Small Bathrooms: 6 Common Problems and How to Fix Them

Bathrooms don’t need to take up much space, but they can often feel cramped especially if the previous homeowner or your landlord have decided to use the bare basics when it comes to bathroom design. If you’re tired of feeling trapped in a small box whenever you take a shower or use the toilet, then we’ve got a couple of tips to help you fix common small bathroom problems.

Bathrooms don’t need to take up much space, but they can often feel cramped especially if the previous homeowner or your landlord have decided to use the bare basics when it comes to bathroom design. If you’re tired of feeling trapped in a small box whenever you take a shower or use the toilet, then we’ve got a couple of tips to help you fix common small bathroom problems.

Keep things off the ground or build solutions into the wall

We see many bathrooms using a lot of floor space which ultimately means you have less space to walk around in your bathroom. This contributes a lot to the cramped feeling of a bathroom but it can easily be fixed by swapping out a couple of things in your bathroom.

One example would be replacing both the basin and the toilet with something like the Phoenix i-Basin Back to Wall Suite. This is a basin unit that is combined with a toilet in a single piece of bathroom furniture. It’s small, discreet and saves a lot of space thanks to the multi-functional purposes of the unit. The design is also reversible so that the toilet can be placed on either side and it only takes around 1200mm of space width-wise. This is a great space-saving measure and is perfect for bathrooms of all sizes thanks to its unique profile and sleek design.

While it’s unavoidable to use some floor space, it’s ideal if you’re able to raise some of your existing bathroom functionality off the floor and into the walls. Some other examples include using wall-mounted storage options such as a medicine cabinet or shelving to store all of your bathroom products and decor.

Use multi-functional bathroom products to save a lot of space

Another big tip to help you fix small bathroom woes is to use multi-functional bathroom pieces. Above, we suggested getting a basin and toilet combination unit that can save space and look fantastic, but there are some models that are even more compact and affordable. The Moderna WC Basin Pack with Rubix Back to Wall Pan is the perfect example of a combined basin and toilet unit that helps to save a lot of space. Whether you’re putting together a small cloakroom, an extra toilet or want to make more space for things like a large bathtub, combination units that serve multiple purposes are a fantastic investment.

Multi-functional bathroom products save plenty of space and are ideal for helping you fix the feeling of a cramped and tight bathroom. They’re affordable, they’re relatively easy to install given their multi-functional nature and they’re designed specifically for tight spaces. Other examples of multi-functional bathroom products can include a bathroom with a shower mixer tap or a shower unit that is built into the wall and ceiling instead of one that requires a large enclosure which takes up valuable floor space.

Decluttering to avoid excess storage

There are plenty of simple ways to add a bit of extra storage to your bathroom without going over the top. For instance, placing a wall shelf or two will drastically increase the amount of space you have to store things like toiletries, and there are certain basins which come with drawers and cabinets that can be used to store all kinds of items that you might need to maintain your bathroom. Even something like a window sill can be extended and transformed into a storage space if you’re in dire need of more space to put your things.

Decluttering is also important when it comes to making your bathroom feel a lot more spacious. For example, removing towels you aren’t using or removing any clothes and putting your laundry basket outside of your bathroom can be a great start to help declutter it. You could also consider moving any cleaning products into the kitchen and only bringing them in when needed, and never storing more than a couple of extra toilet rolls so that they don’t seem unsightly.

Use bathroom products that are designed for tighter spaces

From the Avocado 1600 Space Saving Corner Bath to corner-shaped basins, it’s important to think about using products that are specifically designed for smaller bathrooms. If you do a bit of looking around, you’ll find that there are plenty of people who are in the same predicament as you; a small bathroom with little floor space to move around in. This ends up creating a small and cramped bathroom that isn’t very space-efficient and can cause a lot of frustrations.

This is why there’s a huge range of corner-centric products such as the space saving corner bath. They’re made to suit smaller bathrooms or evenly oddly-shaped bathrooms that may create odd layouts. While these products may be harder to find than regular ones that assume you already have a lot of space to work within your bathroom, it’s well worth the extra research and potentially even the slightly increased cost of the product due to its specially-designed shape and features.

If you’re set on having a small bathroom then this is one of the best ways to increase the amount of physical space you have while also preventing your bathroom from feeling too cramped and trapped. You want to make sure that you’re using products that are specifically designed to be used in tighter spaces in order to maximize the efficiency of your bathroom and prevent wasting space due to large and bulky objects such as free-standing showers and bathtubs or overly-decorative pedestal basins.

Focus on the basics first and get rid of clutter

There are a surprising number of designers that focus too much on the decor of the bathroom and neglect to think about the main functionality. This is when a bundle such as the Verona Cloakroom Deal can come in handy to put you back on track with the basics. It includes a basin with a small storage compartment at the bottom, a basin mixer and also a Cancun Fully Back to Wall Toilet & Soft Close Seat. When you’re able to focus on just the necessary components first and remove unnecessary clutter and useless furniture and products, you’ll find that you can have a far more spacious bathroom.

In short, focus on the essentials when it comes to putting together a small bathroom. If you aim to make a flashy or decorative bathroom you’ll neglect the bare essentials such as having more floor space to work with or having functional bathroom products that save space and serve multiple functions.

Lighting up a small bathroom for more visibility

If your bathroom is relatively small and doesn’t have any windows, then you’re going to feel very cramped especially if it’s dark. Replace your existing bathroom lights with something brighter to ensure that your bathroom remains well-lit whenever it’s being used. If you’re unable to add a window then using bright lights can help emulate natural light while also bouncing off reflective surfaces to prevent that tight and boxed-in feeling of a small room.

If you do have access to windows, then using reflective surfaces and keeping your bathroom windows free of dirt and grime are both keys to helping you harness the power of natural light. Make sure that your windows aren’t blocked by any large objects to ensure that the light has a chance to reach into your bathroom. However, if you’re not getting enough sunlight due to the position of the window, then you’ll need to rely on stronger light bulbs and potentially mood lighting with LED strips to help create a brighter and larger-feeling room.

Summary

There are problems with every project but having a small bathroom or a bathroom that is too big doesn't need to stop you making themes out of the space that you have. We hope our post helps you in some way to create that dream space you can relax in.