Whether you have a small space available for your main bathroom or you are squeezing in an en suite, configuring the toilet, sink and shower can be tricky, not to mention a towel rail or toilet roll holder. However, despite the challenges, you can create a lovely bathroom in a small space by following a few little design tips.

1. Get clever with the vanity unit

Choose a smart sink unit, possibly even a pedestal style with a shelf to hold towels or a basket for toilet paper, making the most of any extra storage space you can create. Choosing a floating vanity can help the bathroom appear bigger and also free up a little space below for small items.

2. Install a corner sink

 

Small bathrooms typically have very limited space for traffic, so placing a corner sink can open up the area. Situating it across from the toilet rather than the shower can avoid any awkward positions when opening and closing the door.

3. Pick a large pattern

 

A large pattern, like a wide stripe, can create the illusion of expanded space and make the bathroom feel bigger. Similarly, using large floor tiles can create a subtle pattern rather than a busy, broken-up floor and will compliment your other designs, helping to enlarge the space you’re working with.

4. Leave out the shower door

 

In a small space a shower door can really break up the available area and with tight conditions a glass panel can be a better option. It will keep the water in the shower, but keep the space visually open.

5. Expand the mirror

 

Installing a large mirror will reflect light back in the room, making it feel lighter and wider. Also, having a large mirror stretch across the wall instead of just above the vanity can enable two people to use it at once in a space where every centimetre counts!

6. Use a door for your towel rail

 

With space at a premium, mounting a towel rail on the back of the door or the shower door keeps them handy without taking up the much needed wall space.

7. Use a monochromatic colour scheme

 

Depending on how much natural light illuminates the bathroom space, using only one colour or varying shades of one colour can make the bathroom feel bigger. Soft, neutral tones are perfect for this little optical illusion.