Small but mighty: Making the most out of compact bathrooms

Ideal Standard

Average floor space is falling in UK homes, down by 16% between 2016 and 2021 alone¹. Combined with a parallel rise in apartment living – households living in apartments experienced the largest increase of any type of accommodation in the ten years up to the 2021 census – the trend towards smaller footprints means developers are under pressure to optimise space. This is a particular challenge in bathrooms, which are often the first to lose out when space is at a premium.

Doing more with less

i.life S is Ideal Standard’s purpose-built collection for smaller bathrooms, designed in collaboration with renowned Italian design studio Palomba Serafini Associati (PS+A). It features soft square shapes that give alight feel to basins, toilets, and furniture so they don’t impose on spaces that could already be crowded. Wall-mounted, short-projection toilets take up as little space as possible, while behind-the-wall cisterns remain out of sight and out of mind. i.life toilets also feature RimLS+ flush technology, which delivers a powerful whole bowl clean with no place for bacteria to hide. Splash-free and easier to clean, RimLS+ is the go-to solution for busy bathrooms.

It's also worth thinking about storage – keeping toiletries out of sight goes a long way in smaller bathrooms, which can easily feel cluttered if surfaces get busy. i.life also features innovative, short-projection furniture available in seven different colours, with wall-hung and floor-standing units available in a variety of sizes and configurations.

Slimmer shower trays

Showers are a great option for smaller bathrooms and innovative designs can make them an even more powerful tool for developers. The Ultra Flat S shower trays can be used with enclosures but also give a seamless appearance when used as part of a wetroom. Made from Ideal Solid, a unique, hard-wearing material made from resin and natural mineral filler. The collection is now available with a naturally slip-resistant “Stone” effect that looks the part and helps prevent slips and falls.

Throughout the interior design industry, and the bathroom sector in particular, minimalism is a long-term trend that has likely been so popular because it helps make the most of smaller spaces. Cleaner, lighter bathrooms will always feel bigger, so designers should look for opportunities to keep things minimal.

Complete compatibility

While saving space will often be a priority when designing new bathrooms, it’s unlikely to be the only priority, and doesn’t have to dominate the design. The Singular™ philosophy ensures all Ideal Standard products are compatible with one another, so designers can unleash their creativity and be economical with the space on offer.

Space-focused products can be balanced with more design-focused elements and statement pieces. This end-to-end product journey also acts as a one-stop-shop when the time comes to maintain, replace or update fixtures and fittings. Singular™ provides that flexibility in design and functionality that enables a space to keep up with changes in taste and space without having to overhaul the whole bathroom.

As house footprints shrink, bathrooms will have to make do with less space, but that doesn’t mean user experience has to suffer with collections designed to deliver all of the performance in a smaller, sleeker package.

¹ https://www.insightdiy.co.uk/news/average-house-size-and-wages-shrink-while-house-prices-rise/11501.htm

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