Living in the UK often many of us are lacking the space to create our ideal bathroom. Research from the Royal Institute of British Architects discovered that new houses in the UK are the smallest in Western Europe, with some countries such as Denmark having homes that are 80 percent larger than those in the UK. The combination of a lack of square footage and oftentimes a lack of natural light makes a small bathroom one of the most challenging spaces to work with, however, our design team at Living Space have got you sorted with the following tips and tricks

Optimise storage!

In a small powder room, a floating shelf will be a life-saver for essentials like washcloths, hand soap and tissues particularly if your bathroom doesn’t have a built-in vanity. If you do opt for a vanity, we suggest mounting it to the wall and leaving floor space beneath to make your space feel larger. Customise built-in storage with a solid enclosure that’s hidden in the wall to take up less visual real estate.

Mirror mirror on the wall!

A wall-to-wall mirror is a guaranteed way to create the illusion of spaciousness. Hang a large mirror, (or more) over your bathroom basin, to bounce the natural light around the room and make the whole bathroom feel larger. Go big, go bold and make a statement no matter how small your bathroom is.

Build shower niches

If you need a big tub or yours just happens to take up all the space between the two walls, then make sure you’re saving space elsewhere. Incorporate built-in shelves and niches into the wall behind the bathtub for towels and products. 

Dark and moody to make it feel bigger

In a small powder room without much access to natural light, embrace the moodier, edgier atmosphere with darker tones, black tiles and mood lighting. An element of cocooning and ambience originates from using darker paint colours in smaller bathrooms.

Alternatively, keep things bright in a small bathroom

Some might think it’s boring, but an all-white bathroom makes any tucked-away space feel bigger and brighter. To ensure your space remains stylish and luxurious, we suggest materials such as natural stone and bookmatched marble.

Add a skylight

Natural light is the key to making a small space feel bigger and skylights are a great option for when windows aren’t enough.

Panelling

Simple panelled-effect walls are the perfect small bathroom idea for adding character that won’t take up too much valuable space. Stick to a uniform colour palette to make the space feel cosier. 

Define zones

Use the method of defined zoning to make a small bathroom feel more generous and ensuring clear separation.

Back to basics

Architecturally and visually, it is best to keep a small bathroom feeling open by not crowding too many things into it and keeping your patterns to a minimum.