Fit Everything! How to Arrange a Small Bathroom: 6 Pro Tips

Arranging a small bathroom requires thoughtful attention to every detail. A small room should be used as efficiently as possible, preserving functionality while keeping up with trends. Together with a specialist from company "Petrovich", we have prepared tips that will help make your bathroom convenient and aesthetic.

Zone and Layout

For a small bathroom, it's important to choose the right layout that allows you to make use of every corner. Corner shelves and wall-mounted cabinets will free up floor space, creating a sense of spaciousness. Wall-mounted furniture, such as cabinets and toilets, visually lighten the interior and provide storage space.

Design by Olga Kovalenko

Think about multifunctional elements, such as mobile cabinets that can be tucked under the sink.

Design by Olga Kovalenko

Natalia Medvedeva - Design Studio Manager at STD "Petrovich"

What mistakes do people make when planning a small bathroom?

When creating a bathroom interior, people often rely on beautiful references without going into details. On such examples, you can see glass partitions or screens mounted on the bathtub. Visually, this looks stylish, but more often than not, people who have installed such partitions are dissatisfied with them.

A more convenient alternative would be a hinged screen, which allows easy cleaning, filling the tub, or bathing a child. However, due to limited space, it's not always easy to install, as in most cases there is a sink cabinet or washing machine next to the bathtub, which complicates installation. In such cases, it's better to choose a regular curtain: with it, there is more room and it's safer.

Another issue is suspended lighting. Beautiful designer models don't always have sufficient moisture protection, which is critical for a bathroom. Often, on internet references, I see glass shades, which are also unsafe, especially for families with children: there is little space in the bathroom and such shades can easily break.

It's also important to note black plumbing fixtures: mixers, towel warmers and other elements that often come into contact with water. Despite their stylish appearance, black plumbing fixtures require careful maintenance as water droplets can leave stains. Without a water purification system, such elements will constantly get dirty.

One more important point is installing a leak detection system. If everyone installed anti-leak systems, which cost less than 40,000 rubles in the basic version, we would encounter fewer floods and unpleasant consequences for neighbors.

Color Schemes and Finish

Light shades such as white or light gray visually expand the space, while glossy surfaces and mirrors add depth. For variety, you can use accent tiles with a vertical pattern that creates the effect of higher ceilings.

Design by Elena Erazhevich

Combining glossy and matte surfaces helps balance the interior. Glossy surfaces reflect light, making the space brighter and visually larger, while matte textures add depth: the interior feels more "soft" to perceive.

Design by Affdesign Interior Studio

"Petrovich" released the Lavelly Calacatta Palace capsule collection of ceramic tiles. It consists of tiles in various sizes with different surface types: matte, glossy, and carved. Combining various formats and textures in the interior helps avoid uniform division of space into rectangles and squares, creating a unique and functional interior design. The MONOCROMO tile capsule collection allows creating Color Block style interiors. Straight lines and clean shapes create a feeling of order and harmony. With various color solutions, it's easy to adjust the visual proportions of the room.

Ceramic Tile Lavelly Calacatta Palace White Carved 1200x600x8.5 mm, Buy

Ceramic Tile Lavelly Calacatta Palace White Polished 1200x600x8.5 mm, Buy

Ceramic Tile Lavelly Calacatta Palace White Carved 1600x800x8.8 mm, Buy

Wall Tile Lavelly Monocromo Beige 600x300x9 mm, Buy

Wall Tile Lavelly Monocromo Blue 600x300x9 mm, Buy

Wall Tile Lavelly Monocromo Ivory 600x300x9 mm, Buy

Advertisement: petrovich.ru. LLC "STP "PETROVICH".

Expert Comment:

Nothing more durable than tiles or ceramic tiles on walls and floors can be found.

Lately, quartz vinyl tile (LVT) has started appearing in bathrooms. It is completely unaffected by moisture and especially suitable if you're doing a uniform floor covering throughout the apartment. Compared to ceramics, this material is more demanding regarding heating, particularly warm floors if you plan to install them. Make sure to check the manufacturer's labeling and confirm that the tiles can be used with electric or water-based warm floors.

I consider ceramic tiling one of the fastest, and surprisingly, also the cheapest and easiest to maintain in modern renovations.

In contemporary renovations, walls are painted in zones where there is no direct contact with water. Many think this is a budget solution, but not everyone realizes that walls must be properly prepared. From my experience, all houses, regardless of construction year, settle. The house moves in winter when the ground freezes and in spring when it thaws, causing cracks on painted walls. With properly prepared walls, this won't happen.

If you're unsure about the choice of materials or bathroom layout, use the free "Design Assistant" service from "Petrovich". A specialist will help with selecting finishing materials, tile layout, furniture and plumbing arrangement. Afterward, they'll place the order and organize delivery of all necessary goods directly to your home.

Not sure how the chosen materials will look in your bathroom? With "Virtual Fitting Room" from "Petrovich", you can easily visualize all options beforehand.

1. Add a photo: upload an image of the room where you plan to renovate. This can be any space – from living room to bathroom.
   
2. Image Analysis: The system uses computer vision technology to recognize walls and floors in the uploaded image.
3. Choose Materials: Select wallpapers, tiles or various types of floor coverings – laminate, parquet, ceramic tile, or linoleum – from the "Petrovich" range.
4. Try On: The algorithm overlays textures of selected materials onto the photo, allowing you to see how they would look in the interior.
5. Save Photo and Start Shopping: The resulting images can be downloaded or shared. If the result looks good, go to the product page on the "Petrovich" website, add items to your cart and purchase.

Compact Plumbing and Storage Systems

For a small bathroom, compact plumbing is needed. Corner sinks, wall-mounted toilets and shower cabins with sliding doors will save space and make the area more comfortable. Integrated storage systems under the sink, as well as wall-mounted and corner cabinets help maintain order and hide small items.

Design by Shushaniq Sarkisyan

For maximum space utilization, consider installing cabinets with mirrored fronts or hidden niches. You can also use built-in niches for storage, such as in the shower area, to avoid clutter.

Design by Elizaveta Tkacheva

Expert Opinion:

In small bathrooms, a 1.70-meter bathtub is often installed, next to which there is a sink and possibly a washing machine. In such cases, use wall-mounted furniture and a mirror or illuminated cabinet. Organize a countertop above the washing machine – it provides additional storage space. Above, you can place several shelves or a small cabinet.

If you're replacing the bathtub and considering a shorter version (1.5 or 1.6 meters), the remaining space can be closed off with a cabinet and built-in shelves with shelves made from the same material as wall finishing.

Lighting and Mirrors

Lighting plays an important role in a small bathroom. It's better to use a combination of ceiling lighting and mirror backlighting. This adds warmth and visually expands the space, creating a bright and airy atmosphere.

Design by Maria Tartashnik

Large mirrors or mirror panels help visually expand the space by reflecting light and objects. This creates a sense of depth, making the room brighter and more spacious. Mirrors "spread" the walls, which is particularly important in small rooms where every centimeter counts.

Design by Julia Sergeeva

Expert Tip:

Ceiling lighting and mirror backlighting will fully cover the main needs. Therefore, if you don't have specific preferences, it's safe to stick with this option.

Ceiling lighting can be varied: from spotlights to basic recessed lights. The choice depends on the ceiling type – suspended, panelled, or simply painted. With a painted ceiling, wall lighting like wall sconces can be added, which can also include mirror backlighting. For suspended ceilings, LED lighting along the perimeter is often used as decorative embellishment.

For additional recommendations on bathroom arrangement, check out the "Petrovich.Knows" magazine. You'll find a wealth of useful materials on renovation and design: from choosing finishing materials to tips for arranging compact spaces. It's a reliable source of information for those who want to make their home comfortable and stylish, avoiding typical mistakes.

Accessories and Textiles: Style and Functionality

To keep the bathroom practical, it's important to choose accessories wisely. Compact hooks, towel rails and small baskets for storage will help avoid clutter. Light textiles, such as white towels and mats, add lightness and visually expand the space.

Design by Yana Levchenko, Maria Chibireva

Want to add accents? You can go for vibrant details: soap dishes or toothbrush cups. For organizing space, it's handy to use small multifunctional accessories: for example, mirror cabinets with shelves.

Design by Evgenia Maras'kova-Grigoryants

Expert Bonus: How to Organize Ventilation

The first point is a range hood. It's preferable to provide the option to turn it on with the lights or separately. In some cases, a humidity sensor exhaust fan can be used, but it should be noted that it may activate when you don't expect it, which is dangerous for elderly people.

The second point is a towel warmer. Don't remove it from the bathroom; replace it with an electric model at least.

If hot water circulates in your home all year round, I recommend leaving a water towel warmer as it doesn't consume electricity and effectively dries the room.

If humidity in the room is constantly high and ventilation is difficult, I suggest installing an intake hole in the door. This will allow proper ventilation without having to open the door.

Photo on the cover: Projects by Elizaveta Tkacheva and Evgenia Maras'kova-Grigoryants