7 SPACE SAVING IDEAS FOR SMALL BATHROOMS

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The interaction between people and spaces has a psychological impact on our behavior. Everything from the lighting and colors to acoustics and sense of space can generate a spectrum of feelings inside an individual.

There are space-saving ideas for small bathrooms that can maximize the square footage while keeping the “fun” in functional during your daily ablution routines. Bold design elements can make the tiniest bathroom into a haven where you can relax, regroup, and re-energize for the day. 

Typically, a small bathroom only has between 35 and 40 square feet available, while an average sized bathroom goes up to 55 square feet. With minimalism being a growing trend and modern bathroom fixtures giving you maximum flexibility, every decision you make during your design can help you live large while saving space.

Key Takeaways:

  • A small bathroom doesn’t mean you have to compromise on the sense of space
  • With modern design ideas like a wet bathroom or wall-hung toilet, you can maximize your space and have a comfortable experience
  • To make the most of your available space, create a layout to ensure you can fit all your fixtures and optimize your design before you start remodeling
  • The best way to save space is to use concealed systems like a wall-hung toilet, or by moving your sink to the corner

The Best Space Saving Ideas for Small Bathrooms

Although there are many tricks and trips you can use to make your bathroom look bigger, you will probably want to free up more space while still accommodating all your fixtures. Before diving in, we recommend using bathroom-planning software to do a layout before you start knocking out walls. 

Software like RoomSketcher enables you to draw up a floor plan, furnish it with different fixtures, and see the results in 3D. Planning your new bathroom in this way can help you find an optimized layout that still gives you all the functionality you need. 

Typical floor plan for a space-saving bathroom design

Remember that everything from the fixtures you choose to the color palette will influence your perception of space. When starting the layout of your new space-saving bathroom, keep these seven tips in mind. 

1. Embrace the Wet Style

In Europe, it’s common to have a bathroom design that includes a wet bath or shower. A wet bathroom doesn’t require any containment areas, and everything can (and will) get wet. By eliminating the need for dedicated containment areas for your shower and bath, you can increase the available space without compromising on functionality. 

You could even speed up your morning routine by combining activities like showering while brushing your teeth, if your sink and shower are part of the same design. If you don’t like the idea of everything getting wet all at once, you can use a shower curtain to partition different areas and limit the spray. 

2. Replace Swinging Doors with Sliding Options

A swinging door doesn’t take up space when it’s closed, but as you’ll often leave it open, it can be an obstruction and an inconvenience. Pocket or sliding doors are a great design element that gives you easy access to all your fixtures, especially if you have a cabinet behind the door to your bathroom. 

This also applies to the actual shower door. Swinging doors take up a lot of space, because you’ll need to prevent it from banging into your fixtures when in the open position. By opting for a sliding door design, you can save a lot of square footage and choose a style that matches and enhances your overall design. 

3. Flush Your Wall Cabinets

Any protruding fixture means you’re sacrificing valuable space. If your cabinets are above the sink or any other essential fixtures, it may not make much of a difference. However, built-in storage compartments can add a lot of functionality to a tiny space without requiring any additional footprint. 

You can build either shallow or deep storage into your walls, although you’ll need to consider the original construction of the building. Recessed cabinets are one of the easiest ways to give an impression of additional space in a small bathroom. 

4. Move Your Sink to the Corner

A corner bathroom sink is incredibly space-efficient and opens up additional floor area for other applications. Plenty of different styles and designs are available that give you flexibility, such as wall-mounted or pedestal models, which can accommodate cabinets or shelving units. 

Typically, a space-saving corner sink will only take up about 4 square feet and is relatively easy to install.

5. Add Large Mirrors

Wall-to-wall mirrors create an illusion of space even when it’s limited. Combined with the right lighting, a large mirror will increase the sense of space and won’t take up any additional area in your small bathroom. 

Adding large mirrors above your vanity and against the opposite wall creates a sense of infinity while also being functional. In a small space, you can use wall-mounted mirrors, vases, storage jars, and picture frames to create the illusion of space and improve your use of light.

6. Use a Wall-Hung Toilet

A wall-hung toilet reduces the need for space considerably, as the water tank is behind the wall. Different designs make a wall-hung toilet with a concealed toilet tank the ideal way to keep your bathroom stylish and save on space simultaneously. 

Wall-hung toilets with concealed tanks work for any construction, including:

  • 2x6 wall construction with dual-flush configurations
  • 2x4 construction with a narrower tank design
  • 2x6 pre-wall construction

7. Go Touchless

Another benefit of wall-hung toilets and sinks is that the flush actuators and valves also go into the walls, making the most of your available space. Pairing touchless systems with a wet bathroom design make cleaning easy and provide a more hygienic experience. To actuate the flush mechanisms or taps, you simply wave a hand in front of a sensor – which also gives your new small bathroom modern flair. 

A wall-mounted touchless actuator plate for small bathroom design

Rethink Your Space-Saving Bathroom Design with Geberit

Geberit has a range of designs that help you maximize your available space without compromising on your unique style. With wall-hung toilets, bidets, and touchless actuators, you can create a space-saving bathroom that still provides all the ablutions you need. 

To find a distributor, installer, or showroom near you for your next space-saving bathroom design, visit this page