Small Bathroom Designs – Questions to Ask and Answer
Those of us who live in the real world, instead of the world of glossy shelter magazines, often have bathrooms which are much smaller than those in the pretty pictures. Many, if not most, existing homes have bathrooms built when bathrooms were just that, not luxury spas or excercise rooms, and we have to deal with the realities of 5′ x 7′, 6′x 6′, or perhaps even smaller.
Typical small bathroom designs include a toilet, wash basin or vanity, and a bathtub which usually does double duty as a shower. Some small bathrooms are large enough to include a separate shower, or double vanity sinks. There are all kinds of tricks to making the small space work as well as possible.
Tubs and Showers
One big question to answer right away is: do you really need a bathtub? Many people nowadays take showers all the time and never lie in the tub, so if that describes you, consider the possibility or doing away with the tub altogether. Most people want to have one tub in the house somewhere, but if you have more than one bathroom you may not need a tub in every one of them. If you feel you must include a tub, does it need to be full size? Tubs come in different lengths as well as the standard 5ft, and you also have the option of using a Japanese-style sitting/soaking tub.
Whirlpool tubs can be incredible space hogs but you can also get models which fit into the same footprint as a standard tub.
A curved shower curtain rod over the bathtub gives you a much more spacious feeling in the shower but takes up no extra space when the curtain is pulled back. It does take up more visual space when the curtain drawn across, but you’re standing in the tub then so probably no-one is looking at the curtain from the outside!
Sinks and Vanities
Pedestal sinks take up less floor space than vanities and make the room seem bigger because you can see more floor, but they remove the potential storage space of the vanity cabinets. A pedestal sink with a skirt round is the worst of all worlds – the fabric skirt gets dirty and needs washing frequently, gets wet and attracts mildew, doesn’t create a dust-free, clean storage area, and takes up space.
A halfway-point between a pedestal sink and a vanity is a half-depth vanity with a sink that projects over the front of it, sometimes called a “belly sink” because of its shape. This gives you a full size sink, often with some landing space at either side, and enclosed storage space, but the cabinet takes up less floor space than a regular depth vanity.
Double vanities don’t take up a whole lot more space than a single and can really make a difference if you have a “morning rush hour” in the bathroom. Back-to back sinks may be an alternative to side by side.
Toilets
Wall hung toilets, like pedestal sinks, make more floor space visible and make the room seem bigger.
Storage
Storage high on the walls can provide space for towels etc without using space where your body needs to go. Storage outside the bathroom for major piles of spare towels can free up space.
Small bathroom designs often use the tiniest sliver of space to provide more storage. Does your tub reach all the way to both sides of the bathroom? If not, there may be space for shelves at the non-plumbing end. How about a space between the vanity and the tub – could it be used for cubbies to hold towels? It’s common to find bathroom medicine cabinets intended to fit between the wall studs, but you can expand on this idea and make full height cupboards which do the same and can hold huge amounts of toiletries, cosmetics and medicines, all of which normally come in small containers which fit nicely in the small shelves.
For some folks, book storage in the bathroom is important. Make sure it can be reached by a person sitting on the throne!
Hooks and Towel Rails
Use every possible spot to provide hanging space for towels and facecloths. While pictures often show towels neatly hung on a rail in stacks – bath sheet, hand towel, and facecloth – in practice this doesn’t last longer than about 5 minutes because people need to USE the towels, and let them dry after use.
You’ll also need hooks for clothing: nightclothes, robes, the clothes you take off before getting into the shower, and the clothes you plan to put on after you get out. If there aren’t enough places to hang clothes and towels, expect to find them on the floor instead!
Small bathroom designs are like playing the computer video game Tetris: you have these items of various shapes to fit together into a neat pattern without wasting any space.
