Furnishing small spaces: practical advice for setting up a functional and pleasant bathroom

Nowadays - and especially in large cities - we find ourselves increasingly having to live in, and furnish, very small spaces. The bathroom is often one of the rooms that is neglected in favor of the others, and furnishing it optimally can be a real challenge.

There are many smart ways a small bathroom can be efficiently outfitted: choosing space-saving furniture and fixtures, installing sliding doors, and making the most of vertical space are just a few examples.

Below, we provide some handy advice for you for when you set about furnishing a small bathroom:

1. Pay attention to light and color

@studio021arquitetura/Instagram

Good lighting is essential to make small bathrooms feel more welcoming: enhance natural light sources wherever possible or strategically install light fittings to make up for a lack of natural light.

Additionally, it's important to know how to use colors: if your bathroom is in predominantly neutral and/or light colors, you can add character to the room with focal points that are in bolder, darker or contrasting colors: installing a brightly colored piece of furniture, laying contrasting flooring or painting the ceiling in a darker shade, are just some examples of the use of this approach.

2. Construct niches in the walls

@design_at_nineteen/Instagram

A smart way to optimize space and reduce clutter in a small bathroom is to construct niches in the walls: in the shower cubicle or above the bathtub, sink or bidet, a small niche will help you to keep all your bathroom products accessible and without them taking up any additional space.

3. Compact furniture and sanitary ware

@gaia_miacola_architetto/Instagram

When choosing furnishings and bathroom fixtures, pay attention to taking accurate measurements of the dimensions of your bathroom:

• install a sink that has a below-average depth if your bathroom is rectangular;
• choose to install compact models for all the bathroom fixtures if your bathroom is square - this will ensure you can more easily move around your bathroom;
• if the lighting in the bathroom is not optimal, use suspended (aka "floating") fixtures and fittings - these models will help keep clutter off the floor and allow the existing light to diffuse more efficiently.

4. Bathtub or shower under the window

@thepannellhome/Instagram

Placing the tub or shower under/near the bathroom window will help you make the most of the space available to you, and add to the depth to the room. Choose tub/shower cubicle models that will "tuck" into corners if you want to optimize space and use glass for the shower cubicle doors to help keep the bathroom looking and feeling brighter.

5. Use mirrors

@interiortips4u/Instagram

The use of mirrors to make rooms look and feel brighter and more spacious is well known, and this applies to the bathroom too: a small bathroom can benefit greatly from having a large mirror placed on a wall (preferably in front of a window in order to help reflect the natural light).

6. Shelves or wall cabinets?

@casacrank/Instagram

A place to store accessories and bathroom products is essential, even in the smallest of bathrooms. To reduce clutter and enhance the lighting, you can use shelves and shelving units instead of the classic wall-mounted cabinets: your bathroom products will be visible, of course, but the overall atmosphere will certainly feel "lighter and brighter".

7. Sliding doors and shutters

@projectpentre/Instagram

Finally, we suggest replacing classic doors and shutters with sliding model equivalents. Sliding doors, for example, will help free up the space that classic doors need kept clear in order to open and shut.

What other tips do you know of for furnishing a small bathroom optimally?