Just because you have a smaller space, it doesn’t mean you’re constricted on what you can do to create a stunning bathroom design that you’ll love for years to come.
While trimmer bathrooms come with their own challenges, they also present lots of potential and a huge range of benefits. One way to fully embrace the more compact look is to opt for a traditional design.
Smaller bathrooms and older buildings come hand in hand. Quirky and unique, what better way to echo character and celebrate the architectural beauty of your smaller space than with a traditional style bathroom?
And, if you live in a newer build, a classically designed bathroom could offer a spot of 20th-century charm within your home.
Whether you opt for a traditional period bathroom design or a hybrid interior that encompasses a few modern features and cosmopolitan concepts, it’s a timeless style that is entirely malleable when working with a smaller bathroom.
How small is small?
Bathrooms come in all shapes and sizes, but when we talk about ‘small’ bathrooms, it’s important first to establish; how small is small?
What type of bathroom are you redesigning?
Many have a smaller cloakroom toilet, often better known as the ‘downstairs’ toilet. Typically, this is the smaller of the household bathrooms.
Whilst bathing and showering goes on in the main bathroom or en-suite, the cloakroom toilet is a little luxury design for quick toilet trips for the family and guests, meaning most only include perhaps just a toilet, basin and a little bit of storage space.
On the other hand, you could be looking to revamp a small main family bathroom or en-suite.
These bathrooms require a little more purposeful functionality and therefore demand much more from a smaller space.
Along with a toilet, and a basin, there are often additional storage requirements, for those fancy shower gels and shampoos, towels and everything else that lives in a bathroom. And for the obvious, there’s a need to wash, that comes in the form of a bath, shower or both.
So, when designing your smaller bathroom, first consider, what do I really need in my space based on how the bathroom is used?
Look at what you’ve got to work with
Rather than looking at what space you don’t have, establish and celebrate what you do have. Many look at a small bathroom and struggle to find ways to make it look bigger.
Look around you, and embrace the space.
How much wall height do you have?
If your bathroom has taller ceilings, consider how you can use colour and texture to accentuate their lustrous look.
If you have a sloping ceiling, make use of this character feature. Instead of viewing it as a space swallowing hindrance, consider how you can enhance it to its full potential to add an extra dimension of traditional charm.
Do you have any space-creating features?
We’re talking about windows.
It may not seem obvious that a window can create space, but natural light is the cheapest and easiest way to expand a space.
Consider how you can use natural light, alongside different colour compositions and bathroom layouts to create a free-flowing ambience.
Taller ceilings come into this too. Think about how you can use pendant lighting to amplify the depth and body of taller vertical bathroom dimensions.
Do you have a ‘must have’?
It’s your bathroom, you’ve got to LOVE it! That means it should work exactly to your tastes.
When redesigning your bathroom, do not dismiss products you have your heart set on, just because you feel that there’s not quite enough room.
Instead, prioritise.
For example, let's say you’ve always dreamt of a freestanding bath for those cosy Saturday nights in, relaxing in a bubble bath, reading a good book and sipping your favourite wine.
You don’t have to compromise that, just because your bathroom is smaller.
Instead, start from this feature, and work your way out. Put your most desirable product at the top of the priority list, and choose bathroom features that work around that.
Your must-have could be a wet-room shower, a large bath or even a double vanity unit.
Just remember to be realistic. With smaller bathrooms, you may not be able to fit everything in, but as long as you find a balance between functionality and features that you love, you’ll get your bathroom design right the first time, without any doubt.
Small traditional bathroom ideas you’ve got to try
Traditional bathroom colours
When choosing which hues and tones you’re going to incorporate, it’s important to remember with smaller bathrooms, there are a few things that you definitely should do, and some you certainly shouldn't if you want to allude to a larger space.
The rule of thumb?
Lighter colours make a room feel bigger. Darker colours make a room feel smaller.
So does that mean that you can’t use darker colours in a smaller bathroom?
Absolutely not. The keyword here is moderation. Creating a contrast between light and dark colours will help you to achieve all-important room-growing texture and depth across the space.
You can use colour to create a space that is as loud or as quiet as you like.
So let's explore some traditional colours that work in smaller spaces:
Blue and white
The traditional dream team, blue and white works every time.
Opt for navy or satin blue vanity units, with large white wall panels. Or, create a quintessentially quaint look with a blue feature wall, contrasted against three white walls and blue and white flooring.
This classical Edwardian style looks fantastic in both cloakroom bathrooms as well as larger main bathrooms.
If it’s a lighter and brighter blue you’re looking for, cornflower and sky blue pair wonderfully with white to create a captivatingly capacious feel.
Black and white
If you want to go a tad darker, black and white are a classic colour choice that enables you to bring a little industrial chic to the mix.
For a subtle splash of black, consider black taps, a black shower kit or a black shower frame.
To add more black, how about a checkerboard style floor finish, or create the half and half look, opting for black wall panels at the bottom half of the wall, and smaller white tiles at the top half?
Contrasting these colours will create a feeling of extra space, whilst keeping the aesthetic of your bathroom interesting and engaging on the eye.
Put the bath against the wall
When limited on space, you should factor in all corners and walls of the room.
A full-size bath may seem like an unrealistic option, but actually, when positioned against the wall or in a corner, is certainly a core bathroom element that can be welcomed into most smaller spaces.
This is an approach that most people take because it works well to open up floor space, whilst incorporating a functional and luxury asset within the bathroom.
Plus, you can always double up bath and shower functionality when you consider a freestanding corner shower bath. This approach is perfect for achieving the traditional bathroom look and saving space, whilst getting more out of your bathroom on a day-to-day basis.
Choose a high level toilet
For a truly nostalgic bathroom feature, it’s got to be a high level toilet.
Not only is it a classically elegant feature, but the taller toilet style is also an excellent way to create a more spacious feel.
Emphasising ceiling height and bringing the bulky section of the toilet to a higher level, this popular space-saving design technique is one that you may wish to consider during your traditional bathroom revamp.
Make more room with a hidden cistern
If you’re not keen on the idea of a high-level toilet, an alternative space-saving solution is to hide the toilet cistern behind the wall, reducing the toilet projectile.
You’d be surprised at just how much of a difference this makes, and how this technique can put greater emphasis on your favourite bathroom features.
And, if it’s not feasible to get behind the wall, instead, bring the wall out ever so slightly, by creating a smaller stud wall.
Although it may feel like you’re losing space, by keeping the cistern hidden, you create a much smoother, tidier finish that can also double up as a storage space.
You can tile your new wall, add a splash of paint or use a wood panelling effect, turning your toilet into a stylish feature.
If you’d rather something a little more ready-made, opting for a WC unit could be a better option for you. Available in a selection of colours, you could pair your toilet unit with other features and colours across the space.
Space-saving basin ideas
When the aim is to open up a space, choosing smaller feature alternatives that take up less room will help you to find the balance between creating functionality and authentic design.
Instead of a vanity unit, which can often eat into floor space and stick out too much in smaller bathrooms, why not opt for a traditional-style basin and pedestal?
Or alternatively, you could pick a wall-hung basin, which will free up floor space, making the bottom half of the room look and feel less busy.
And if you’re redesigning a smaller cloakroom toilet, swap out the clunky basin for a sweet and petite corner basin or a slimline basin.
There’s a bath for every bathroom size
Baths have been around for a lot longer than showers, and offer a superb way to offer a touch of period glamour into a smaller space.
If you’re not keen on the idea of a freestanding bath, but love a soothing dip from time to time, a straight-style bath is a way to go.
They are available in a range of sizes so that you can select an option that works for you.
Complete this classy look by fitting elegant brush brassed taps and shower fittings, reminiscent of those featured in Victorian bathrooms.
Don’t forget about the walls
Within small bathrooms, to avoid a flat and dull look, it’s important to ensure that there’s plenty of texture.
Your bathroom walls are undoubtedly one of the easiest features to style. And, there are so many options when it comes to traditional design.
To create those early-century vibes, opt for decorative wall panelling or wainscoting, which can be painted in bright and bold colours for an extra touch of personalisation.
For an ultra-glamorous feel, you could create a white or grey marble feature wall that also works to bounce light across the space.
And, for a final antique finish, shaker bath panels are a fantastic way to make your bath into a stunning feature, with very minimal effort.
A small round-up on traditional bathrooms
With so many different colours, materials and features to explore in a range of sizes, a traditional design within a small bathroom space is highly achievable.
Don’t forget, if you want the room to feel bigger, let in natural light, create a rich and contrasting balance between light and dark colours, and make use of all walls and corners of the room.
And, of course, don’t be afraid to embrace the smallness and all the lovely quirks and character features that come with a cosy bathroom design.
