Small Bathrooms Made Big!

Is bigger better? For many it is, particularly when it comes to bathrooms. These days they are much more than just a place to clean your teeth. A bathroom not only needs to be functional, it needs to offer a place to relax and recharge at the end of a long day or long week.

But what happens if space isn’t on your side? What if you have a small bathroom, or the bathroom layout is particularly challenging? Or what if the fixture you’ve always dreamed of having just isn’t going to fit the space you have available to work with?

Don’t despair. It doesn’t mean you have to give up on your hopes and dreams.

It’s still possible to make a big impact in a small space. And it doesn’t start with taking out walls or relocating your bathroom on your plan. It starts with the bathroom basin. Yes… that’s right… the bathroom basin!

Behold the bathroom basin!

If you’ve started looking at bathroom fixtures – and bathroom basins in particular – you’ll already know there are countless options to choose from. Navigating them all isn’t just difficult. It’s confusing.

The best place to start is with a plan. Avoid over designing and trying to fit too much into your small bathroom. Know the space you’re working with and where all the fixtures and fittings will find a home – from the bath/shower to the toilet and basin/vanity.

Does everything that’s in the bathroom now need to stay? Can the toilet be installed outside the bathroom? Do you need a bath as well as a shower? What are your must haves and what can go?

Also know how much space you have available for each fixture and fitting. They all need their own space. Sketch out possible placements for the main fixtures and then consider where the fittings such as towel rails and hooks will go.

It’s also important that you balance function with form. In other words, it’s great to have a bathroom that looks great, but it also needs to suit the daily activities of the space.

Research is key

As we’ve already mentioned, the world is awash with basins. Do your research and get to know what’s out there. It’s the only way to get a great result for your bathroom.

Clark has a great range of square and round basins to suit small bathrooms and unusual bathroom layouts. Choose from inset or wall-mount options. Clark has been around since 1941 and, as a company, prides itself on helping to create living spaces in your home that you love.

Check out the Clark range here.

Pair your Clark basin with a Clark basin mixer to make the ultimate impression. Or consider the Clark wall-mounted tapware range. Wall-mounted tapware is another bathroom space saver.

SMALL BASINS

There are ‘small’ basins, of course. This means they have a small projection – that is, the measurement from the rear to the front of the basin is small. The smaller the projection, the more room you have to move in your bathroom.

Be warned. Even with a small projection, the bowl size still needs to be maximised. Otherwise, each time you wash your hands you’ll also be washing the floor. As a rule of thumb, bathroom basins with a projection of 200mm to 350mm work best, if the bowl is maximised.

Small basins can be bench or wall mounted.

SHALLOW-BENCH BASINS

There are basins that sit about three quarters within the bench and one quarter out. This means the depth of the bench may be reduced. A shallower bench is especially handy if you have a tight turning or circulation space between the bench and the wall or door.

WALL-MOUNTED BASINS

If you’re really looking to free up some space, it’s a wall-mounted basin that will tick all the boxes. A wall-mounted basin with a bottle trap is not only sophisticated, it’s much less bulky than a vanity. The wall-mounted basin’s ability to ‘float’ gives your bathroom the white space it needs.

If storage is important, the addition of a wall niche above your basin can allow for handwash bottles, makeup bottles and more to be stored. The niche makes up for lost bench and vanity space. Install the wall niche behind a mirror for a more streamlined look.

SIDE-SHELF BASINS

Bring more function into your space without sacrificing form when you choose a basin with an in-built side shelf. These basins come with configurations for left or right shelves, and with opposing tap landing decks too.

More ways to help you make more of your bathroom space…

TIP 1

Lighter tones don’t just brighten up your bathroom, they create the feeling of space. While darker tones can make a space feel smaller. So, when you’re thinking of bathroom colours, think light, white and bright.

TIP 2

Every bathroom needs a feature, but don’t go too big or you’ll make your space look small. Go bold with your tapware. Matte black is on trend right now and takes your modern sophistication to a whole new level.

TIP 3

Mirrors are a clever tool for bringing light and the impression of space into a small bathroom. So, going big with a mirror might be something you want to consider. And by big we mean full wall. If that’s too big, consider full-length or adding multiple mirrors into your bathroom space.

TIP 4

Do you need a shower and a bath? There are ways to make a shower-bath combo look amazing, such as tiling the hob the same as the floor tiles and adding a frameless shower screen. It means you don’t have to give up the lazy Sunday night soak!

TIP 5

A floating shelf is more than just a space saver, it’s a lifesaver. Install it above the basin and below the mirror to hold hand soap, candles, tissues and more.

Still got questions? Regardless of your project or the challenges you face, contact the Tradelink team. We recently celebrated 150 years in the industry, and we’re here now to help you to make things happen.