Small Bathroom: We Know How to Fit Everything You Need

We reviewed innovative products, found out which techniques are actively used by Russian designers, and collected successful ideas for decorating small bathrooms.

3 Commandments of a Successful Small BathroomVERTICAL STORAGEIf square meters are in short supply, it's smarter to use the walls all the way to the ceiling, equipping them with cabinets, shelves, and hooks.TOUCH MATERIALSIn a small bathroom, you're more likely to lean against the walls, plumbing, and furniture. It's important that they feel pleasant to touch.FUNCTIONALITYIn compact bathrooms, it's hard to fit everything you'd like. A bathtub with shelves or a toilet with bidet function will come in handy.Design: Concept 58
What's New: 3 Innovative Solutions for Compact Bathrooms
Pedestal Towel Rack

If you choose such a model, there's no need to mount an additional shelf for bath textiles. Moreover, towels and robes taken off this rack are always warm.

Photo: Dina Alexandrova
Tile Imitating Wallpaper

In trend — "living" bathrooms and living decor: wicker baskets, curtains or mats that are easy to imagine in a living room or bedroom. Large-format tile imitating wallpaper, combined with a wall-to-wall mirror, will transform a small bathroom into a spacious one.

Design: Studio 'Design-Hall'
Bathtub + Shower
The product two in one Shower + Bath was developed jointly with Austrian designers EOOS. It's both a shower and a full bathtub, offering the possibility to sit and use a shelf for small items.Design: Duravit
Simon Raimer
Expert
General Director Duravit
Duravit created Shower + Bath specifically for spaces where every centimeter should be used to the maximum. With such plumbing, you can take a refreshing shower or a bath by candlelight and bathe children without worrying about water splashing on the floor, open shelves, or your washing machine.
Moreover, Shower + Bath is an ideal solution for large families and individuals who want to have both a shower cabin and a bathtub but can't afford it due to small space or modest budget. The compact dimensions of this new product — just 170×75 cm — allow placing it even in the smallest bathroom.
How Russian Designers Decorate Compact Bathrooms: 5 Solutions to Note

In the project of a compact bathroom in an apartment by the Baltic Sea, Marina Kuznetsova lined the wall with large-format tile, combining it with paint. Asymmetry in finishing, lighting, and a sink with a "handle" added dynamism and air to the space.

Design: Marina Kuznetsova
Designers from Prosvirin Design couldn't ignore the popular trend for terrazzo tile and used it in the design of a Moscow flat's bathroom. But the main point here is not the tile itself, but maximizing vertical storage and built-in systems — even a washing machine was hidden.Design: Prosvirin Design
Designer Nikita Zub isn't afraid of experiments and is confident that black color isn't a taboo for compact bathrooms. Indeed, a black total look with white contrasts in the form of floor, ceiling, ceramics, and towels makes the bathroom space vibrant, fresh, and not at all cramped.
Tile and paint, pedestal sink, open and closed storage next to the shower — classic for small bathrooms. Designers from Legkocom know this and successfully applied these techniques in designing a bathroom in a Moscow flat.Design: Legkocom
In the design of a bathroom in a St. Petersburg flat, Tatiana Vorontsova made a bet on bright blue accents combined with tile mimicking Gzhel painting and calm gray tones. She didn't hesitate to choose compact items — a narrow towel rack and a vertical loading washing machine.
Also, 4 Proven Ways to Make a Small Bathroom Comfortable
Use not only compact plumbing and furniture but also electrical appliances

"Hotel-style" hair dryers with wall-mounted stands will save space on shelves, and mini-boilers and compact washing machines will save space for shelves.

But if a hair dryer can be used to dry hair in the bedroom, move the washing machine to the kitchen, and a boiler isn't needed in every house, the most important thing is to choose compact plumbing and furniture.

Think About Anti-Grime Coatings

Compact bathrooms are places with high concentrations of steam, water, and dust, so cleaning in them needs to be done more frequently.

Home life is made easier with anti-grime coatings — transparent hydrophobic compositions that prevent dirt from accumulating on surfaces of washbasins, toilets, and shower glass.

Investing in such a coating is definitely worth it: for example, plumbing with anti-grime coating WonderGliss from the brand Duravit only needs to be wiped with a damp cloth.

Make a Bet on Built-in Storage Systems

The optimal option is to design them custom-made, planning storage according to your individual needs. Another option is to choose a minimalist and spacious vanity unit and a cabinet.

Don't Overdo the Decoration

Minimalism and minimalism are best friends in small bathrooms.

On the cover: Design project by Alena Vlasova