By and large, there are two kinds of small bathrooms: spare half baths or powder rooms where you can have a lot of fun playing with decor because you don’t have to worry too much about functionality, and teensy tiny full or 3/4 baths that are squeezed into too little space because you need them. But even if your square footage is severely limited, a bathroom you really need doesn’t have to look like one you crammed into a spare closet, even if you did! Opting for minimalist fixtures and a streamlined modern aesthetic can make all the difference, and transform a tight space into an elegant, glamorous contemporary bathroom.
Small bathrooms are the bane of a designer’s existence, but a few simple tricks can make a big difference (by Hamilton Court Developments)Get The Look:
The biggest space saving elements are the wall mounted sink and wall hung toilet. But it’s that frameless shower enclosure (and the rainfall and handheld shower heads) that give this small bathroom its luxury, and the wall and floor tile that bring the style.
Why It Works:
Modern design is all about streamlining, trimming down classic elements until they’re as simple and unadorned as possible – which makes it perfect for decorating small bathrooms. Traditional “small” bathroom vanities start off between two and three feet wide and protrude way into the bathroom. Modern vanities are smaller in all dimensions, and wall mounted sinks go a step further, taking up almost no space at all but still giving you the functionality of a sink and a small counter surface. Not only does this mean having more space to move around your bathroom, but also more visual space as well, which will help it look and feel less crowded. Wall hung toilets offer similar benefits: with the tank recessed into the wall, the toilet is narrower (meaning you can put it closer to other fixtures), shorter, and doesn’t protrude as far into the room, making it much less obtrusive.
The other techniques this bathroom uses are a little more subtle. The seamless shower floor, 360 degree wall tiling, and frameless sheet of glass that stands in for a shower enclosure all work together to make the bathroom feel like a single, uninterrupted space, making it possible to have a full sized shower (with no clearance needed for a swinging door) in a space that would be an over-full half bath if done in a more traditional style. The paired ceiling-mounted shower head and hand shower offer a nice touch of luxury, and make it possible to squeeze in a little built-in, recessed storage – a touch that’s both stylish and functional. The dark tile might seem like a bold choice (or one that might make a small space feel smaller), but the strategic use of spotlights gives the room a very striking, artistic feel, playing up the modern elements to make the minimalism feel elegant rather than sparse.
