Small bathrooms can be quite challenging to design, especially when you want to maximise style and function in a limited space.
Rather than a challenge, a small bathroom can be the perfect opportunity to showcase your style with some personalised design statements to give the feel of a spacious and luxurious ensuite retreat.
6 easy ways to enhance space in a small bathroom
1. Needs and wants
The first step is to prioritise your needs and wants. Work out what you actually need in your bathroom or ensuite. These are the items that will fulfil your practical needs and the demands of everyday use. Once you have this finalised, add a few luxurious touches you’d love to include such as a decorative mirror, special tiles or a pendant light – things that will add style without taking up floor space. After all, it’s a room you’ll be spending time in every day, so you want to make it as pleasant and enjoyable as possible.
2. Visual tips and tricks
When deciding the style and colour scheme of your ensuite, there are several visual tricks that can be used to create the illusion of more space. Using large rectangular tiles with minimal contrasting grout lines, and tiling to the ceiling will enhance the sense of scale of a small ensuite. Laid horizontally, the rectangular tiles will appear to elongate the dimensions of the room, and large tiles laid vertically will appear to raise the ceiling height.
3. Lighting
Maximise the amount of natural light entering your ensuite through a strategically placed window or overhead skylight and complement this with some ambient lighting to make the room bright and inviting. Large mirrors and reflective surfaces will bounce the light around the room, brightening every corner and making the space seem larger.
4. Floor space
Optimise the floor area of your small ensuite by selecting stylish yet compact fixtures and fittings that don’t encroach into the space too much. A wall hung vanity is a great option as it sits up off the floor while also giving you some storage space to reduce clutter in the room. In addition, a concealed toilet – where the cistern is actually inside the wall cavity – can save on valuable floor space in a small ensuite. Otherwise, consider a wall faced toilet and cistern, which sit flush against the wall.
5. Shower
A frameless glass shower screen will ensure the ensuite remains open and bright – there are no frames to cut through the room and the clear glass enables the light to penetrate. Also consider having some recessed shelving in the shower where you can store bathroom items neatly off the floor.
6. Tapware and accessories
Personalise your ensuite with your selection of tapware and bathroom accessories. Choose pieces from the same product range to create a sense of continuity throughout the small space and use the opportunity to add a couple of luxurious pieces such as an indulgent rain shower. Stylish wall-mounted tapware above your basin will also enable you to have a narrower vanity, saving on space as it eliminates the need for a tap landing. Finish off your small ensuite with some deluxe towels and a pop of colour that will tie it in with the design style of the rest of your home.
