Optimizing Small Bathroom Spaces

Layne Evans

When reading about bathroom design, it’s not uncommon to see words like “bliss” and “sanctuary,” even “glamour.” This may seem like a lot to ask from a room whose main purpose is basic personal hygiene. But people have come to expect a lot from their bathrooms, not just efficient functionality and healthy hygiene, but comfort, stress relief, style and the positive emotion of being in a beautiful, personal space.

At the same time, today’s bathrooms of every size must be sustainable, using efficient equipment and responsibly manufactured products and materials, and conserving water in the room of the house that on average uses more water than any other. Many bathrooms must also be accessible, not just in public spaces, and not just in places where physically challenged people live, but in the increasing number of households desiring thoughtful universal design for a variety of reasons. For example, by 2030 it is estimated that over 50 million U.S. citizens—one out of five—will be 65 or older.

Those are a lot of issues operating in a very small room. Creating a space that can achieve those goals and also meet the taste of an individual personality is not easy even when space is abundant and resources are infinite. The challenge is greater when the space is limited.

This course will focus on great bathrooms in small spaces. Large, opulent bathrooms will always be built, and many bathrooms today are more luxurious than ever before, as product technology advances and style possibilities multiply. In fact, ideas from spectacular bathroom examples can often be useful for designing smaller bathrooms. But for many reasons in today’s society, small bathrooms will be far more numerous than large ones. Imagination and innovation are necessary to provide the same amenities, but size doesn’t have to limit choice. Small bathrooms certainly must meet the same basic requirements for health, hygiene and functionality. With thoughtful design, they can also provide the other important things people ask of their bathrooms, comfort, relaxation, and the pleasure of style and beauty.

Small for a Reason

A number of factors are contributing to the need for smaller bathrooms. The underlying values are not new. Elegance over excess, function over frill, emphasis on the essential have been powerful concepts in modern design from “Less is more” before World War II to the current “tiny house” movement. But other contemporary trends are at work, as well. There is widespread recognition of the positive environmental and lifestyle benefits of density. Young cultural creatives and downsizing baby boomers alike are moving to urban areas with more amenities and a less transportation-intensive way of living. Financial uncertainty, lower rates of household formation, a changing housing market and a high demand for rentals are just a few of the factors driving a strong increase in multi-family construction. In multi-family developments—from affordable units all the way across the spectrum to new luxury high-rise developments in big cities—the bathrooms may vary extremely in design, finishes and furniture, but very few are anything but small.

Designing Small

Two basic design approaches to furnishing and equipping a small bathroom that will provide both function and amenity are: (1) space-saving units especially designed to be shaped differently or to have dimensions less than conventional counterparts. Examples include innovative compact folding showers, low-projection wall-hung toilets in various configurations, even ultra-small saunas and whirlpools; and (2) units that combine functions ordinarily requiring two or more separate units, such as basins and toilets with built-in storage, shower and bath combinations, and toilet-bidet units with multiple carefully thought out features concealed in simple ergonomic form. These categories overlap, in the best cases, with combinations that deliver multiple functions but still take up less space than conventional pieces.

Examples of these strategies are discussed below. In some cases, the element itself is spacesaving. In others, the essential bath, shower, toilet, basin, storage and lighting elements have been reconfigured and combined into innovative shapes and sizes. But all the examples are designed to be comfortable, enjoyable to use, and pleasing to the eye as well as functional. International designers such as Philippe Starck, Phoenix Design, EOOS, Norman Foster, Sieger Design and others have been interested in the challenge of redefining bathroom essentials into objects of high style. A broad range of forms, finishes and coordinated product suites are now available, so the bathroom’s design can respond directly to individual taste.

In bathrooms of any size, but particularly in small spaces where corner cutting (both literal and figurative) might be a temptation, certain basic requirements for furnishings and equipment are fundamental, and should be demanded even in products for a small bathroom:

Excellent function: the objective is to increase performance, not sacrifice it to save space. Criteria such as shower-water pressure, temperature adjustment, toilet efficiency, abundant excellent lighting, ample storage and others must be uncompromised.

Health and hygiene first: there must be a strong emphasis throughout on ease of cleaning and resistance to moisture and bacteria, including the use of advanced materials such as special coatings available for ceramics, developed on the basis of nanotechnology; anti-microbial treatment for stainless steel components; and easy removal of parts like toilet seats for complete cleaning.

Comfort and personalization: wherever possible, units should include flexible and programmable temperature, water pressure, and other settings for personalized experience.

Efficient lighting: LED lighting is to be preferred, not only for the quality of natural, truer, brighter light, but also for energy efficiency. LED light is low voltage, easily programmed, emits low radiation and can be easily connected to a wall switch using a standard 120V power source. In a small bathroom, efficient LED lighting may be the only lighting required, especially with the use of mirrors and mirrored cabinets.

Style and aesthetic appeal: Products should be offered in a wide range of design possibilities, including suites with a single coordinated style. Natural materials such as wood finishes give small spaces the feeling of larger furnished rooms. Real-wood veneers can be constructed specifically for bathroom applications, in multiple varieties from oak and walnut to macassar and pearwood. Moisture-resistant high-gloss painted surfaces produce a completely different design effect. Ceramics lend themselves to almost unlimited forms and sizes, sculptural or geometric.

Adaptability to universal design: Whether in applications where legal accessibility standards must be met, or in the increasing number of bathrooms where universal design is a priority for a range of different reasons, bathroom furniture and products must be available in flexible sizes and configurations that can adapt to challenging requirements, as discussed later in this course.

Sustainability: “Small” is in itself a sustainable concept, but even a small bathroom should be designed with conscious attention to efficient water and energy use, and to the sustainability of the way the products are manufactured.

Architect, engineer and international authority on visionary sustainable design Professor Werner Sobek summarizes a modern approach to bathroom design as creating a space “Hygienic and, in the overall balance, economical. But nevertheless joyful.”

Thought Experiment

The next sections will consider innovative design solutions that can be essential “building blocks” for providing maximum function in minimum space. We’ll also consider how to put these elements together to achieve accessibility and sustainability goals, and to achieve those intangible positive benefits people expect from their bathrooms. As you’re reading, you might be thinking about how a complete, stylish bathroom with bathing, handwashing, toilet, storage and lighting might be achieved in a 5 x 8 space like this. Later in the course we’ll show you a few innovative small bathrooms that combine elements we’ve talked about.

Disappearing Shower

A large shower enclosure can take up almost all the space in a small bathroom, yet it’s only used for short periods. If it could disappear when not in use, additional usable space would appear in its place. In this innovative shower concept, the shower enclosure basically folds away between uses, creating square footage for standing, moving or sitting, and visual open space making the bathroom appear larger. The chrome frame is mounted in a corner, and two large self-locking doors made of 3/8-inch thick safety glass are fitted into the frame, pivoting out when the shower is needed and resting flat against the wall when not. The doors can be lifted and folded into the frame, or opened 90 degrees and locked into the shower position, guaranteeing protection from splashing. They can also be opened 180 degrees, for easy cleaning. The frame is designed especially for stability, with an integrated U-profile that compensates for wall unevenness, a useful feature in older buildings.

The doors can be translucent or mirrored on one side, adding to the visual space and creating a full-length mirror. The frame also conceals the tap fittings, shower attachments and toiletries.

These showers can work with tile floors, or combine with specially designed flush-mounted shower pans to make a tight seal. The seamless acrylic trays create a clean and unified aesthetic, are hygienic and easy to clean, and also compensate for irregularities in the floor. Their open access is particularly useful in universal designs or to meet accessibility standards.

A multitude of standard hand showers may be combined with a special adapter for use in the shower. Fittings can be installed on left or right for versatile placement in tight corners.

Another option designed specifically to make the most of a small space is an innovative compact shower/tub, a modern approach to the standard bath alcove. The unit features a smooth, flat apron front and an integral tile flange on three sides that allows for a continuous flow of the front panel to the floor, a design that has a distinctive contemporary aesthetic, but significant practical value as well, making both initial installation and long term cleaning and maintenance faster and easier. An adjustable leveling foot support system allows for less costly and more efficient installation by providing a stable foundation without the need for additional bedding compound. The panel tub further increases flexibility in tight, challenging spaces by integrating left- or right-hand drains.

Taking luxury to yet another level, there are also mini steam showers and saunas available today, although mainly in the European market. One stylish steam shower has a footprint of no more than one square meter. A full-fledged sauna complete with concealed hot stones and a sophisticated control panel offers a comfortable amount of space for one very happy person at 47 ¼ by 47 ¼ inches.

Finding Hidden Inches

Wall mounted toilets, where the tank is housed in the wall instead of sitting on the floor, are often chosen for their clean, modern style alone, but space-saving low-projection units can provide the style while saving 6 to 10 inches or more in a small bathroom (some models with in-wall tank carriers can save as much as two square feet). They are also used extensively in universal design, easy to clean, easy to approach, and ideal for wheelchair access.

Some manufacturers offer extensive choices of wall mounted toilet sizes and configurations. EPA WaterSense labels (indicating high-efficiency toilets that save water but provide equal or superior flushing performance) are a minimum requirement for sustainable bathrooms, and dual-flush features lower water use even further. One feature that not long ago was considered a luxury amenity is becoming a must have: the slow closing seat and cover.

Toilets, those most basic of objects, can nonetheless play their part in the overall design scheme of the bathroom, and it can be an important part in a small space where every visual statement has to count. Both wall-mounted and floorstanding toilets are available in a range of curved or geometric forms, to match or contrast with other pieces. For example, one rectangular toilet unit pairs with a matching handrinse basin only 9-7/8 inches wide and 17-¾ inches deep. In fact, there are a wide range of basins available designed to provide ample hand-washing space along with a small but definite design note.

Wall-mounted toilets are also used frequently in universal designs, including ADA-compliant bathrooms (discussed below).

Wall-mounted toilets have been common in Europe since the 1960s. In-wall tank and carriers are available to be installed within 4-inch or 6-inch stud walls. Actual tank (HDPE) and carrier systems (16 gauge, powder-coated, structural steel) feature a limited lifetime warranty. The carrier itself is tested to withstand 880 lbs of weight. During installation, “mud guards” (included with delivery) protect the opening for tank access and pipes going in and out, allowing for a precise installation with ease. After the toilet is installed, maintenance of the tank is no different than for a common floor-standing toilet. Instead of lifting the tank cover, the actuator plate (push plate) is removed providing easy access to the tank interior. Valves can also be easily serviced.

Basins for a Tight Fit

Some basins that might be used for hand rinsing in powder rooms and guest bathrooms can work just as well full-time in a small main bathroom. As with other elements, the ideal washing area in a small space should be physically small but functionally versatile. Examples of available units include washbasins with vanity units, countertop basins with metal consoles, built-in washbasins with vanity units, countertop basins and matching consoles doubling as towel holders, furniture hand-rinse basins with rounded vanity units, and basins that match furniture consoles in various dimensions and styles, such as the barrel design vanity. Slim basins for narrow bathrooms or those with low or sloping ceilings can integrate shelves and still be less than 18 inches deep and project less than 10 inches. One slim basin has an angular diagonal shape to fit even the most challenging small space, corner placement or inconvenient layout.

Storage: Small and Smart

The basins that work best in the smallest spaces either match or are combined with storage space such as cabinets and shelves. Intelligent storage solutions are pleasant conveniences in powder rooms, but they are essential—and particularly challenging—in small high-traffic bathrooms used daily. Often, ingenious bathroom furniture is the only way to create storage space or useful surfaces.

Furniture should also look and be substantial, so that the small space still has a strong design personality. Some product lines offer a wide variety of real-wood veneers in many species, colors and grains, as well as moisture-resistant high-gloss painted surfaces. A full range of choices not only in physical dimensions but also in styles and finishes give scope to individual taste while fitting storage into tight spots.

For example, large wallboards can make use of otherwise wasted space above the toilet. Shelves with side fittings can add towel storage in spots that might otherwise be small, wasted spaces. Cabinets that provide ample storage space are available in sizes less than 10 inches deep. Where width is the issue, units only 15 inches wide offer practical storage and a choice of finishes.

For the ultimate in flexible use of space, mobile units can go where the space is even if that changes from minute to minute. Mobile storage units are also available in many sizes, finishes and styles, to hold their own with other furnishings in the bathroom, and many integrate shelves, drawers, towel rails, even seating.

Optical Effects

Mirrors and careful lighting are key to creating the illusion of space, but even more important, they are key to enhancing the reality of a bathroom’s day to day function. Most of the furniture highlighted in this continuing education course is available with matching mirrors or mirrors built into the cabinets or on side panels. As mentioned earlier, small bathrooms benefit just as much or more than other rooms from the use of LED lighting, from both a functional and an environmental viewpoint. Indirect non-glare LED light is used to advantage when set into a mirrored cabinet, or around a mirror, brightening the room and illuminating the face perfectly.

Combining Health and Luxury

A new toilet-bidet unit designed in Germany is a good example of a “combination” unit that illustrates not only multi-function for a small space but also just how much function is possible when thoughtful design is acting on every detail. In other parts of the world, bidets are considered essential and taken for granted in homes of every size. But until recently many Americans only encountered bidets in luxury hotels. Also much more common elsewhere are “shower toilets,” combination toilets-bidets equipped with stainless steel spray wands and dryers, for the most natural hygiene possible—washing with water.

That these units can add luxury to a small space is perhaps obvious, but they are also very practical additions to a small, multi-functional, universal design bathroom. For anyone with physical challenges, from sore muscles to mobility issues, a toilet-bidet is realistic, useful equipment. For everyone else, it can take a small space from personal hygiene to personal spa.

Every detail of the design and operation of this state-of-the-art unit has been carefully considered. All controls and fittings are invisible inside the ergonomic form, available in a range of sizes, including low projection and extra slim models for very small spaces, some only 24 inches in depth. Control elements, although concealed, are easily accessible. The stainless steel spray wand—specially treated with an anti-microbial coating—can be operated individually in any position, or a moving spray can be activated. Spray wands are automatically self-cleaned before and after each use.

A simple, easy to use remote control lets the user instantly operate and customize all functions, including water temperature, seat temperature, spray position, dryer temperature, and water pressure, which can be increased or decreased any time during use. The keypad can store personal preferences for different users, has child safety controls, and is illuminated for nighttime use, as is the unit bowl itself. The night light’s LED color is carefully calibrated so as not to interrupt melatonin levels that contribute to good sleep.

Building a little luxury into the daily routine this way has its practical side, too. The gently closing lid and seat have easy-clean surfaces, and are also easily removable for complete cleaning. The spray nozzles are easily cleaned and replaceable.

Small but Accessible

Contemporary trends may be driving down the size of bathrooms, but these small bathrooms will still have to be accessible—not just in places mandated through ADA, and not just for people with defined physical or mental disabilities of all ages, including large numbers of returning veterans. Universal design is increasingly recognized as improving quality of life for other large cohorts of the population as well, such as millions of people in the large baby boom generation, either downsizing and moving, or making changes in their home for aging in place, and in general much more active, prosperous and demanding of high quality than previous generations. Of course, young, mobile, single people, multi-generational households, and families with little kids appreciate many aspects of universal design, too, so the target market seems to be as “universal” as the design.

Small bathrooms in residences can sometimes take design tips from the hospitality industry, where bathrooms are considered the room that makes the strongest customer impression, but high quality accessibility is both profitable and required by law. For example, the open shower plan discussed above offers excellent ease of access, and wall-hung units such as toilets, consoles and sinks can be mounted at required ADA heights.

Small/Sustainable

As mentioned earlier, smaller spaces require proportionally less resources to build, operate and maintain over time, so “small” is in itself an important step towards sustainability. But by today’s standards of environmental responsibility, even the most attractive, functional small bathroom must still be manufactured and designed for maximum sustainability. First, the bathroom itself should make intelligent use of energy and water. Second, there are many opportunities in the manufacture of bathroom furniture products to make decisions that will determine a long-term low impact on the environment.

In the bathroom itself day to day, water efficiency and lighting are two key areas. Toilet-flushing uses more water in households than any other single activity, about 27 percent in an average home. Toilets with the EPA WaterSense label can save from 70 to 80 percent of that. Dual-flush toilets can save even more and should be an essential part of a sustainable bathroom of any size. Bathing is another water-intensive daily activity. On average, a shower consumes less than one third of the water volume required to fill a bath, so the inviting, attractive showers discussed in this course are water-savvy as well. But bathtubs are also available that can conserve water, including models that use less space and have comparatively low filling volume.

Using LED lighting for room lighting, controls, lighted bathtubs, and all other applications provides natural, even, pleasing light while generating power savings of up to 80 percent compared with halogen lights.

But beyond these basics, the most sustainable products feature other details, such as fired-in coatings for ceramics that not only make bathroom surfaces more hygienic and easier to clean, but save resources over time because much less cleaning agent and additional water are used.

Some of the areas to focus on when evaluating a manufacturer’s commitment to designing and building sustainable products and maintaining a water-saving and energy-efficient operation include:

• Use of sustainable materials such as native wood sourced from certified, sustainably managed forests.

• Purchased parts, materials and chemicals used in manufacturing are themselves produced to certified environmental standards

• All products comply with or exceed recognized third party requirements (e.g., the “CE” mark certifying compliance with EU directives)

• Products are subjected to rigorous safety and environmental testing

• Product materials can be recycled, even in the case of complex materials like ceramics (e.g., can be used as wear-resistant material in road construction) or sanitary acrylic (e.g., components can be recycled into varnishes). Other materials such as ABS plastics, board materials, fittings and glass can be recycled for use in new bathroom furniture.

• Recycling is also emphasized in manufacturing process.

• Intelligent packaging is used, made of 60 percent recycled paper and with minimum additions like staples.

• To save water and reduce emissions (CO₂, pollutants, noise) to a minimum, technically sophisticated low-pollutant product facilities are used, and heat is generated through waste wood recycling and heat recovery from ceramic manufacture. Water is recycled with wastewater treatment facilities, including plants that enable a reduction in the amount of treatment chemicals used by up to 20 percent.

Putting it All Together

At the beginning of this course, we showed you a sketch of a small, challenging space. Here are three ways that some of the elements discussed in the course can combine for a comfortable, stylish, fully functional bathroom.

Bathrooms are essential to comfort and well being. They are a necessary part of every day, so they can either contribute to health and well being every day, or detract. With thoughtful design in every inch and detail, small bathrooms can provide the function, sustainability and flexibility that make bathrooms great—and possibly even the bliss and the sanctuary and the glamour.

 

Founded in 1817 in the heart of the Black Forest, Duravit is a leading manufacturer of ceramic sanitaryware, bathroom furniture, whirlpool tubs and wellness products. Duravit’s collaborations with internationally renowned designers such as Philippe Starck, Norman Foster and sieger design yield forward-thinking, environmentally-conscious and award-winning products that bring the bathroom to life. For more information please contact Duravit USA, Inc.: 888-DURAVIT or pro.duravit.us.