Wet Room Ideas for Small Spaces
Whereas a standard bathroom will have designated ‘wet areas’ where water-resistant materials such as tiling or panelling will be fitted to prevent water damage, a wet room is instead designed to be entirely waterproof.
A wet room will feature sealed floors and walls to prevent water from trickling out of the room and will usually be designed with sloped flooring to guide water towards a small drain. For this reason, a wet room won’t necessarily require the installation of a separate shower tray.
Both functional and modern in their appearance, wet rooms are becoming more popular within today’s bathroom trends, especially as they’re such a practical choice when you’re working with a limited amount of space.
Why Should I Fit a Wet Room?
Aesthetically, a wet room will transform your bathroom into something a little more awe-inspiring and stylish. Contemporary and sleek in their design, wet rooms enable a liberating showering experience where you’re not faced with the confinement of a shower enclosure.
Wet rooms come with a number of benefits; let us talk you through a few of the reasons why you’ll want to consider fitting a wet room in your own home.
Space Saving
Firstly, wet rooms are a really practical way to use your available square footage efficiently. Well-suited to small bathrooms, you can avoid installing a bathtub and instead open up the room by having a spacious showering area which won’t require the installation of any imposing shower enclosures. Wet room design ideas prioritise functionality and will turn even the smallest of bathrooms into a useable space with a spa feel about it.
Easy to Clean
Wet room design ideas will usually involve an absence of shower enclosures, a fixture which would otherwise require constant cleaning to stay on top of the mould and mildew they’re notorious for gathering. At most, you’ll only need to clean a single shower screen and perhaps a wall-hung basin and toilet. Your floorspace will appear all the more generous as it’ll be clutter-free at all times too.
Aesthetic Value
In addition to boasting functionality, a wet room possesses a minimalistic, spa-like look in line with contemporary bathroom trends. You can work with different colour schemes to suit your desired aesthetic; install a shower screen with black fixtures to achieve an industrial aesthetic or pair marble tiles with gold detailing for a designer touch.
When designed properly, a small wet room can add value to your property by transforming a confined space into a luxurious yet practical shower room.
Versatility of Design
Offering a huge amount of freedom and versatility, wet room designs provide you with the option of an indulgent shower in a space that you’ll be able to personalise to be exactly what you need and want it to be. Thanks to their increasing popularity, there are limitless ways you can choose to design your wet room and we have a variety of suites you’ll want to take a look at.
As wet room ideas will generally focus on minimalism, you’ll be able to implement a range of different natural materials into your shower room. Tiles, marble, mosaic, and terrazzo all work well when incorporated into the design of a small wet room, particularly when you divide your space using contrasting patterns and colours to highlight the shower area. While you could opt for a spa-inspired space with underfloor heaters and massaging body jets, you could also choose to go for a more industrial look with bold concrete features.
Accessibility
Installing a wet room is ideal for those who require a highly accessible space due to restricted mobility, particularly the elderly, wheelchair users, and disabled people. As there’s no need for a shower tray and the flooring is deliberately non-slip, a wet room is a safer and more practical option than your standard bathroom.
5 Ideas for Designing Your Small Wetroom
To give you some more inspiration, let’s take a look at some of our favourite ideas on how to make a wet room and a few of the best products we have to suit any style of bathroom.
Luxury Rainfall Shower
One of our favourite spa-inspired wet room ideas is the installation of a luxurious rainfall shower. Typically oversized when compared with a regular shower head, rainfall showers produce a steady flow of water down over the top of your head for a refreshing and rejuvenating feel.
Shower heads such as our Hudson Reed Rectangular Ceiling Mounted Shower Head is a prime example of the lavish fixtures you could have in a wet room; the sleek, rectangular shape paired with the sheer number of water holes allows for a reinvigorating rainfall experience, while the stainless steel finish complements any other contemporary-styled accessories.
Premium Tiling
One of the most practical of our wet room ideas, fitting premium-quality tiles is a long-lasting solution which will simultaneously achieve a modern finish. Available in a range of materials and textures, tiling is a versatile method which can suit any aesthetic style.
As tiles perform well in terms of drainage and waterproofing, they’re well-suited to a wet room. Even better, flooring tiles will generally have a non-slip surface meaning they will also enhance the overall safety of your bathroom.
Grey tiles are a popular choice at the moment and, when you use two different shades, you can create a contrasting look which will really bring the room together. To give the illusion of having more space than you really do, opt for mosaic tiles which run from floor to ceiling; our Glass and Stone Natural Mix Mosaic incorporates clean crisp whites and neutral shades of grey through to beige to bring the timeless beauty of natural stone into your bathroom.
Special Features
Creative wet room ideas can incorporate a feature wall as an eye-catching focal point which will make even a small wet room appear more spacious than it truly is. Emphasise the shower area with a tall shower panel to give the room height; the Cassellie Black Stone Tile Panel Pack will accentuate the layout of your room through its bold colour while the waterproofing qualities of the panel will prevent splash damage to your room’s walls. Similarly, you could include mosaic tiles around the wet room shower to break the room up into sections without having the presence of dominating units which would otherwise divide the space in a way that makes it feel smaller and more confined.
Shower Accessories
If you were wanting to keep the showering area a little more contained, then you could always opt for a shower screen constructed out of frameless glass. As glass is see-through and won’t dominate small spaces, it will ensure that even a small wet room has a sense of spaciousness about it. A good example of this is our Merlyn Series 8 Frameless Unit; clean, angular lines and ultra-modern styling make this an elegant addition to any bathroom.
For something bolder, the April Prestige Smoked Enclosure will also distinguish the showering section of your bathroom through its transparent smoky-black shade and will prevent water from covering your floor.
Although the absence of a shower tray generally characterises a wet room, if you did want to install one then you certainly could. Selecting a sleek low profile tray will flow with the room as a whole and will prevent the entirety of the floor becoming wet when the shower is in use.
Spa-Like Technology
If you’re seeking wet room ideas that will allow you to replicate the extravagance of a spa in your own home then underfloor heating is another addition suited to wet room bathrooms. Due to the open design of a wet room, they’re ideal for underfloor heating systems; as tiles have a high level of thermal conductivity, they work well with such a system as they’ll heat quickly and retain their warmth. Underfloor heaters are more energy-efficient than central heating systems too, so on top of transforming your wet room into a warm, luxurious space, they’ll also help you in cutting down on energy costs.
You can also add a spa feel to your shower by incorporating massaging jets. Jets can be placed around your showering area to spray water through their nozzles to give a massaging effect. One of the most affordable pieces of bathroom technology, we have a range of jets in different shapes and sizes which would be ideal for a small wet room. Our Hudson Reed Square Tile Body Jet makes for the perfect addition to a contemporary wet room shower; its chrome finish blends well with other modern fixtures and will ensure the most revitalising of showering experiences.
FAQs
To give you some more ideas and inspiration, we’ve compiled a few of the most frequently asked questions and used our expertise to answer them. If you’re still undecided on whether or not this style of bathroom is for you, then keep on reading.
Is a wet room a good idea?
In line with current trends, wet rooms really are a good idea purely because of the vast number of benefits they hold.
As long as there is enough room under the floor to sink the drain and install a concealed shower tray, a wet room can be installed on any level of your home. Secondly, because wet room ideas can be employed even when you’re tight on square footage, you’ll be able to make use of that awkward, overly confined room in your home and transform it into a functioning small wet room. Lastly, unlike in a standard bathroom, you won’t have to worry about leaks; in a properly waterproofed shower room, water can spread across the floor without causing any issues – something which is central to their appeal.
How small can a wet room be?
As a wet room can be designed to fit a variety of spaces, transforming a small space into a wet room isn’t an issue. We even stock several wet room suites which measure only 800mm x 800mm. Ultimately, it will depend on whether you’re looking to include a wall-hung basin and toilet alongside your shower as to how much space you will require. Take the time to measure the room’s dimensions to determine how many items you’ll be able to install. In most cases, you’ll find that the ability of a wet room to fit inside the smallest of square footage is almost unlimited.
What is the difference between a wet room and a walk-in shower?
The key distinction between wet rooms and walk-in showers is that, in a ‘true’ wet room, the room will be entirely open plan and the water will flow down into the floor, whereas a walk-in shower will typically comprise of a number of screens and a shower tray.
What do you need for a small wet room?
You’ll find that a wet room needs to be designed from the ground up. You’ll want to begin by sealing and waterproofing the entire bathroom, installing a sloped floor with a drain, then begin the tasks of fitting tiles and panels.
As a guide, decide where you want the shower’s head and valve to be located and consider whether you want a dividing panel between the shower’s wet area and the rest of the bathroom. Ensure that your lighting is all waterproofed and that any heated rails for towels are fitted away from potential splash zones. It’s a good idea to make sure that you have adequate ventilation solutions to prevent condensation and damp. Finally, think about any additional comforts you might want to install; for example, shower seats and perhaps a suspended toilet and basin depending on the size of the bathroom. It’s likely to be the case that you won’t have furniture situated on the floor, so opt for wall-hung storage solutions for products like toilet rolls which are susceptible to becoming damp rather than having a vanity unit positioned on the floor.
