Smart Small Bathroom Bath Selection for Style & Space

Just because your bathroom is small doesn’t mean you can’t have a bath. In fact, getting a bath into a small bathroom isn’t the issue. It’s finding the type of bath that fits without making the bathroom feel claustrophobic yet is still comfortable enough to use. While most baths come in sizes around 1700mm long, which doesn’t sound too problematic, you’ll quickly question that measurement standing in your tiny bathroom trying to figure out where the heck everything else is supposed to go.   

The good news is bath manufacturers have been pretty keen to ensure that not every person on the planet has access to a massive master bath. More options exist today for a small bathroom than existed even five years ago, and in many cases, these options are genuinely smart solutions instead of the standard practice of just making everything small and hoping for the best.

Knowing the Limits of Your Space

Before getting overly excited about what sort of bath options exist, it helps to know exactly what you’re working with. This means taking measurements. Not just the size of the area where the bath will go but also measurements related to where the door opens, where pipes come out of the wall and the general layout of the bathroom. 

And here’s where people get confused. The measurements you take from the floor aren’t all that important.  Yes, these need to be accurate (length and width). However, you also need to calculate the space left over once a bath is installed and try to visualize how a person will be able to move around once it’s in.

A bath that fits into place but only allows for 30cm space in front of it is not a good thing. A person needs space in front of a bath to get in and out and sometimes losing that little bit of space makes it incredibly difficult. Most people struggle with anything less than 700mm of open space in front of their bath when climbing in and out. The last thing you want is to constantly bump your knees against a door and squeeze between the toilet and the bath just to be able to sit in your new poorly fitted compact bath. 

Plumbing is another consideration. Since most homes will have one plumbing system only connected by one pipe going out (a waste pipe), keep existing plumbing in mind. This is essential because moving plumbing can be costly. More importantly, moving it might require getting quite physical with the bathroom floor itself, making this nothing more than a nightmare in terms of home renovations. Try to keep things simple by working with what you’ve got.  

Smaller Baths That Are Actually Comfortable to Use

The simplest approach to getting a bath into a small bathroom is just getting a smaller bath.  Bath sizes usually range from around 1400mm to 1600mm instead of the standard 1700mm size most people have become accustomed to measuring whilst looking at bathrooms. While this may not seem like a huge difference, it makes all the difference in the world regarding usability.  Losing that extra 100-300mm can mean everything when it comes to squeezing into a much smaller space than previously expected. 

Choosing an appropriately sized bath can be tricky because most people fail to consider the usability of a shorter bath.

A shorter bath should feel like a comfortable fit despite missing out on additional length. This isn’t always the case, and people will feel incredibly uncomfortable if the following features are missing:

• Proper Width: Bath width is just as important as length. A slightly shorter bath (1500mm) that measures at least 700mm wide will feel more spacious than one that is meant for taller users (1700mm) at only 600mm wide.
• Good Design: Some cheap shorter baths are simply longer bats that have been shortened down, resulting in something that feels more claustrophobic than comforting without much usable space. Look for designs that take depth and width considerations into account rather than mere squishing.
• Depth: A decent depth is usually around 400mm from the overflow pipe down and ensures enough room for water despite the lack of length. Less depth means less usability as smaller baths won’t help people enjoy them if they can’t even soak their feet.

Bath manufacturers have become increasingly aware over the last five years or so of the fact that not every bath is designed for individuals who can enjoy massive master’s bathrooms with outlandishly sized baths. Many companies have taken care to create smaller alternatives without any compromise on quality. If someone is looking for an alternative brand with smaller but convenient sizes, Baths by Radiator Outlet has several different sizes depending on preference.

Corner Baths for Awkward Bathroom Layouts

Corners are often overlooked as usable space in a bathroom due to its awkward layout. No longer are corner baths just relegated to spaces where people are trying their best to fit an imposing behemoth that resembles a tornado hit it decades ago.

The chances of fitting anything other than an L-Jet Bath from Jet Spa or a Round jet Jacobs Bath from Radiator Outlet are slim at best. Modern corner baths come in a variety of designs, shapes, and sizes while providing several benefits and advantages compared to traditional rectangular-shaped baths.

The main advantage of a corner bath is the saved space elsewhere now compared to a standard rectangular or round bath.

The drawback? Installation can be a nightmare. Corner baths are much heavier than standard-ready models but they are also significantly harder to maneuver into place (and even harder to remove should someone decide to replace it). If ever considering moving away from a corner bath after installing one, forget about it unless willing to re-tile and re-plumb.

The key if someone wants a corner bath for small bathrooms should be looking for the following measurements:

• Short Depth: Look for one that utilizes somewhere between1300mm and 1400mm on each wall while still allowing multiple uses
• Smart Design: It should be functional rather than triangular just for show.

P-Shaped and L-Shaped Shower Baths

For those compact bathrooms that double as compact bathing and shower areas, get ready for some clever architect who designed P-shaped or L-shaped shower baths.

Both P-shaped and L-shaped shower baths have some slight changes made at either end, which adds an impressive amount of extra space and saved inches for other uses compared to traditional square or round shaped bathing implements.

The end where individuals will shower or bath usually measures around 800mm instead of an ordinary straight or L-shaped bath, which measures around 700mm instead.

However, keep this in mind before purchasing anyone wrong-sized bathtubs:

• It Isn’t Symmetrical: While most bathtubs are traditionally called symmetrical because they can be flipped upside down or moved around without problems, these two shaped baths are not. They should be labeled as “handed”. Make sure you order only left-hand or right-hand options depending on the layout within the bathroom. Mistakenly flipping this over might cost an arm and leg rather than getting any use out of it.
• Space: The shower end of both forms does take more up (compared with what people are used to). While most baths take up somewhere between 600mm-700mm depending on user size, these shaped bathing accessories will require a good amount more placement area at one end than standard models float around within shops today. This means ensuring that (if accidentally placed awkwardly) they won’t impede door use or toilet placement while exiting the compact bathing area.

Freestanding Baths within Compact Bathrooms

This may sound utterly counter-intuitive but small freestanding baths work just fine inside compact bathrooms (much better than built-in models).

It allows more walkway space around it rather than when someone has an elegant structure standing partially against walls. The amount of accessible floor gets roughly appreciated visually when someone walks by something that limits area use while freestanding versions don’t share this issue.

A small freestanding model will need less space than previously anticipated but might cost an arm and leg compared with built-in alternatives unless someone decides during renovations they would like additional visual impacts throughout their house.

What Actually Matters When Bathing?

Get so caught up in figuring out sizes people forget about the key measurement here, the way it feels when someone lies back inside it or sits there trying not to get their knees placed directly against their face whenever they try entering or exiting should be entirely non-existent.

Compromise cannot be taken lightly when designing smaller baths, but proportions really do matter when heading towards compact regions throughout homes or apartment buildings globally.

Bathtub Shapes That Influence Comfort

Not only is length important here, but so is depth. A decent depth (usually about 400mm) allows plenty of room inside smaller sizes while still ensuring someone can soak their feet without issue inside smaller models 

Deciding Which Bath to Choose

When considering alternatives within compact regions everywhere (or inside front porches back at home), individuals need only prioritize which type would be most suitable based upon frequency/use patterns wanted from such products-for-in-pour-packs. Do not try adjusting frequently used/less-used patterns.

Small bathrooms are actually best if known ahead by “forcing” themselves into position initially designed around cramped conditions placed there by contractors during park slides twenty years ago! They only require proper arrangement without actually trying “shoehorning” someone’s typical structure into places awkwardly still enhancing foot space available instead.

Read more home improvement articles at ClichéMag.com
Images provided by Deposit Photos, BingAI, Adobe Stock, Unsplash, Pexels, Pixabay Freepik, & Creative Commons. Other images might be provided with permission by their respective copyright holders.