What is the best bathroom layout?

     Table of Contents

1. Layout for a powder room
2. Layout for a small bathroom
3. Layout for large bathrooms

What is the best bathroom layout?

1. Layout for a powder room

If you have a plan to use a small area of ​​the house to build a guest bathroom, a powder bathroom is a good option. Typically, a powder bathroom has only the most essential features such as a toilet and basin, they are added for convenience to service guests close by the entertaining areas or front door of a home. Generally, powder rooms are added in addition to a main bathroom within the home. Older homes may have a separate toilet room, however they may not have a wash basin unless converted to a powder room during a previous renovation.

For powder rooms, they are generally compact and require a layout that can function within the space. We recommend choosing compact products, such as in-wall toilets and wall mounted basins, and a mirror to reduce clutter and the feeling of space within the room. When adding a new room from scratch, the best powder room layout is to have the toilet opposite from the basin and utilize a cavity door in the middle to access the room. The reason this works well is that there is no door swing to consider, the entrance to the room is also the main walkway within the space, and once the door is closed there is ample space for comfort. Not only this but the toilet is generally tucked away if the door is left open.

2. Layout for a small bathroom

When planning the layout of a small bathroom, you will need to be particularly selective of the number of fixtures you will include in the space as you still need to ensure those fixtures are positioned to be practical for everyday use. In some cases, you will need to exclude the addition of a bath or an additional toilet if there is simply no space to fit them. Keep in mind, bathrooms don’t need a bathtub if it includes a shower, particularly in apartment living it’s not common to include a tub. We also recommend converting any swing doors into cavity doors, this way door swing doesn’t need to be considered and planned around.

With only a few pieces of bathroom furniture required, this layout helps you save the cost implications significantly for your bathroom renovation.

For smaller main bathrooms where you prefer to include a bathtub, consider using a shower-over-bath installation as allows you to make sure that your bathroom is fully functional to serve your daily living even if it has a space limitation.

To make the bathroom feel more spacious, you can also consider installing an in wall toilet, this not only increases the aesthetics but also makes your bathroom look more spacious. Particularly in smaller bathrooms, window placement can add limitation to your bathroom layout. If your current window placement is getting in the way of your ideal layout, you could consider removing the window and adding a skylight instead.

A vanity together with a mirror cabinet is another great choice for a small bathroom. The additional storage gives you the capacity to store all the things that will give you a clutter-free bathroom. Plus, don't waste any little nooks and crannies in the bathroom.

PRO TIP: Recess your mirror cabinet into the wall to create more space in the room.

3. Layout for large bathrooms

A large space is often used for a master bathroom or the main bathroom of a newer built home. Because of this, when undertaking a bathroom renovation project for changing layout and upgrading its function or even building a completely new one, you may want to design a perfect layout for it. The best thing about a large bathroom space is that it gives you a lot of space that allows more options for fixtures that are larger and more comfortable to use without worrying too much about whether or not it will physically fit in your bathroom. The approach taken when designing the perfect layout for a large bathroom can differ from that for a smaller bathroom.

Bathtub Layout

Typically the bathtub is used as a focal point for large bathrooms. Position your bathtub with the best view from the entrance, so that it is the first thing you see when you walk into the room creating an instant relaxed feeling for anyone using the space.

Instead of using the traditional layout to place your bathtub close to the windowless wall, you can try to place a freestanding tub near the curtain wall or window to take advantage of the natural light that brings a sense of nature.

Shower Layout

A separate shower space is also typically added to larger bathrooms, using a shower panel to make it into a walk-in shower can create a chic and modern look. For ensuites designed to servicing the master bedroom, you could consider a double shower along one wall, perfect for professionals showering at the same time.

PRO TIP: Ensure you have taken into account the adequate fall in the floor for your shower water drainage.

Vanity Layout

The vanity is an item that is used a lot in the bathroom, and is considered the main storage piece of the room. You may use it to wash your hands and face, shave, put on makeup or simply have a visual check before going out. Therefore, consider placing it in a convenient place such as near the entrance of the bathroom.

In addition, your vanity is typically a premium fixture that shouldn’t be tucked away or hidden from view when the door is open. However, remember to keep a certain distance from the door because you do not want your vanity to be damaged by the door, or the inconvenience every time you open and close the door.

Consider including a side cabinet for storing your toiletries in a larger bathroom and use its bench top to place decorative items like a potted greenery to liven up your bathroom.

Toilet Layout

As mentioned previously, ideally you will want to tuck the toilet away from view of an open door in any bathroom wherever possible. Keep in mind that this is not by any means a rule, and that the position of the toilet should not be the priority for setting your layout. In the case you want to accommodate increased privacy and hygiene, but you don't want to put the toilet in a completely separate room, rather just don't want it to be easily seen from the door, you could consider adding a half wall like the picture below. This would be commonplace when there is only one toilet in the home, and others need to use the main bathroom at the same time.

Although there are many different bathroom layout models, you will need to consider the function each bathroom to determine what to include in the space, along with the best layout for those pieces within the room, all whilst keeping in line with your personal style and needs. During this process, always keep an open mind, and try out a few options before confirming your ‘best bathroom layout’, you could do this by using a free online layout planning tool. First and foremost, ensure you have accurate measurements as well as take into account the shape of the bathroom, the position of current windows and doors to create the best bathroom layout. As a final note, when undergoing a bathroom renovation as opposed to creating a new room, it would be worthwhile considering the current layout as a viable option, here you will spend less on plumbing cost required to move plumbing to accommodate the new layout.

We hope that you can get some ideas and information to start designing your bathroom layout. Visit our website if you want more DIY bathroom renovation tips, or feel free to contact the Fontaine Customer Support Team on: 1800 955 192 (Monday - Friday, 9am - 5pm) or email support@fontaineind.com.au and we will get back to you as soon as possible.