Bathroom Layouts and Designs

Designing bathroom layouts is usually the domain of professional planners, but with a list of planning criteria at your fingertips, your bathroom floor plans can become a fully functional and practical bathroom. As it happens, a lot of house plans minimise the size of bathroom areas making designs for small bathrooms a big ticket item.

But before small bathroom floor plans can be drawn, the planner must review the needs of the residents, access to plumbing and electrical, and the physical structure and size of bathroom fixtures.

Bathroom layouts checklist

Where is the entrance to the bathroom and can it be changed

What type of entrance door can you use

Where do/can the water pipes enter the room

Where are the drains

Is a toilet or bath needed in the bathroom

How big can the mirror be

How many people use the bathroom

How big and what shape can the vanity be

Where can an electrical outlet be positioned

What size and how many windows can be installed

Does the room need a skylight

What style of light/s are required

Does the room require an exhaust fan or heaters

How many towel racks are needed

What bathroom wall cabinets are required

What style and shape can the shower be

What type of shower screen door can be used

Do I need a shower screen door and do I really need a bath

Ideas for bathroom layouts

Feel free to right click and copy this graphic

Bathroom layouts and designs: 15 Tips

Consider moving the entrance to add function or space to the bathroom layout
Swinging doors take up almost a metre of space, plan for a cavity slider
On raised floor systems pipes can enter wherever you decide. If you have underslab piping, 'chase' or recess the piping along the floor or solid wall to better position outlets
Allow for overflow drains and slope floors to make them useful
If the toilet is part of the bathroom, try to hide it from the entrance view or build a false wall
Discount bathroom vanities are tempting, but as they are the item most used in a bathroom, opt for a quality one
Get a mirror the same width as the vanity
Windows give natural light which reduces mould. Increase sizes and numbers and add vented skylights where possible
A couple of downlights is sometimes all a bathroom needs
Combination exhaust fan/heater bulbs are great space savers
If pressed for space use double towel racks and place them above one another ie one at 900mm high and another at 1800mm
Standard showers (900mm x 900mm) really are too small. Increase to 1100mm square or longer rectangular shapes
Sliding shower screen doors are practical, but rather outdated. Look for modern frameless or semi frameless shower glass
Limit tile colours/caps/freezes as they go out of date quickly
Line up floor and wall tiles for greater visual appeal

Small bathroom floorplans can be drawn successfully when all factors are considered. The bathroom layouts set out on this page are only a few of thousands available on the net, but anyone can draw designs for small bathrooms..go ahead and try it.

Can walk in shower designs work for you?

And do you really need a bath? A lot of so called walk ins are less than practical and splash water everywhere. I looked around at other setups and, with a little planning and determination to get it right, finished with the setup I wanted.

I had to battle with conservative plumbers and waterproofers who couldn't see the forest for the trees. I used hebel blocks for a low hob and also made a niche shelf. Frameless glass sets it off. See how my large walk in shower was created here.