A common problem that a lot of our customers face is believing that their toilet or bathroom is too small to work with.
“There’s not enough space for what I want… It’s too small to look good… If only we had more space…”
In actual fact, the space is there: you just need to know how to use it best! In this piece, we look at some of the best ways to get the most out of your bathroom with our best space-saving tricks.
Keep it light and airy
Nothing will make a small room feel even smaller than dark, bold colours pasted across the walls and ceiling.
The trick to creating an open feel is to think ‘bright and light’. If plain white seems too plain for your bathroom, try a soft pastel palette using very light shades of green, yellow or pink.
Avoid matte colours where possible, particularly dark and bold shades of green or blue.
Create storage space the smart way
When your physical space is limited, you need to get creative with how you position and access your storage solutions in your small bathroom.
Big, bulky cabinets protruding from the wall might not cut it. Instead, you might experiment with integrating a storage unit under the sink or behind the mirror.
Instead of placing shelves in the centre of the wall, strategically positioning them in the corner of the bathroom can create an aesthetic and functional storage solution.
This is the time to get creative!
Choose fixtures that do more with less
When you’re working with a smaller footprint, your fixtures need to earn their place. Every inch matters, but that doesn’t mean compromising style or functionality. It just means making smarter choices.
Wall-hung toilets and sinks are excellent options for freeing up floor space and giving your bathroom a cleaner, more streamlined look. By exposing more of the floor, the room will naturally feel more open and less crowded.
Quadrant shower enclosures are designed specifically for corner installation and take up far less room than a standard rectangular tray, making them an ideal choice for a small bathroom. Alternatively, a wet room-style shower creates a sense of openness that’s ideal for compact bathrooms.
Multifunctional units are another great hack. Think vanity units with built-in drawers, or mirrored cabinets that provide both storage and a reflective surface to open up the room visually. Even heated towel rails can be space savers when used in place of traditional radiators.
The goal here is to reduce clutter without losing convenience. If something doesn’t need to be bulky or floor-standing, it shouldn’t be!
Use mirrors and glass to create an illusion of space
There’s a reason interior designers love mirrors: they’re one of the easiest and most effective ways to make a small space feel bigger.
In a compact bathroom, placing a large mirror above the sink (or even across an entire wall) can instantly double the sense of space by reflecting both light and views.
But don’t stop at the mirror – glass can be your secret weapon in small-bathroom design. A clear glass shower screen, for example, creates continuity within the room that avoids cutting off the space visually.
If your budget allows, consider mirrored wall panels or glass shelving as an alternative to more solid materials. Both can help bounce light around the room and reduce the visual ‘heaviness’ of the bathroom.
Lighting choice is crucial here too: placing LED strips behind mirrors or under cabinets adds a subtle glow that can enhance depth and ambiance without taking up extra space.
To conclude
Having a small bathroom is by no means a life sentence to a boring or cramped bathroom – there are plenty of ways to create a feeling of space within small bathrooms when you know how.
Whether it’s smart storage solutions or maximising brightness, the right experts can help you achieve the bathroom you want.
You can learn more about the services we offer at Anderson Kitchens and Bathrooms here and even book a free design consultation by calling us on 01473 890901.
