04 August 2023
Reading time: 5 minutes
When designing a small commercial washroom, the top priority of the project is to ensure that users do not feel cramped or claustrophobic in the confined space. This calls for architects to get creative with their approach to designing the illusion of a spacious washroom.
Creating the illusion of space in a small washroom needs extra effort and meticulous attention to every detail, aiming to make users feel like the space is more open and less constricted.
Based on our experience in helping architects with their washroom designs, we have compiled a collection of small washroom design ideas to help you create the illusion of space.
How to make a small toilet look bigger
Implementing these small washroom design ideas will make your washroom feel more spacious than its physical dimensions suggest.
Here are 12 design ideas for small toilets in commercial washrooms:
1. Washroom Lighting
Adequate lighting is crucial to making any space feel larger. Use bright, even lighting to eliminate shadows and dark corners.
Consider installing LED lights around mirrors or using light fixtures that distribute light evenly throughout the washroom.
2. Washroom Colours
When considering small washroom design ideas, it is essential to choose light and earthy tone colours for the walls, floor, and ceiling. Light colours reflect more light and create a sense of openness, making the small washroom feel more spacious and inviting.
To enhance the sense of spaciousness in your washroom design, it is best to avoid dark colours as they tend to make spaces feel smaller and more confined. However, when dark colours are applied appropriately, they can be beneficial in enhancing the perceived size and aesthetics of the washroom to highlight or define specific features or elements in the washroom design, adding depth and visual interest.
3. Special Coating Colours
When considering small washroom design ideas, the choice of colours for special coatings and finishes on taps, soap dispensers, paper towel dispensers, hand dryers, combination units, and other accessories plays a significant role in creating the illusion of space.
Materials such as brushed satin stainless steel, reflective surfaces like mirror polished stainless steel, and carefully selected light colour schemes can contribute to a more spacious and open feeling.
In contrast, dark colours like black and busy contrasts might have the opposite effect, making the washroom feel smaller. Black tends to absorb light rather than reflect it. In a small washroom, where natural light may be limited, a black tap can make the area around it appear darker, creating a more enclosed feel.
4. Washroom Mirrors
When you are brainstorming small washroom design ideas, mirrors are excellent for visually expanding a space. Install large mirrors on one or more walls to create the illusion of depth and make the washroom feel larger than it is.
5. Glass Partitions
If possible, use frosted glass partitions as room dividers to separate different areas while maintaining a sense of openness.
Glass allows light to pass through and gives the impression of an open space, unlike solid partition walls that may make the washroom feel small.
6. Wall Mounted Washroom Fixtures
When considering small washroom design ideas, opt for floating vanities with under counter waste bins or bin cutes, and wall hung toilets.
Wall mounted fixtures take up less visual space, resulting in a more open and spacious ambience in the washroom.
7. Recessed washroom products
Recessed washroom products, such as recessed hand dryers, paper towel dispensers, waste bins, and combination units are installed level with the wall. This creates a seamless and unbroken surface, which gives the impression of continuity and a more expansive area.
Recessed washroom products also help optimise the available space in a small washroom and minimise visual distractions.
8. Washroom Flooring
When exploring small washroom design ideas, consider using large tiles or continuous flooring material to minimise the number of grout lines, which can make the floor look cluttered. Also, consider using the same flooring throughout the entire washroom to create a seamless, uninterrupted look.
9. Behind Mirror Systems
Choosing a mirror system creates the illusion of more space in a washroom by concealing fixtures such as the behind mirror taps, behind mirror hand dryers, behind mirror soap dispensers, and behind mirror paper towel dispensers, providing a clean and uncluttered look, expanding sightlines, and leveraging the reflective properties of mirrors to enhance the perceived size of the space.
10. Minimalist Washroom Design
Embrace a minimalist washroom design approach when accumulating your small washroom design ideas. Simplify the layout and choose sleek, clean lines for fixtures and fittings to create an uncluttered and more open atmosphere.
11. Maximise Vertical Space
If the ceiling is high enough, consider using combination units to maximise vertical space, drawing the eye upward and making the washroom feel more spacious.
12. Space Saving Fixtures and Fittings
Consider compact and space saving solutions when looking to optimise your washroom space. Innovative offerings from washroom companies can potentially increase the efficiency of your small washroom by reducing the space within the wall cavity.
For instance, you can opt for a wall plate kit for panel mounted taps and soap dispensers, complete with an offset adaptor that further minimises the required wall cavity.
Creating the perfect designs for small toilets
When it comes to your small washroom design ideas, creating the illusion of space is a paramount objective. The challenge lies in providing users with a sense of openness and comfort within the confined space.
By incorporating a combination of modern public toilet design ideas that incorporate clever design techniques and innovative solutions, architects can transform even the smallest space for toilet areas into inviting and spacious environments.
Innovation and creativity hold the key to transforming limitations into boundless possibilities. With our careful collection of small washroom ideas, you can unleash the potential to create a washroom that defies its physical constraints and leaves users with the impression of a much larger and welcoming space.
So, whether it’s a small toilet modern design like a superloo or large end-of-trip facility, rest assured that there are ample opportunities to create a carefully thought out space that can evoke a sense of spaciousness, surprising and delighting every visitor.