Plenty of Glasgow bathrooms were never meant to be bathrooms. In tenements they were often squeezed into a former press or the end of a hall; in newer homes an en-suite gets carved out of a box room. The good news is that small rooms can be the most satisfying to transform, because every decision shows. Here's what makes the biggest difference.
Start with the layout, not the fittings
Before choosing a single tile, decide where everything goes. The toilet position is usually fixed by the waste pipe, and in a tenement that means the shared soil stack. Moving it is sometimes possible, but it's the biggest single factor in cost and it needs checking on site.
Next, think about the door. An inward-opening door steals a surprising amount of floor. Rehanging it to open outwards, or fitting a sliding pocket door, can free up enough room for a proper shower.
Finally, be honest about the bath. If nobody in the house takes baths, a generous walk-in shower will make the room feel bigger and be far more useful. If you need a bath, a shower over a straight-sided bath with a single glass screen is the most space-efficient combination.
Get things off the floor
Wall-hung toilets and floating vanity units show more floor, which tricks the eye into reading the room as bigger — and they're easier to clean round. The toilet cistern goes into a boxed-in frame that doubles as a shelf. In older buildings we check the wall can take the fixings before recommending this.
Use the walls for storage
Recessed niches in the shower wall hold bottles without a caddy. A mirrored cabinet above the basin gives storage without taking space. Tall, shallow cabinets fit behind doors. And a boxed-in cistern gives you a ledge for free. Plan niches before tiling so they line up with the tile joints.
Tiles, colour and light
Large-format tiles with fewer grout lines make a small room calmer. Running the same floor tile into the shower area, especially in a level-access shower, makes the floor read as one continuous surface.
Light colours help, but a small room can also carry one bold choice — a patterned floor, a deep colour on one wall. Small rooms feel cosy rather than cramped when they're deliberate.
Many tenement bathrooms have small or no windows. Good lighting matters: a bright ceiling light, a lit mirror at the basin, and possibly a low-level light for night. A proper extractor fan is essential to keep condensation and mould at bay.
Heat without the bulk
Swap a chunky radiator for a slim heated towel rail, or free the walls entirely with electric underfloor heating under the tiles. Both are simple to add during a full renovation.
Compact fittings that don't feel compact
Short-projection toilets and slim basins exist for exactly this situation. A corner basin can work in an awkward room. A fold-down shower seat is useful in an accessible bathroom without taking permanent space. Just try to keep at least a comfortable clear space in front of the toilet and basin — if it feels tight in the showroom, it will feel tighter at home.
Tenement specifics
Tenement bathrooms bring their own challenges: shared soil stacks, old lead or iron pipework, uneven sandstone walls, suspended timber floors and high ceilings. None of these are a problem if they're planned for. High ceilings, in particular, are a gift in a small room — tall tiling and good lighting use that height to make the room feel generous.
If you're thinking about a small bathroom, start with our planner. Pick 'Small / box room' as the size, choose your finish and any extras, and Adam will call you back to arrange a free home survey.