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If you're working with a small bathroom space, perhaps with sloping ceilings and one or more recessed areas, you are certainly not alone. Modestly proportioned bathrooms are a fact of life in the UK; from Edwardian townhouses, through to modern new-builds, it's rare for builders to give us acres of space to play with. None of this has to stop you creating a stylish, practical bathroom with lots of character.

Making the most of a compact space

That corner, or L-shaped area you are puzzling over, need not be awkward: in fact, with the right items - from WCs, through to neat storage options, you can actually use it to your advantage.To illustrate this, we'll demonstrate how your choice of individual pieces can help you really make the most of a compact space.

Opening up a smaller bathroom

A few handy strategies can really make a difference when it comes to small bathrooms. Simply by removing any window coverings for instance, the influx of natural light is maximised, giving a lighter, airier feel to the room. Likewise, a mirror placed in such a way as to catch the light from the window, or from artificial light sources, can serve to give the impression of greater space.
Colour is important, too. If there is too much going on in the room, the effect might be overly busy. Some of the best results in smaller bathrooms - both traditional and modern - are achieved by keeping it light and keeping it simple.

Achieve your wish list

You'll likely have your wish list of furniture and suite items to include within the room; so the aim is one of meeting those requirements without it feeling too full or cluttered.
Far from being a dead space, here are some effective ways in which corners can be the perfect spot to position key items.
In terms of size, your bath is likely to be the most dominant item in the room. A corner is therefore often the most natural home for it, opening up the centre section of the bathroom, and allowing traffic to flow freely.
While a long, narrow bath can work perfectly, it's not your only option - especially if your aim is to create a luxurious ambiance with the tub as a focal point. If it's going to be difficult to accommodate a freestanding slipper bath, a similar effect might be achievable with a corner bath, such as the iflo Strasbourg. This type of design combines practicality with a hint of opulence; two straight edges allow the unit to sit flush with the walls in a corner setting, while the curvaceous, oval styling adds a lavish touch to the room.

Matching the right shower enclosure with your corner

If possible, you want a separate shower enclosure - and you want to tuck it unobtrusively into the corner without it eating into the body of the room.
If this is your plan, an offset quadrant enclosure could be the best way forward. Here, two straight edges sit flush with the walls, while a rounded outer edge cuts the corner, limiting the amount of floorspace required for the enclosure. With iflo's Alamere enclosure, for example, you can match this with a sliding door to save extra space where a hinged door might otherwise impact on other bathroom furniture.

Finding space for your WC or basin

Where a corner or recess is not large enough for a bath or shower, it can still be put to work to house other essential items. The toilet is one such option.If your basin is going to protrude out from an alcove, you can soften the effect with a sleek, rounded basin, available from within the iflo Kamira range. Alternatively, an angular, shallow trough basin can deliver a chic look when positioned adjacent to a wall.Floating fixtures can also deliver a clean, streamlined effect in a recessed area. For one thing, having a gap between the floor and the bottom of a vanity unit frees up wall space, helping the bathroom to appear larger.

Integrating storage space in corners

Here, you can think of a corner as an opportunity rather than a challenge. For instance, could that quirky gap caused by a protruding wall be filled by a slimline 'tallboy' unit?You need somewhere to tuck away your essentials, but at the same time, you don't want to overwhelm the room with too many units. The presence of multiple corners and recesses might also mean that you have very precise requirements in terms of unit dimensions.For all of these situations, modular furniture can be your best friend. The big benefit is flexibility; in terms of finish, width, depth, and cabinet type, matching your unit with your precise needs becomes easy.From corner baths through to our huge range of modular furniture, pop along to your local Bathroom Showroom and start putting together your ideal bathroom.