How to save space in a small bathroom

Help & Advice > Project Guides > Bathrooms & Bathroom Furniture

Are you struggling to fit everything you need in your small bathroom without it becoming a complete mess?

You’re not alone there. We feel your frustration, as do millions of UK residents.

That’s why at Plumbing Superstore, we dug deep to find out how to save space in a small bathroom.

The result?

We discovered several ingenious bathroom space-saving ideas that will put a smile on your face and improve your bathroom experience by a long way.

Without further ado, let’s dive right in.

Invest in a furniture pack

Furniture packs combine multiple bathroom units – typically a vanity unit with basin, back-to-wall unit and toilet with cistern. Because they’re built to complement each other and work as a combo, furniture packs are incredibly compact, making them one of the most popular small space small bathroom ideas out there.

Let’s break this down:

First, the vanity unit combines a basin with plentiful bathroom storage under the sink. What’s not to like?

In and of itself, it’s an excellent space-saving solution. A wall-to-wall vanity unit is also a great idea if you decide to go down that route.

Second, the back-to-wall unit, which is basically a small bathroom cabinet, is designed to fit tightly alongside the vanity unit, optimising limited space. Between the two of them, you should have virtually all the bathroom storage for small spaces you’re going to need.

Naturally, you can buy all these units separately. However, you’re likely to run into significant trouble fitting them and the toilet in such a way as to avoid wasting space, which is at a premium in a small bathroom.

Last but not least, buying a furniture pack will save you time, eliminating the need to shop around.

Nuie Saturn Gloss White Square Furniture Pack

Get a tall bathroom cabinet

When it comes to tried-and-tested bathroom storage ideas, a floor-standing tall cabinet is easily up there with the most effective.

Here’s why:

Nuie Mayford Free Standing Tall Unit

Tall, narrow and compact, tallboys are an ideal solution for tight, narrow areas, such as those commonly found between the vanity unit and the shower cubicle. At the same time, they provide plenty of storage room by utilising a part of your bathroom that would otherwise mostly go to waste.

In addition, floor-standing tall cabinets are incredibly versatile, as they come in a huge range of models. So, you should have no problem choosing the right one for your small bathroom.

The more basic ones have shelves only without any doors, while more sophisticated ones come complete with different types of compartments and feature glass or wooden doors or even a combination of the two.

Key takeaway:

Practical, functional and aesthetically pleasing, the tallboy is a winner on all fronts.

Opt for wall-hung bathroom furniture and toilet

Many homeowners tend to place all their bathroom furniture on the floor.

This is a huge mistake! Especially with small bathrooms.

Here’s why:

When everything is placed firmly on the floor, more or less on the same level, your bathroom is going to appear cramped, cluttered and even smaller than it already is.

Which is bad news, to say the least.

This is why wall-hung furniture is one of the most exciting space-saving bathroom ideas to gain traction in recent years. By emphasising the vertical rather than the horizontal lines in your bathroom, it gives the illusion of a more spacious environment.

But it’s not just smoke and mirrors:

Wall-hung bathroom furniture helps you maximise wall space, much like tallboys do, allowing you to fully utilise space that would otherwise serve no practical purpose.

Additionally, they free up room for even more small bathroom storage underneath. Why not place a decorative basket for fresh towels underneath one of those items, for instance? The possibilities here are endless.

Most of these considerations for wall-mounted bathroom storage also hold true for wall-hung toilets. In general, wall-hung pans are also smaller than conventional ones. They also tend to come with concealed cisterns, which can save you plenty of space.

Buy a mirrored cabinet

Next on our list is the humble mirrored cabinet. While it may not sound like much at first, a mirrored cabinet can make a massive difference in a small bathroom.

Nuie Turin Mirror Cabinet

Here’s the deal:

Ideally, you want your bathroom mirror to be as large as possible; however, that’s not always an option if you have little to no space to work with.

And here, the mirrored cabinet comes into its own and shines like no other. By combining an elegant, shiny mirror with sufficient storage room for various toiletries and essentials, it’s easily one of the best very small bathroom storage ideas you’re likely to come across.

And that’s not all:

Apart from helping you save space, mirror cabinets are incredibly convenient, as they provide easy access to all sorts of face cleaning products, accessories and shaving gear exactly where you need them – by the washbasin.

Use the space above the toilet and the door

Unless you have a toilet with a high cistern – which isn’t ideal for a small bathroom, to begin with – you’re left with plenty of unused space above your toilet.

So, why not put it to good use and free up space elsewhere?

Bathroom towels

Put your DIY skills to good use and fit a sturdy small bathroom shelf (or two or three lighter ones) on the wall above the toilet. At the very least, you can use it to store fresh towels and toilet rolls.

And that’s not all:

One of the more refreshing bathroom shelf ideas involves putting some houseplants on these shelves for a stylish touch that will help brighten the mood, aerate your small bathroom, and make it appear more spacious.

Now:

Provided there’s any space between the bathroom door and the ceiling, you can do the exact same thing there, giving you handy over-door bathroom storage.

You’ll be amazed at the difference these seemingly minor changes are going to make!

Fit wall shelves & baskets

We’ve addressed bathroom wall storage in part. Here, we’re going to have a look at why you should fit additional wall shelves and baskets.

We already know they’re a great solution for small spaces because they provide storage room while leaving the floor free from unnecessary cluttering. They also highlight the vertical lines at the expense of the overloaded horizontal ones for greater overall balance.

At the same time, you can use them to add a bit of variety and colour to your small bathroom. They can also serve as a display for some of your prettier toiletries and accessories or, as we mentioned previously, small flowerpots.

After all:

Just because something is practical, it doesn’t mean it has to be unappealing, right?

That’s especially true with baskets, where you have a big selection of metal and wicker baskets to help you match your preferred bathroom theme.

Use adhesive hooks

This is yet another one of those clever small bathroom storage ideas which aim to maximise wall space.

To begin with, adhesive hooks are especially useful if you’re renting, in which case drilling holes in the wall is a big no-no.

But that doesn’t mean homeowners can’t benefit from this piece of advice. Far from it!

In fact, adhesive hooks come in a huge variety of shapes and forms, making them an endlessly versatile solution for small bathrooms. You can stick them to the wall to hang towels or, depending on the type, lighter baskets as per our previous recommendation.

What’s more:

Adhesive hooks will help you make fantastic use of the space in your vanity unit to increase your bathroom hanging storage options.

Simply stick them on the inside of the vanity unit door to hang hairdryers, hairbrushes and other items. This way, you’ll have easy, convenient access to them while keeping them out of the way.

You’ll be saving space even without thinking about it.

Make the most of your small bathroom

Trying to find that much-needed extra bit of space in a small bathroom often feels like a losing battle.

It’s endlessly frustrating and nerve-wracking – all the more so because the bathroom is one of the most used rooms in our homes.

The good news is:

It doesn’t have to be that way!

There are lots you can do to make things better, from tiny little adjustments like using adhesive hooks to large projects like fitting a furniture pack.

And now that you know how to save space in a small bathroom thanks to our diverse bathroom space-saving ideas, you’re all set to leave frustration behind and make the most of your small bathroom.