Most of us have to make do with small, cramped-in bathrooms, which can mean those rushed mornings to get out of the house on time are nothing short of torturous. And if you’re also struggling with a speck of a bathroom, the last thing you’re probably thinking about is installing a walk-in shower. Those do not belong in small bathrooms that barely have enough space for a toilet and sink, right?
Wrong! With a little bit of strategizing, you can remodel your existing bathroom and include this luxury. Granted, it won’t feel as if you’re walking into a gigantic spa when it comes to showering, but it will make a difference in how you perceive your bathroom space.
Most importantly, it will add endless amounts of style and elegance to a room you once thought was a lost cause.
When it comes to walk-in showers for small bathrooms, get ready to start looking at glass, tiles and hardware in a whole new way…
1. Get creative with glass
We all know what a stunning touch a glass door is for a walk-in shower, but if you’re working with a small space, leaving the shower open to the rest of the bathroom can make all the difference in the world. In addition, the continuation of the floor’s tile design without a shower lip also helps a lot.
A half-wall of glass also protects the rest of the bathroom from spills and puddles.
2. Keep to a light colour palette
Don’t underestimate the style power of white: it comes available in a multitude of different hues (eggshell, daisy, porcelain, etc.), it matches up perfectly with other colours, plus going with all-white walls and matching tiles helps create a soothing palette. This, in turn, makes your small bathroom feel much more airy and open.
3. Try out tinted glass
If you have barely enough room to pass between the shower, toilet and sink, you have to get really clever with walk-in showers for small bathrooms. That’s when we start coming up with unconventional ways to bring not only practicality, but also style to a tiny bathroom. And going with a tinted glass door is a perfect example.
4. Get stylish with shower tiles
Got limited square footage, yet tall ceilings? Then take advantage of it! Using rectangular, elongated tiles and stacking them upwards draws the eye upwards, making one focus on the bathroom’s vertical space instead of its limited legroom.
5. Keep the pan shallow
One of the key ingredients we found while researching walk-in showers for small bathrooms is using smaller, rectangular shower pans. So, do away with those large square ones. This will still instil a sense of luxury for your walk-in shower without giving up valuable floor space.
6. Consider a non-glass wall
Of course a decent sense of privacy is required when one’s taking a shower, but what to do when there’s barely enough room for a full wall? Then you opt for plan B: a half-wall for a shower guard. Not only does it provide privacy, but also another spot to place some plants. It's also a good separator from the rest of the bathroom.
7. Be strategic with placement
Keeping the layout of a room in mind is key, especially when one is working with smaller rooms. If your tiny bathroom has any kind of angle, put the shower around the corner and line up the sink and toilet on the long wall.
8. Opt for pretty tiles
Just because you’re working with a small room doesn’t mean you have to let visual aesthetics go out the window. Installing a gorgeous ceramic or concrete tile is a sure way to trick everyone into thinking your bathroom is palatial (just like you did with a white colour palette).
We recommend using geometric patterns with lots of detail, but don’t go overboard – decorate just one area of the bathroom (perhaps the floor, or just one focal wall).
9. Pay more attention to the hardware
Installing gorgeous hardware is another winning touch when it comes to walk-in showers for small bathrooms. How so? Because they serve to enthral, allowing us to focus on the bathroom’s beauty instead of its limited legroom.
Remember to also install adequate shelving for your toiletries and you’re well on your way!
10. Be creative with a stall situation
There are various ways of making a walk-in shower work in a tiny bathroom, and one of them is to install two panels of glass around the hardware. This is especially ingenious for bathrooms that are long, but not very wide.
11. Install a bench
Putting a built-in bench inside the shower is not only a convenience, but a great functional choice. It adds to a wall that's already being used, and gives you an opportunity to introduce a new tile.
Plus, it can be used to help store/display some soaps and shampoos, perhaps even a potted plant or two if you know full well that you’re not going to be using that bench for seating.
12. Ditch the door
Sometimes, and just sometimes, we don’t need to worry about privacy in a bathroom. This happens in rare occasions, like with an en-suite to the main bedroom, when you know that a guest will not just be walking in while you’re in there.
In these cases, we can go with a completely open shower to maximize the space. Then there’s no worrying about squeezing in a door, plus you won’t believe how liberating it can be to just walk straight into your shower after a long day at work.
Source: https://www.homify.co.uk/ideabooks/5514910/walk-in-showers-for-small-bathrooms-clever-design-tips
