Thirty or 40 years back, most homes, even big ones, had one, modest-size toilet for the whole family. I have read somewhere that baths back then dropped around 5 by 10 feet — smaller than a lot of area rugs. I know for a fact that my mom and her three sisters grew up sharing one which was hardly larger than the coat cupboard in their suburban house. In that age the loo was mostly only functional, in contrast with the current trend toward the toilet for a spa experience.
Here is the thing: several of us still live with these small baths. Some, such as those who espouse the very small house movement, even build them on purpose. Making them work requires an additional helping of creativity, and the owners of those eight baths pictured here all took different — yet equally successful — approaches. These aren’t powder rooms, either; they are all full with a sink, bathroom, shower and/or bathtub.
If you’ve got a very small bath, we would really like to see how you’ve maximized the area. Upload a photo to the Comments section and give us the details!
Moment layout + productions, llc
Thanks to some games console sink with space for storage underneath and ample natural light bouncing off the mirror, this snug urban bath feels like it has lots of breathing room. A recessed shelf below the mirror, lined with the same tile as the floor, boosts storage.
Devi Dutta Architecture
Old-fashioned claw-foot tubs are a terrific option for small baths. They tend to take up less floor area than traditional built in tubs and create the illusion of more square footage, since the floor is visible beneath them. A medicine cabinet helps corral toiletries.
Nelson Wilson Interiors
This narrow bath, a converted storage cupboard, demonstrates that high design sometimes comes in tiny packages. The designers tucked the bathroom and shower opposite ends and maintained the fixtures. Graceful sconces and subway walls draw the eye upward; a mirror using a Greek key pattern on the framework expands the space visually.
Nelson Wilson Interiors
Here is the same bathroom from the opposite angle. A shower door ( even a frameless glass design) or curtain could have chopped up the slim area, so an open shower makes sense here. Wall-mounted pockets and hooks provide space for linens and also assist to solve the storage issue.
Watch the rest of the traditional New Orleans home
Lauren Rubin Architecture
At roughly 5 feet, this New York City bathroom has almost zero elbow space. Nevertheless it doesn’t feel cramped, thanks to a few visual tricks: long, lean lines and a brief shower curtain which doesn’t swallow floor area. A recessed niche keeps the sink out of the way.
Jessica Helgerson Interior Design
Large scale may work in wee spaces, since this bathroom demonstrates. Rather than installing a shower just, the homeowner required a more positive tack: squeezing into a freestanding bathtub that improves the area’s cottage overtones. The tall, slim window elongates the wall visually and makes the ceiling look higher.
Jessica Helgerson Interior Design
The other end of this space features a compact pedestal sink and mirror-mounted sconces that free up wall area. A serene white-on-white palette helps the space to feel much more expansive.
Tour that this 540-square-foot family residence
Integrated
A strip of multicolored tiles helps to define the mirror and sink and gives the impression that the bath is roomier than it truly is. The wall-mounted sink is a smart choice not just due to its pared-down scale, but also since it doesn’t obscure the gorgeous tile motif.
CWB Architects
Floating vanities and teeny bathrooms were produced for each other. Even though it can be tricky to pull off this many materials in a tight area (dark wood, marble, 2 types of vinyl), strategic placement makes it work here. The tile on the shower floor blends unobtrusively with all the marble, profound gray-blue walls seem to recede, and the espresso-brown vanity cabinet anchors the whole scheme. Note also how the transparent shower curtain doesn’t halt the eye, even if it is drawn.
Charlie Allen Renovations, Inc..
Rounded shower enclosures such as this one take up less space than squared ones, making them ideal for baths where square footage is at a premium. A slim cupboard in a sliver of free space offers just enough space to store sundries.
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More manners with small spaces
