DIY & Advice
Choosing The Ideal Bathroom Layout
Every bathroom is different, but there are some considerations that will help you get the most out of your bathroom layout no matter the size or shape of your space.
Here are some key things to think about when planning your layout and to help inspire the best bathroom design ideas for your space:
How large is the bathroom?
The amount of space you have to play around with is an important thing to think about. It’s no surprise that you can fit more into a large bathroom than a small bathroom, so if you’re more on the compact side you will need to plan a little more carefully.
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What shape is the bathroom?
When you start planning what you want in your bathroom, there’s a little more to think about than just size. The shape of your bathroom will be a factor too. A long, narrow bathroom will need to be planned quite differently to a square shaped bathrooms. Your bathroom may even be an unusual shape, wrapping around a corner or feature odd angles.
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Where is the door?
Where the entry and exit point of your bathroom is positioned matters.
The position of the door should also influence where you place things like your bath, shower, mirror and definitely your toilet if you’re placing one in the bathroom.
This is more important if you don’t always want to leave your bathroom door closed. What lines of sight in and out of the bathroom would you be happy with, and which wouldn’t you like to have when the door’s open?
Your bathroom sink or vanity should be close to the door. It’s the last stop in everyone’s bathroom routines, and the one thing you’ll pop into the bathroom to use the most often.
Where are the windows?
The biggest benefit of a window, if you have one, is the natural light. If you get a lot of great light, your bathroom’s floor plan should take advantage of it as much as possible. Mirror placement in relation to the window is important too.
A lot of bathrooms don’t have windows, so don’t sweat if yours doesn’t either. It just means you should think more carefully about your lighting.
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What do you need in your bathroom?
The question of whether you include a bath and a shower (or just one of the two) is an important one, and you should think carefully about what you might need in the future, not just what you need today. You might even want a double shower if you have a large bathroom! Whether you’ll include a toilet in your bathroom or keep it in a separate room is an important decision too.
Beyond those, you should think about what vanities, cabinets, mirrors and accessories you’d like to use in your bathroom.
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Where is the plumbing?
If you’re working with existing plumbing, knowing where the pipes are will affect your plans and your placement of anything that needs running water.
A related question to this one is: what parts of your bathroom will be wet zones, and which are dry? You don’t want to get wet feet every time you go into the bathroom to brush your teeth, do your hair or wash your hands.
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What storage do you want?
How much storage do you need in your bathroom, and what are some of the ways you can sneak it in? Vanities and mirrors are great for storage, but there are other options like shelving, niches and tallboys to consider too.
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Planning your bathroom layout
When planning your bathroom layout, start with how you should use and move through the room, based on its size, shape and placements of doors and windows.
With that in mind, consider what you want in the room. Start big and work your way down. Where will the big elements like your bath, shower, vanity (and maybe toilet) go? Bathroom mirrors are most commonly placed above the vanity or sink, but doesn’t mean you can’t put one anywhere else. The next step is working out the placement of your bathroom accessories like towel rails.
Our Hot Tip: For more bathroom layout inspiration, be sure to check out our gallery of bathroom ideas.
