When we see bathroom inspiration posts online, they tend to be large-scale rooms with huge, floor-to-ceiling windows – like something you’d see on a tour of the Palace of Versailles. What mainstream home design sites tend to ignore is that some people prefer a small, cosy bathroom area, or they don’t actually have a choice in terms of space. In this post, we’d like to run through the ways in which you can create a small-scale bathroom with relaxation at its core.
Think about your storage
Storage is a key element to any bathroom, especially smaller ones. Coming up with cunning ways to hide away items such as shower gels and spare toilet rolls will form the bedrock of your bathroom, banishing clutter and aiding relaxation as a result.
Consider investing in a smartly organised medicine cabinet, which can effectively store your cosmetics out of sight. In addition, the area under the basin is a practical space to store larger items – so find some time to construct a bespoke cabinet that’ll help you find a home for branded bathroom essentials (the bright colors of which contribute irritating ‘visual noise’ to the space), as well as hiding away ugly pipes.
Make the most of your ceiling
If your small space is a loft conversion or a micro-apartment at the top of a townhouse, chances are, you’ll have a sloping roof in your bathroom. Far from being a headroom disaster, this can be optimised into a feature that’ll ramp up the cosiness.
Placing a bath that fits snugly underneath the diagonal ceiling can inject a little rustic charm into your bathroom, transforming what initially seems like a hindrance into a statement feature evoking luxe Manhattan loft apartments.
Scalable comforts
Your small bathroom doesn’t have to be sparsely fitted. Think of everything a regular-sized bathroom needs – a shower area, specific bathroom radiators (to keep towels warm, which vital if your space lacks ventilation), mirrors, cabinets and much more – all these things can be found on a reduced scale to truly optimise the space. Even decorative additions such as plants can be made smaller – from a large bamboo plant to a tiny potted succulent, a dash of green can be any size you like.
Scaling comforts instead of removing them entirely means your bathroom will be a relaxing space rather than feeling spartan and bare.
Be decor-smart
Think about how your small bathroom colour scheme will work. You’ll need to make the small area breathe and feel inviting, and there are a lot of different colour schemes that can achieve this. Sure, you could utilise white or cream shades to create an airy feel, but this can feel a little overbearing – so combine white with crisp, zesty tones such as lime greens, or more serene pastel blues if you’re aiming for a nautical theme.
Utilising matching tiles across your bath splashback and the floor can trick the eye into believing the space is bigger than it actually is – the holy grail for a small-scale bathroom. Mirrors can also achieve this effect – but use them sparingly, as you don’t particularly want a headache-inducing Droste effect occurring in your relaxation space!
Whichever way you decide to style your small-scale bathroom, make sure relaxation is at its heart. After all, a bathroom is a space where you can forget the world and indulge in a bit of ‘you time’ – no matter the size of your home.
By: Mosa Adam
Moosa Adam works at 1 Click Bathrooms, the UK’s online one-stop shop that helps homeowners build their dream bathroom piece by piece.