8 Things to Do With a Bathroom That's Short on Space
Smart design and efficient features can help you make the most of a minuscule bathroom space
Becky Harris
15 September 2016
Houzz Contributor. Hi there! I live in a 1940s cottage in Atlanta that I'll describe as "collected."
I got into design via Landscape Architecture, which I studied at the University of Virginia.
Houzz Contributor. Hi there! I live in a 1940s cottage in Atlanta that I'll describe... More
Smart design decisions can make the difference between fitting the toilet, the sink and the shower into your existing bathroom or having to expand. And once you fit all that stuff in, you certainly don’t want it to feel stuffed to the gills. Here are eight ways to accommodate everything you need in a compact bathroom while making it feel more expansive.
1. A wall-mounted toilet
The tanks from these toilets are stored behind the wall, saving all that space they usually take up in a room. These centimetres play an important role because there are requirements for how much space there should be in front of and around the commode.
See more wall-mounted toilets
The tanks from these toilets are stored behind the wall, saving all that space they usually take up in a room. These centimetres play an important role because there are requirements for how much space there should be in front of and around the commode.
See more wall-mounted toilets
2. Wall-mounted taps
Benchtop taps require space on the vanity top between the sink and the wall, while those mounted over the sink save you that precious surface area. It can mean the difference between being able to fit in a tight sink or not.
If you’re not a fan of wall-mounted taps but are short on bench depth, see if you can place the tap to the side of the sink. This will save you from having to expand the vanity to accommodate the tap behind the sink.
Benchtop taps require space on the vanity top between the sink and the wall, while those mounted over the sink save you that precious surface area. It can mean the difference between being able to fit in a tight sink or not.
If you’re not a fan of wall-mounted taps but are short on bench depth, see if you can place the tap to the side of the sink. This will save you from having to expand the vanity to accommodate the tap behind the sink.
3. The toilet-sink combo
Designed for the tightest of bathroom spaces, this shrewd invention has fresh water come out of the tap, then drain into the tank for flushing.
I must admit I have yet to use one of these and am not sure whether, in a tight space like this, it’s just an extended lean-over, a commode straddle or a knee on the seat that’s required to reach one’s hands under the tap. If you’ve used one, please report in the Comments section.
Profile Smart 305 toilet: Caroma
Designed for the tightest of bathroom spaces, this shrewd invention has fresh water come out of the tap, then drain into the tank for flushing.
I must admit I have yet to use one of these and am not sure whether, in a tight space like this, it’s just an extended lean-over, a commode straddle or a knee on the seat that’s required to reach one’s hands under the tap. If you’ve used one, please report in the Comments section.
Profile Smart 305 toilet: Caroma
4. Wet room layouts
More popular in European countries, these rooms maximise a small bathroom footprint. If you’ve ever had a sleeper car on a train, you know how this works. A separate shower stall is not required and everything in the room can stand up to the water.
But based on past Houzz comments regarding shower spray getting all over toilet seats, I don’t think most this side of the world is ready for a wet room quite yet.
The half-wet room (see below) is a strategy that’s easier to live with. The tub and shower are combined in the same area where the water is contained. This saves on the footprint required for a full bath with tub and separate shower, and the only thing getting wet is the bathtub.
More popular in European countries, these rooms maximise a small bathroom footprint. If you’ve ever had a sleeper car on a train, you know how this works. A separate shower stall is not required and everything in the room can stand up to the water.
But based on past Houzz comments regarding shower spray getting all over toilet seats, I don’t think most this side of the world is ready for a wet room quite yet.
The half-wet room (see below) is a strategy that’s easier to live with. The tub and shower are combined in the same area where the water is contained. This saves on the footprint required for a full bath with tub and separate shower, and the only thing getting wet is the bathtub.
5. A low-profile toilet and extended benchtop
Interior designer Bridget McMullin deems this a ‘hotel trick’, a clever move she picked up from hotel bathrooms. The low-profile toilet leaves enough space to extend the benchtop into a shelf above it, so you gain more surface for a box of tissues, an orchid or other items you want to keep handy. With its location right next to the shower, as you see here, it can also serve the shower by holding shampoo, conditioner, shave gel and more. This is especially useful in a shared bathroom or holiday home where you have limited space inside the shower stall.
Interior designer Bridget McMullin deems this a ‘hotel trick’, a clever move she picked up from hotel bathrooms. The low-profile toilet leaves enough space to extend the benchtop into a shelf above it, so you gain more surface for a box of tissues, an orchid or other items you want to keep handy. With its location right next to the shower, as you see here, it can also serve the shower by holding shampoo, conditioner, shave gel and more. This is especially useful in a shared bathroom or holiday home where you have limited space inside the shower stall.
6. Recessed medicine cabinets
Keeping clutter at bay is key in a small bathroom. These cabinets don’t intrude into the room and allow you to stash everything you’ll need at the sink within easy reach. This particular bathroom has three cabinets so that the two people who share the bathroom each have their own.
From awkward nook to stylish family bathroom
Keeping clutter at bay is key in a small bathroom. These cabinets don’t intrude into the room and allow you to stash everything you’ll need at the sink within easy reach. This particular bathroom has three cabinets so that the two people who share the bathroom each have their own.
From awkward nook to stylish family bathroom
7. Clear glass surrounds
Where other types of surrounds can chop up a room and make it feel closed-in, clear glass keeps everything open and larger. While clear glass does not literally save space, it makes a tight room feel bigger, which is almost as important.
Where other types of surrounds can chop up a room and make it feel closed-in, clear glass keeps everything open and larger. While clear glass does not literally save space, it makes a tight room feel bigger, which is almost as important.
8. A cantilevered vanity
Much like the clear glass, these pieces are about expanding the space visually. The extended floor underneath makes the room feel more open and larger than it really is.
TELL US
What are your favourite space savers in the bathroom? Please share them with us in the Comments.
MORE
Browse more compact bathrooms
Much like the clear glass, these pieces are about expanding the space visually. The extended floor underneath makes the room feel more open and larger than it really is.
TELL US
What are your favourite space savers in the bathroom? Please share them with us in the Comments.
MORE
Browse more compact bathrooms
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I do the same, never have to do anything else to the shower/bath side of the screen, just the outside.
In some parts of the country, the water is very hard (lots of minerals), so much so that even a water softener only partially helps. Dark tile and glass take constant cleaning. Lots of Lime-Away !
For hard water and soap scum on tile and fixtures -- try using white vinegar in a spray bottle or just wipe down tiles with a rag soaked in it. You won't believe how well it works -- better than scrubbing w/ Lime-away or any of the bathroom sprays!