Making space
in a very compact bathroom.
About 1.2 × 1.8 m, or 2.2 m² of floor. It's the size of many London en-suites, shower rooms and loft bathrooms. There's room for a shower, a basin and a toilet, and with the right choices it can feel calm rather than cramped.
- Typical size
- About 1.2 × 1.8 m
- Floor area
- About 2.2 m²
- Fits
- Shower, basin, toilet
- Usually
- Shower room or en-suite
- A bath?
- Usually not
What fits, and what doesn't
A very compact room fits the three essentials: a shower, a basin and a toilet. The bath is what usually has to go. Even a compact 1500 mm bath takes up most of the room's length, leaving little space for anything else.
If a bath really matters to you, it's worth asking whether the room could borrow space from somewhere nearby, such as a cupboard or part of a landing. That's something we look at during the home visit.
Look at the shape of the room
Before choosing anything, look at the room itself. In a small room, the door, the window and the ceiling shape the layout more than any fitting does.
The door
Check which way the door opens and what it sweeps past. A door swinging into a tiny room takes space you could otherwise use.
The window
A window affects where the shower can go and where the mirror can hang, and it gives you fresh air.
The ceiling
A sloping ceiling, common in lofts, decides where you can stand up to shower.
Choosing your shower
In a very compact room, the shower is the biggest decision. These four layouts suit a room this size.
A corner shower with a door
A defined shower enclosure in the corner of the room.
A sliding or bifold door means you don't need space for a door to swing.
Read more →A curved corner shower
A rounded shower enclosure that softens the corner.
The curved front takes the corner off, leaving more floor in front of the shower.
Read more →A shower across the end wall
A broad shower uses the full width at one end of the room.
Using the full width of the room usually gives the biggest shower it can take.
Read more →A level-floor wet room
The shower area continues into the tiled floor without a raised tray.
No tray and no step. The whole floor is waterproofed, which costs more, and a glass screen keeps the rest of the room dry.
Read more →If there's any way to make the shower a little larger, take it. A few extra centimetres of shower space makes more difference to daily comfort than almost anything else in the room.
Making it feel bigger
Lift things off the floor
A wall-hung toilet and basin let you see the floor underneath, so the room feels bigger and is easier to clean. The cistern hides in a boxed-in frame, and its top makes a handy shelf.
Choose compact pieces
Short-projection toilets, slim cloakroom basins and semi-recessed basins all save depth where every centimetre counts.
Keep the glass clear
Clear, frameless or slim-framed glass lets the eye travel across the room. Frosted or heavily framed glass closes it in.
Use fewer, larger tiles
Large-format tiles mean fewer grout lines. Running the same tile across the floor and walls blurs the edges of the room.
Build storage in
A recessed mirror cabinet and a shower niche keep things off surfaces without taking any floor space.
Rethink the door
An outward-opening door, or a sliding pocket door where the wall allows, frees up space inside the room.
Light it well
Bright, even light from the ceiling and around the mirror. Dim corners make a small room feel smaller still.
Use colour on purpose
Light colours keep a small room airy. A deep colour on every surface can work too, making the room feel snug and deliberate rather than small.
A floating vanity and wall-hung toilet keep the floor clear, and large tiles mean few grout lines.
A sliding shower door needs no room to swing, and a compact wall-hung vanity saves depth.
One clear glass panel, a shower niche for bottles and a small wall-hung basin.
Warm & natural: a wood vanity, warm stone tones and brass.
Clean & minimal: white on white, chrome and nothing extra.
Classic & traditional: metro tiles, a chequered floor and a painted vanity.
Bold & colourful: deep green tiles and a terracotta vanity.
What to watch out for
Ventilation
Small rooms steam up fast, and many have no window. Building Regulations require an extractor fan; one with a timer or humidity sensor keeps running until the air clears.
Room to use things
Leave enough space in front of the toilet and basin to use them comfortably, and to get in and out of the shower. We check this at the home visit.
Keeping water in
In a small room everything is close to the shower. A good screen, the right fall on the floor and careful waterproofing keep the water where it belongs.
Your water system
Not every shower suits every home. What you can have depends on your hot-water system and water pressure.
Every room is different. These are starting points, and we confirm what fits at your home visit.
Planning a very compact bathroom?
Tell us about your room and what matters most, and we'll help you make the most of it.
Start your project briefIllustrations are concepts, not measured plans. Click any picture to enlarge it.