Design plans for small bathrooms
10 Small Bathroom Ideas That Work
Bathroom layouts can be challenging, but a small bathroom can be particularly challenging. If your bathroom is short on space and you need some small bathroom ideas to make it work, then you have come to the right place.
Blog | Bathroom
Every day here at RoomSketcher, we see hundreds of bathroom designs, floor plans and remodeling projects, from all around the globe. We work with customers just like you to help you create floor plans and to visualize your design ideas in 3D. One of the projects that we see people struggle with the most is small bathrooms.
To help, we pulled some of our favorite small bathroom projects to show you examples of small bathroom design ideas that really work. All of these projects were created using the RoomSketcher App. Let’s take a look:
1. Add Mirror Walls
As the small bathroom above shows, adding a mirror across a whole wall can double the look and feel of the room. This is particularly effective above a vanity or along one side of a narrow bathroom. Mirrors are also great for reflecting light, so you can get more lighting from your light fixtures or windows.
2. Wall Mounted Toilets
If you have space in the walls of your small bathroom to build-in a toilet tank, you can save both floor space and legroom with a wall mounted toilet. If you can’t wall mount the toilet, consider adding shelving above the tank for additional storage or extending your vanity top to create a narrow ledge.
3. Lose the Tub
Tubs take up twice the amount of floor space than showers. If you have the option to lose the tub, you’ll open up the space significantly. Showers are great for adults and guests, especially older ones. If you add a hand shower, showers are also excellent for getting pets clean too. However, if you have children and you need to keep the tub for bathing them, then consider a lower profile tub. The lower height makes getting in and out easier and it will make your room feel more open as well.
4. Frameless Glass Tub and Shower Panels
Let’s be honest, no one likes shower curtains.
They stick to you when you’re showering and they are a pain to clean. Shower curtains also close off one-third of your room visually. To prevent this, swap out your shower curtain with a frameless glass panel instead. This will open up your bathroom significantly and allow more light into your shower or tub.
Glass panels are easy to install, maintain and are perfect for small bathrooms. They can be either fixed in place or hinged to swing. You can fold hinged glass panels inward when the shower is not in use as well. Avoid sliding glass panels, which require top and bottom tracks and are more difficult to clean.
5. Continual Flooring and Curbless Showers
Here is one of our favorite small bathroom design ideas – curbless showers. By eliminating the curb around your shower, your flooring can continue right into the shower. This works great with concrete, stone slab and tile floors. You can even incorporate a concealed or infinity-edge drain for a really seamless look.
Plus curbless showers are easier to clean.
6. Small Sinks and Floating Vanities
As with wall mounted toilets, wall mounted sinks are an excellent way to save floor space and to make your small bathroom appear more open. If storage is key, try a wall-mounted floating vanity. Look for narrow washbasin designs and for the newer thin-edge sinks. The ceramic is just as strong as it is with a traditional sink and you’ll get a larger washbasin in less space.
7. Think Vertical – Add Cabinets and Open Shelving on The Walls
In small bathrooms, storage is often sacrificed. While there may not be available real estate on the floor, there is on the walls. Opt for recessed medicine cabinets with mirrored fronts above your sink.
Add shelving on the wall above the toilet, at the end of a tub or above the entry door or vanity mirror. Use narrow open shelves to keep the look light. Metal towel racks also work well. For cabinets, look for ones with glass fronts. Don’t forget the back of the door, it is a great place to add towel bars or robe hooks.
Inspiration
For more bathroom storage ideas, check out:
8. Pocket Doors
Beyond eliminating the tub, one of the biggest space-saving small bathrooms ideas you can consider is to switch from an in-swinging entry door to a pocket door. To install a pocket door you will have to open your wall to create the pocket. However, you can gain up to 9 square feet of usable space that you did not have before. You will have more flexibility when placing your fixtures as well. You can also look for surface-mounted sliding door hardware to create a modern sliding door or barn door look.
9. Combine Dark Floors with Lighter Walls
With small bathrooms, you want to be strategic with color. Dark walls will make an already tiny bathroom feel smaller. Bright colored walls will reflect more light and make your small bathroom feel larger. Reserve dark colors for the floor or keep the overall scheme light. If you have wood floors, look for shower tiles that match the wood in color and tone.
This will create the illusion of a continuous floor and won’t draw your eye to the smallest part of the room.
Inspiration
For bathroom floor plan ideas, check out:
10. Add an Accent Wall
We saved the best idea for last. Adding an accent wall is one of our favorite small bathroom ideas and it’s a great way to add some color. In a small bathroom, you will want to place the accent wall on the back wall. You can add color to the whole wall or just a band of color. This technique will give your room depth and interest without overwhelming it.
You can create an accent wall with paint or a fun colorful tile. If you want to add some pattern, then use it in the same way – either on the floor or to create an accent wall. Keep the rest of your walls simple and light in color to not dilute the effect. For more beautiful bathroom ideas check out our board on Pinterest!
Get Started on Your Bathroom Design
These small bathroom design ideas were created using the RoomSketcher App.
The RoomSketcher App is an easy-to-use bathroom planner that you can use to design your bathroom online.
Just draw your bathroom floor plan, furnish and decorate it, and see your design in 3D – it’s that easy!
Don't forget to share this post!
Recommended Reads
Small Bathroom Floor Plan Examples
Types of Small Bathrooms
A half bathroom, also known as a powder room, is the smallest and most space-efficient bathroom, as it contains only a sink and a toilet. You will often find this type of bathroom located near the kitchen, living room, or hallway, to offer residents and guests easy and convenient access.
A ¾ bathroom contains 3 out of the 4 key bathroom elements. It will include a sink and a toilet, plus either a standing shower or a bathtub. As this type of bathroom provides great functionality while being space-efficient, you'll often find them in smaller homes or apartments. This type is also popular as a guest bathroom. In larger homes, several of the bathrooms may be ¾ layouts.
While definitions can vary depending on where you live, a full bathroom usually includes the 4 key bathroom elements: a sink, toilet, bathtub, and shower. In many homes or apartments, the master bathroom may be the only full bathroom in a house. For a full bathroom to fit into the small bathroom category, it usually combines the shower and bathtub into one unit to conserve space.
Proper Spacing for a Small Bathroom
If you are looking to fit a bathroom in the smallest amount of space possible, it's a good idea to know the guidelines for proper spacing. Here are a few suggested measurements:
- Allow 30 inches (76 cm) between (the center point of) two fixtures.
- The distance from the toilet centerline to a side wall or other fixture should be 15 inches (38 cm) or greater.
- The minimum clearance in front of a sink or toilet bowl is 21 inches (53 cm).
- Allow 24 inches (60 cm) of clearance for a shower door to swing open.
- The minimum ceiling height is 7 ft (2.
13 m).
Typical Small Bathroom Sizes
If you don't have to go for the absolute smallest space, you have a lot more options and layouts to work with. Here are some comfortable small bathroom floor plan sizes:
- For a powder or half bathroom, 18-20 sq ft (about 1.7 - 1.9 m2) is a good, average size.
- For a ¾ bath, 40 square feet is a good size (about 3.7 m2).
- A small full bathroom, with a sink, toilet, and combined shower/bathtub is often 40-45 square feet (about 4 - 4.5 m2).
What Is the Best Layout for a Small Bathroom?
One consideration for the layout of any bathroom relates to the positioning of the bathroom door. If you have flexibility with your design, consider the view looking in the open door - it's much better to see the vanity sink than the toilet!
Related to doors, pocket doors take up less room than a standard swing door and can make a small bathroom room easier to navigate. That being said, if you have space, a swing door is often easier to use, and is also more private.
Finally, if you are on a budget, it's a good idea to choose a layout with the sink, toilet, and any shower or bath fixtures along one wall. It's usually more cost-effective when you keep all the plumbing pipes and fixtures together.
Small Bathrooms - 135 Best Bathroom Interior Design Ideas
Bathroom
inter-decore.com
Bathroom window is an option not available to most city dwellers. And the more desirable it is. Mirrored drawers and a mirrored wall double the space. Across the wall behind a niche with laundry baskets and drawers is the bed in the bedroom, and above - behind the mirror - cabinets with access from the side of the bedroom.
Petersburg in loft style
Tatiana Nikitina Photography
Shared bathroom
Fresh design idea: small contemporary style bathroom with open cabinets, white tile, ceramic tile, laminate flooring, brown flooring, gray walls and multi-faucet sink - excellent photo of the interior
Bright studio in Krasnaya Polyana
Vlad Feoktistov
Bathroom
Pictured: a small bathroom in a modern style with facades with blinds, white facades, a corner shower, beige tiles, porcelain tiles, beige walls, walk-in shower, solid washbasin, engineered stone countertop, swing door shower and white countertop with
Interior MUA
INT2architecture
Pictured: small scandinavian style bathroom with alcove shower, gray tiles, ceramic tiles, gray walls, porcelain stoneware flooring, walk-in shower, countertop sink, wood countertops, gray floor, bathroom screen, brown countertop, single basin cabinet, floor cabinet, flat fronts and dark wood fronts with
Apartment in Moscow
LENA KINO
Photo of a small neoclassical (modern classic) bathroom with recessed panel cabinets, gray cabinets, alcove tub, over-bath shower, white tiles, gray walls, walk-in shower, vanity basin, gray floor, white countertops, cabinet for one sink and a floor cabinet
Air
Elena Kuleshova
Stylish design: a small bathroom in a modern style with facades with a blind-type panel, medium-tone wood color facades, installation, gray tiles, porcelain tiles, mortise sink, gray floor, white countertop, single vanity and built-in vanity - the latest trend
Townhouse by the Bay
Maxim Maximov
Design ideas for a rustic small master en-suite with flat-paneled cabinets, beige cabinets, alcove tub, installation, porcelain stoneware tile, gray walls, porcelain stoneware flooring, countertop sink, wood, open shower, beige worktop, cabinet for two sinks and floor cabinet
Apartment in the old fund of Moscow "Vershina"
Nata Volkova
Stylish design: a small gray-white bathroom in a classic style with facades with a protruding panel, white fronts, shower room, gray tiles, boar tiles, gray walls, porcelain stoneware flooring, walk-in shower, countertop washbasin, sliding door shower, window, vanity unit and floor vanity - the latest trend
Tsarskaya Square
Maria Ustinova
The idea for the bathroom is based on a combination of white, black and dusty pink.
The floor and ceiling, as well as the floor and accent shade on the balcony, are pink, there are black accents everywhere, but the main color is white.
Presnya City residential complex 2
artELLE-design
Pictured: a small contemporary style bathroom with flat cabinets, light wood cabinets, installation, countertop sink, white floor, white countertop, hanging vanity unit and shower cabin
Apartment on Kostromsky Prospekt
Andrei Belimov-Gushchin
Stylish design: small bathroom in modern style with flat cabinets, medium tone wood cabinets, open shower, gray tiles, countertop sink, wood countertops, gray floor, open shower, brown counter top, single vanity unit and hanging vanity - the latest trend
Apartment for rent in one day: bathroom
Legko.com
Design ideas for a small bathroom with a classic washing machine with flat cabinets, dark wood cabinets, white tile, hog tile, yellow walls, countertop sink, multicolored flooring, white countertop, single vanity unit and built-in vanity unit
Apartment on the street.
Kondratenko, bathroom
iDesign interior design studio by Irina Bobrovskaya
Inspiration for home comfort: a small bathroom in a classic style with island-type facades, white facades, an alcove shower, gray tiles, blue walls, a shower cabin, a sink, multi-colored floor, open shower, gray countertop, single basin cabinet and floor cabinet
Apartment 37 sq. m Dubninskaya st., Moscow
Anna Malyutina
Design idea: a small modern style bathroom with a corner shower, installation, gray tiles, porcelain tiles, gray walls, porcelain stoneware floors, a shower cabin, faux stone countertops, brown floors , shower with sliding doors, hygienic shower and hanging pedestal
PHOTO/Cozy bright apartment 76 m² for a young family with a child
Kazantseva Tatiana
Photo of a small master bathroom in white with wood finishes in a modern style with flat cabinets, yellow cabinets, an alcove bathtub, installation, white tiles, ceramic tiles, gray walls, porcelain stoneware floors, a sink with several faucets, artificial stone top, black floor, white top, niche, double vanity unit and built-in vanity unit
Interior SVK
INT2architecture
Inspiration for home comfort: a small modern style bathroom with a free-standing bathtub, white tiles, white walls, mosaic tiles, gray floors and brick walls
Presnya City Apartment
Anna Zhemereva / ORT-interiors
Stylish design : small contemporary style master bathroom with flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, free-standing bathtub, over-bath shower, white tile, gray tile, pink tile, vanity unit, gray floor, double vanity unit, vanity unit and porcelain stoneware flooring - latest trend
Out of sight
Irina Kireeva
spacious bathroom done in grey-beige tones, wooden pieces of furniture made to order
Fresh design idea: a small bathroom in modern style with facades in medium wood color , brown worktop, flat facades, table sink and gray floor - great interior photo
Raspberry Sorbet
Anastasia Ufimtseva
Bathroom.
Stylish design: small contemporary master bathroom with white cabinets, multi-coloured tile, ceramic tile, multi-coloured walls, white countertops, single vanity unit, recessed infill cabinets, alcove bathtub, shower over bathtub, solid washbasin and shower screen bathroom - the latest trend
Cozy studio 30m2 LCD Main House for a student
AGinterior.ru
A small bathroom of 6.5 m2 contained everything you need for a comfortable life, including the utility block.
Inspiration for homeliness: small modern bathroom with white cabinets, mirror tiles, green walls, walk-in shower, swing door shower and hanging vanity
Small Bathroom Design 2020
bathrooms is hardly applicable in a real apartment, and all the photos had nothing to do with your renovation. I prepared 9 adequate applicable tips and 103 photos from ordinary real apartments Design without order makes no sense and maintaining order without closed storage systems is unrealistic.
But it does not take up space at all and it is easy to supply and drain water. close to the stand. Now let's analyze everything according to real photographs. If you plan to place a washing machine in the bathroom, read about the design of a bathroom with a washing machine. There is a photo with the machine.
Trendy tiles for a small bathroom
For a small bathroom, the choice of tiles is not critical. Yes, she gets off everything except the ceiling, but at the same time all visible areas are small. The main thing is not to be too smart with tiles and not to take something bright and catchy. The idea is simple:
The interior of a small bathroom is not built on tiles, but they can ruin it.
To get an idea of what is currently relevant, see the photo of the tiles in the bathroom. Equally important is the correct laying of tiles in the bathroom.
There are in a bathroom in a small area: a sink, cabinet, mirror, bathtub, wardrobe, toilet bowl, heated towel rail, door, towels, rug, toothbrushes, pastes, tubes, etc. Everything has its own colors, everything blocks the walls. If you choose a colorful bright tile, you will get porridge in 99% of cases. There is not a single item in the photo below, but there are already a whole bunch of flowers. This is how the bathroom can look only after the renovation and before the move.
Choose a light tile. The ideal colors are shades of grey. They do not contrast with the colors of the plumbing, do not narrow the space, and are well suited for the best gray grout. The smaller the area, the more important it is to follow this rule. Read about the design of the bathroom in Khrushchev.
Compare from the photo how the design looks in reality in dark and light colors in a small area:
If you really want dark tones, then additional lighting is required - without it, dark walls do not look good.
Gloss tiles are usually a poor choice. But in the interior of a small bathroom - gloss ok . The best semi-matte as usual. If the surface is not flat, but with a texture - good.
for a small bathroom we choose modern design styles, the tiles must match. Imitations of wood, stone, travertine, concrete - approx. Incomprehensible glazed colored tiles that do not imitate any material - not ok. In 2020, natural materials are in fashion in bathrooms.
There is an opinion that supposedly in a small bathroom the size of the tiles should also be small.
In fact, the size of the tile is not so important. If 2 solid ones fit on the wall, it's fine. The main thing is the correct cladding of its walls. It is strictly forbidden to lay rectangular tiles vertically. This nonsense is broadcast under the sauce of visually enlarging the room and blah blah. No, it's terrible, you can't do that.
Never lay rectangular tiles vertically.
You can use spot patchwork on the walls, but there should not be any non-abstract patterns and patterns. Patchwork is also different and for a small bathroom is better suited for light cool colors. Use at most on 1 least loaded wall.
Mosaic is a very expensive type of finish. and the grout itself is not cheap and it is advisable to take an epoxy grout for it. And if the bathroom is small, then the budget is most likely limited. If you really want to, you can zone some areas with mosaics, but this should be with ideas and with reference to other objects.
You don't have to worry about floor tiles - there is almost no floor. Its area is already small, part of it is lost under the bathtub and cabinet, the other under the rug. Take porcelain stoneware of a neutral color, grout in color and do not worry. It is better to lay tiles on the floor from the entrance. all other corners will be forced and clippings will not be visible.
Small area repair
Keep it simple. When you actually start using the bathroom, a wild amount of things will appear and any complex design idea will be part of the salad.
Every centimeter counts, and manufacturers allow for tolerances of several millimeters. Solidity is important in design - the smaller the gaps, the better both the appearance and practicality. If your plan includes back-to-back joints, take a tape measure and personally measure all items before buying. This also applies to tiles from different collections.
Try to hide and make everything monolithic. If you say 1 word, base small bathroom design - neatness .
The bathtub for a small bathroom is rectangular as standard, but there are corner versions that take up even less space. The smallest corner bath 140×90 i.e. shorter than regular cast iron.
Take a matte stretch ceiling. The cheapest option with an acceptable appearance and maximum practicality.
If you have money, then it is ideal to take a mixer built into the wall. Firstly, it does not take up space, and secondly, it does not have the problems of conventional mixers - it does not collect water stains around itself, it does not get dirty from splashes that constantly fall on it.
Analysis of real photos
Photo first, analysis below.
Realized ideas
Bathroom less than three meters without a toilet.
There is enough storage space thanks to the large narrow cabinet to the left of the sink. It is in the correct color (white gloss). Due to the color it does not look bulky, although it is very roomy. The bathtub has a folding glass curtain and a bar for a shower head - you can take a shower even while standing and not fill the bathtub. The colors of the tiles are beige and gray, the grout is the correct gray. Part 1 of the wall is accented with a non-navyaschev pattern - it is permissible on 1 wall. Hanging cabinet - convenient to clean, does not occupy the floor.
The eye estimates the area of the room by the free floor. In a small bathroom, hanging a cabinet is important.
An example of a modern classic small bathroom design. A glass for a toothbrush and a soap dispenser are raised from the washbasin. This is important because when they stand on the washbasin, there are constant circles of dirt around them. Glossy tiles in the form of bricks have taken root in all styles, it is unrealistic to spoil the interior.
Again, a white glossy cabinet and wardrobe. On the floor, wood-effect porcelain stoneware that does not match in style or color. If the area was larger, it would look bad. But in a small bathroom it is not striking. There are no gaps between the cabinet, cabinet and door trim. The latter is often forgotten and miscalculated.
Enough flowers. Inexpensive neutral finish - background. The colors are added with towel and artificial grass. Therefore, it is important to leave the neutral finish in the small bathroom . Too high concentration of objects with their own colors.
2 examples where modern bathroom design ideas are implemented in a very small area. Light colors, neat chiseled accents and overall airiness = a beautiful bathroom.
Errors
If a photo is included in the errors section, it does not mean that the design of the bathroom there is bad, errors can be pinpoint due to the features of a small area.
A good example of small bathroom design: wood effect tiles in the wet area, decorative plaster on the rest of the walls.
Mistakes 2. An ordinary toilet bowl and not an installation. As a result, it does not look modern, it takes up space, a box is visible hiding the sewerage outlet from the shower, toilet paper and other items lie almost on the floor. Installing a hanging toilet would hide all communications and organize a normal storage system above the installation.
Slatted plastic ceiling in the bathroom - the last century. Tension costs the same pennies, but it would have looked normal.
Just a reminder of the benefits of light colors in a small area. Very cool tiles and stylish design, but because of the small dimensions, the bathroom looks cramped.
Visually, the size of this bathroom is reduced to the border of white tiles. For zoning, there are enough differences in color for a couple of tones. There is no need to use such contrasting finishing materials in a small bathroom.
Outdoor storage areas look beautiful only in photos in design projects.
