Granny Flat Bathrooms – How to Make the Most of The Space

A significant element of designing a granny flat is trying to make the most of limited space, and your bathroom will be no exception to this rule. While it may seem like a challenge to create a smaller bathroom that’s both stylish and functional, with a little planning and clever design choices, it can be a lot simpler than you might think!

We’re going to run through some of our top tips for making your granny flat bathroom a real-life example that big things can come in small packages.

Planning

Just because a granny flat is a small space doesn’t mean you can’t bring your big ideas to life. However, to ensure everything in your granny flat works well, it’s important to put careful thought and planning into your floorplan. The key is making the most of the space you have to work with.
Remember, some of what you’re installing in your bathroom, like the sink and toilet, is permanent (or at least will be expensive to rearrange) due to plumbing needs. Therefore, the planning stages are perhaps the most important in creating a bathroom that will serve you well for years to come.

Who is the bathroom for?

Knowing what purpose you’re expecting your granny flat to serve will go a long way in helping you to make a lot of design decisions. For example, if you know the person you’re building the granny flat for isn’t into baths, don’t waste valuable space installing a bathtub. Another example is if you’re building for an elderly relative or someone with mobility issues or special needs, you’ll need to consider making the bathroom convenient for your tenant, including whether you need to install rails and other safety features. Of course, any special additions you wish to make will have to work within the space you have, and this is where having expert help with the design can really come in handy.

If you’re planning to rent out your granny flat and don’t know who your new tenant will be, it’s best to focus on creating a functional bathroom with a simple, universal design.

Functionality

A bathroom is an essential room in your granny flat, especially if you have someone living there regularly or permanently. We’re all about making our granny flats look fantastic, but it can’t be at the cost of being functional. Therefore, when planning your bathroom designs, consider what layouts are practical, comfortable and easy to maintain. With a smaller space, it is imperative to carefully arrange your fixed-in features (toilet, shower, sink) to make them easy to use without overcrowding.

A bathroom layout that is easy to use will go a long way to avoiding the feeling that your bathroom is too small. Which leads us to our next point…

Ways to make your small bathroom feel bigger

With a bit of innovation and some clever design choices, you can make the limited area you have for your bathroom feel much more spacious. Here are some ideas that can significantly affect how large your bathroom feels.

• Choose the right colours

One of the best and easiest ways to make a smaller bathroom feel more spacious is by choosing the right colour scheme. Pale and bright colours make your bathroom feel more welcoming and relaxing and help expand the area’s perceived size.

• Consider your layout

You may be surprised how much bigger a room can feel, not just by what you put in it, but where you put it. When you hire a quality, expert builder – like Granny Flat Solutions – they can guide you through the designing process, offering knowledge gained from years of experience.

• Keep the cabinetry simple

Keeping your finishes simple and sleek can create the visual effect of making your bathroom look larger. Intricate and complicated designs can come across as too busy, negatively affecting your room’s feeling of spaciousness. On the flip side, a less is more approach, with sleek, modern-looking cabinets and finishes, can add to how big the room feels.

• If you can’t build out, build up!

If you’re building your granny flat from scratch, incorporating high ceilings is a great way to make the entire granny flat feel larger. While it won’t literally widen the room, it will help the space feel less cramped and claustrophobic.

• Only include what you need

The primary purposes of your bathroom are functional, so take care of these points before worrying about decoration. Decide where your necessities like toilet, shower and sink will go and how they’ll fit together, and add from there.

• Avoid overdoing it

While we’re all for making the most of your space, putting too much into a room can make it seem cluttered and smaller than it actually is. In terms of decorating, a less is more approach will serve well both in terms of style and practicality. For example, a large bathroom mirror doesn’t take up much space but helps the room feel much larger. Nice tiling, paintwork and some simple wall art might be all you really need, as much more could get in the way. No one wants to deal with clutter while brushing their teeth, putting on make-up or shaving.

• Keep the area tidy

Nothing makes a room feel small quite like having stuff everywhere and everything being a bit of a mess. This is especially true in the bathroom. No judgement here; we’re all guilty of it, but you’ll be surprised how picking up some dirty towels and clothes and putting things like the hair dryer away will quickly make your bathroom look more spacious.

• Choose the right builder

Choosing the best builder for the job is the key thing that leads to a smooth building experience to result in your perfect granny flat. Granny Flat Solutions have over 40 years of experience, and we can guide you on the journey of building and designing your custom granny flat (complete with a spectacular-looking yet functional bathroom).

Ready to get started on your granny flat or have some more questions? Get in touch by clicking here or calling us at 1300 259 677.