About Small Bathrooms

Small bathrooms are very common in both apartments and homes. Although luxury homes may include one or two spacious bathrooms, even they typically have at least one smaller version. Small bathrooms often contain nothing more than a shower, sink and toilet. There is little, if any, room left for anything else including storage. They are often tight, cramped and poorly laid out. The reason behind this is that many home builders and architects tend to be more concerned with how the design looks than they are with how well the room functions.

History

Small bathrooms have always been a part of home building. Many older homes were built with bathrooms that were not much bigger than the outhouses that preceded them. This was primarily due to the fact that they were often built inside of what was once an existing closet. Most families who wanted showers had rooms designed that incorporated the tub and shower all in one.

While bathrooms tended to be bigger within luxury homes, overall bathrooms didn't change much in standard family homes until the 1990's. As more people dreamed of hot tubs and whirlpools, it became evident that they would required bigger tubs and more room. Nowadays, however, homeowners often prefer to have both the larger sunken bathtub as well a separate shower stall.

Significance

Bathrooms are often small because of all of the additional amenities that homeowners now want to have built into their homes. Larger room sizes and much bigger closets leave very little space for bathroom design. Additionally, small bathrooms are often intentionally planned near guest bedrooms in order to discourage guests from making themselves too much at home.

Function

Extremely small bathrooms are generally intended for quick use; not for relaxation or luxury. For that reason, they often contain nothing more than a toilet and a sink with no storage whatsoever. There is generally just enough room for the user to turn around.

Other small bathrooms, which are about the size of a walk-in closet, may also contain a shower, a small bathtub or a two-in-one combination. However, once again, floor space in the room is virtually non-existent.

Benefits

The benefits of small bathrooms are obvious. Planning them small leaves extra room for other home amenities like a sitting room or a vanity area within the bedroom. The small size of the room also discourages extra time being spent in there by children or guests.

Potential

Small bathrooms encourage homeowners to be creative in the way they use their allotted space. For example, a storage cabinet may be built around the sink to take advantage of the limited space available without cutting into the small amount of floor space provided in the room. An over-the-toilet cabinet may added in order to take advantage of the room's height without making it appear more cramped.