Maximize Your Space with These Design Ideas for Small Bathrooms
Modern apartments are getting smaller, especially in urban areas, and so are their bathrooms. But a small bathroom doesn’t have to be a limitation – in fact, small spaces are an opportunity to let your creativity run wild and your design sense shine. And in the modern era, innovations in technology and design provide a range of simple solutions for making the most of a compact bathroom space while maintaining an engaging style and high functionality. Below, we gather some tips to help you take full advantage of your space, no matter the size.
Smart toilets, smart solutions
Smart toilets are best known for their state-of-the-art technology and customizable features, but they’re also practical options that can also save you serious space in your bathroom. Smart toilets combine the latest toilet innovations with the functionality of a bidet, uniting the most essential hygienic features of each into a single model and eliminating the need to occupy crucial space with separate units. Smart toilets also reduce the need for toilet paper, meaning they’re easier on the environment – as well as on your wallet. For extra organization, take advantage of the space you gain by adding an external storage column for towels and toiletries.
(Pictured: Wall-hung In-Wash® In-Tank® from Roca’s Inspira collection)
Simplify your shower
Unnecessary walls and flooring can create unpleasant claustrophobic sensations and obstruct natural light – and in the bathroom, most of these partitions derive from the shower. Opening up your shower space is a simple way to create the sensation of unity and wholeness without altering the arrangement of the room. Replacing opaque walls with open-ended glass shower panels can create a feeling of openness and freshness. And extra-slim, ground-level shower trays give a sophisticated, modern touch to the bathroom, while at the same time offering greater accessibility. In the shower space, less is more.
(Pictured: Roca’s Cratos Superslim SENCERAMIC® shower tray in matt white)
Compact vanities for compact bathrooms
Compact vanity units integrate the basin into a furniture cabinet to provide high functionality, easy maintenance and plenty of storage. Store towels and larger items below while keeping the top free for hand soaps and other toiletries. Choose a unit with multiple drawers to keep everything you need close at hand while at the same time tightly organized. Increase the feeling of space even further with a floating vanity, which is anchored to the wall and leaves a space between the unit and the floor.
(Pictured: Roca’s Ona unik vanity with basin, light oak finish)
Two-in-one solutions offer space and sustainability
Two-in-one units (sometimes called “greywater” units) represent the latest in contemporary design for the bathroom while taking a major step forward in sustainability. These units take runoff water from the basin, filter and purify it, and reuse it in the toilet cistern, resulting in a significant reduction in the amount of freshwater the toilet will use. And because the basin and toilet are integrated, the amount of space used is kept to a minimum. This simple design solution cuts down considerably on water consumption while also opening up major space in your bathroom.
(Pictured: Wall-hung vitreous china WC and basin from Roca’s W+W collection)
Mirror cabinets create space and storage
Upgrading from flat mirrors to mirror cabinets can generate instant storage in any bathroom without taking up any additional space. These classic units have come back in style in a big way in recent years, embraced by modern designers as practical solutions for the compact bathrooms found in many urban homes. Mirror cabinets typically come wall-mounted with interior shelving, offering storage for toiletries, makeup and other necessities, freeing up valuable space below. Modern variants might incorporate other useful tools such as integrated LED lighting or shaving sockets, making these a versatile solution for any bathroom.
(Pictured: Roca’s Luna mirror cabinet, wall-hung with one door)
