basin can make the wall appear to continue beyond its actual dimensions.
Mirrored bathroom cabinets are even more useful because they combine this visual effect with hidden storage.
Choosing an illuminated mirror can also introduce additional lighting without needing another bulky fitting.
Shop Bathroom Mirrors →More Ways to Make a Small Bathroom Feel Bigger
7. Think Vertically
When floor space is limited, use the walls.
Tall bathroom cabinets provide significantly more storage without taking up much additional floor space. Shelving, wall-mounted cabinets and recessed storage can also keep toiletries away from worktops and basin areas.
Keeping surfaces relatively clear is important in a small bathroom. Too many products on display can quickly make a compact space feel cluttered.
8. Choose the Right Bathroom Heating
Traditional radiators aren't always the easiest thing to accommodate in a small bathroom.
A heated towel rail can be a useful alternative because it provides bathroom heating while also giving you somewhere to hang and dry towels.
Vertical designs make particularly good use of narrow sections of wall that might otherwise go unused.
9. Keep the Colour Palette Simple
You don't have to make a small bathroom completely white, but using a relatively consistent colour palette can help the room feel calmer and more spacious.
Soft neutrals, warm stone shades, pale greens and muted blues can all work beautifully in smaller bathrooms.
If you prefer darker colours, consider using them as an accent rather than across every surface. A dark vanity unit, feature wall or set of black brassware can introduce contrast without overwhelming the room.
10. Use Larger Tiles
It might seem logical to use small tiles in a small bathroom, but larger tiles can actually make the space feel less busy.
Fewer grout lines create a more continuous surface across the walls or floor, which can make the dimensions of the room feel less obvious.
Using the same or similar tiles across different areas of the bathroom can enhance this effect further.
11. Pay Attention to Your Bathroom Door
Your bathroom door can take up more usable space than you realise.
If the door opens into the bathroom, check whether it clashes with your basin, toilet or furniture.
Where the layout allows, changing the direction of the door or using a sliding door can free up valuable space and give you more flexibility when planning the room.
12. Avoid Overfilling the Room
One of the biggest mistakes when designing a small bathroom is trying to include too much.
You may love a large vanity unit, freestanding bath and oversized shower enclosure individually, but putting all three into a compact room can make it difficult to use.
Instead, decide which features matter most to you.
Giving yourself comfortable space around the toilet, basin and bathing area will usually create a bathroom that looks better and is much nicer to use.
Small Bathroom Ideas: The Final Details
The best small bathrooms aren't necessarily the ones with the smallest products. They're the ones where every part of the room has been carefully considered.
Wall-hung furniture can reveal more floor space, clever storage keeps clutter under control and mirrors and lighting can completely change how spacious a room feels.
Most importantly, choose bathroom products that suit the proportions of your room.
With the right combination of compact sanitaryware, practical storage and thoughtful design, a small bathroom can be every bit as stylish and functional as a much larger space.
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