If you have a small bathroom, choosing between a bath and a shower is one of those design dilemmas we come across so often here at Livingetc. You want a luxurious, spa-like bathroom for morning and nighttime routines — but is ditching the tub and replacing it with a shower the right move in a small space? It's a swap that might seem like an obvious solution. BUT a tiny bathroom is a tiny bathroom, right? And if you forfeit the tub for a shower, are you simply replacing one compromise with a worse one, and giving up the opportunity to enjoy a luxurious soak in the process?
The bath vs shower conundrum in a small bathroom is a tricky one. So I thought I'd go straight to the designers for their take. Louise Ashdown, head of design at West One Bathrooms, explains, "Losing the bath is a conversation we have with clients all the time, particularly in London homes where space is often tighter and a bath simply isn’t practical. My advice is always the same: a shower shouldn’t feel like the compromise — it can and should still be the star of the room.
"Even without a bath, you can still create that sense of everyday luxury. A beautifully designed shower with great water pressure and tactile materials can feel every bit as restorative as a long soak, if not more," Louise says. The trick, according to designers, is knowing how to plan your shower in a teeny tiny bathroom so that it feels like a luxurious wellness retreat rather than a bog-standard compromise to a bath. Here are five expert-approved ways to get that elevated shower experience even in the smallest bathrooms — so you won’t feel shortchanged without a bath.
1. Look at your lifestyle first
"The key is to design around how you actually use the room," says interior designer Rebecca Hughes. "If you shower every day and have another bath elsewhere, I'd prioritize creating one exceptional shower experience over squeezing in a tub that makes the entire bathroom feel cramped."
Do you shower more often than take a bath? If the answer is yes, that’s the best starting point for deciding whether to ditch the tub and create a luxury shower experience instead.
"Think about why you take a bath in the first place; usually it’s to relax," says Ali Childs, founder of Studio Alexandra. "But can you truly relax in a small, poky space? A bath is certainly useful when you have young children, but otherwise I think it’s far more luxurious to give that space over to a really generous shower."
This is a design decision the experts agree on. "I would absolutely give up a bathtub in a small bathroom if it meant creating a beautiful, generous shower," adds Vanessa Katzen, founder and principal of Vanessa Katzen Design. "Trying to squeeze both into a limited footprint can make the entire room feel compromised."
Vanessa is founder and principal of her own New York luxury interior design studio, Vanessa Katzen Design. The studio combines meticulous attention to detail with a passion for the unexpected.
2. Size up your shower
Scale up your shower as far as possible to create a more luxurious mood in a small bathroom.
Once you’ve decided to ditch the tub in a small bathroom, the key is to be as generous as possible with your shower. And that means choosing either a wide shower enclosure or a walk-in wet room.
Because, as the experts say, there’s no point replacing a bath with a cramped shower enclosure — it’s a compromise that won’t give you the luxury experience you crave.
"If you take out a bath and put in an 800mm square cubicle with a door that swings open, you have swapped one compromise for a worse one and given up a bath to do it," says Natalie Bird from Roca. "A shower only earns the bath space when it is genuinely generous: 1200mm or more of a walk-in, one fixed panel of glass, and no door swinging into the middle of the floor."
One trick to steal from the five-star hotels is to visually trick the eye into thinking your bathroom is bigger than it is by going big with a wet room or walk-in shower.
"A wide shower can feel really elegant and make a space feel more luxurious, as generous shower enclosures are often associated with spacious bathrooms and luxury hotels," says Niamh O’Sullivan, founder and creative director of Studio Kiri.
3. Keep it simple
Simple, frameless glass panels and consistent materials create a more spacious look in a small bathroom.
In a small bathroom, keeping the look simple is a foolproof way to create a luxurious shower experience.
Busy patterns and lots of different materials will make a shower feel more enclosed than it actually is. Instead, pare everything back and allow the shower to feel luxurious in its simplicity.
"A frameless glass enclosure, large format tiles, continuous flooring, recessed storage and thoughtful lighting can make the shower feel luxurious and intentional rather than like a compromise," says interior designer Rebecca Hughes.
Choose concealed valves for a clean architectural silhouette and a simple glass screen to enhance the visual openness.
"Continuing the same tile across the floor and into the shower creates a more seamless visual plan and allows your eye to travel through the room," adds Vanessa Katzen. "To me, luxury isn’t about how many features you can fit into a bathroom; it’s about giving the elements you use every day enough space to feel really good."
Rebecca is the founder and creative director of London-based design studio Rebecca Hughes Interiors. She balances timeless elegance with contemporary character for interiors that feel layered, personal and effortlessly liveable.
4. But introduce a design moment
Marble effect tiles in two different colors create a characterful yet still luxurious shower.
A luxe shower experience doesn’t mean giving up personality and character. You want your shower to feel simple and spacious but never bland.
So look at introducing design elements to make your shower feel really special for you. Simple but still striking is the answer say the experts.
"I often encourage clients to treat the shower as its own design moment, perhaps with a feature stone wall, textured tiling or even waterproof wallpaper, so it feels intentional rather than like a scaled-back version of what they really wanted," says Louise at West One Bathrooms.
One of the best ways to make a shower feel more luxurious but still interesting is with large stone slabs.
"Stones such as marble, quartzite and limestone bring natural color and movement, so the shower still feels interesting without needing lots of extra detail," says Oli Webbdirector at Cullifords. "And fewer grout lines can make the space feel cleaner, calmer and less busy, which is especially helpful in a compact room."
As with any stone used in a bathroom, it should be properly sealed and installed by a specialist, so it's both suitable for a wet area and will last.
"We would recommend a honed or satin finish over polished in wet areas," adds Oli.
Fill your shower with the scent of English hedgerows with this English fig hand and body wash for a luxurious spa bathroom feel.
These super-soft Egyptian cotton towels with cute blanket-stitch edging are available in hand towel, bath towel, and bath sheet sizes.
A smart black and white laundry basket to clear the clutter from your bathroom floor is an easy way to make your space feel more calm and intentional.
5. Turn your shower into a wellness retreat
Create an indulgent shower experience with different shower settings, natural lighting, and soothing neutrals.
Losing the tub in a small bathroom has another potential benefit: it might free up budget for a few spa-like features. This way you’ll get a more immersive, luxurious bathroom experience, even without the bath.
"If the budget allows, turn it into a steam shower and include a heated stone bench so you can sit and get the indulgent relaxation that usually comes from a bath," says Manuela Hamilford, creative director of Hamilford Design. "I’d specify a ceiling-flush rain panel with different water pressure settings — it gives you a much more immersive shower.
"And if you’re including steam, it has to be designed from the start, as it affects the waterproofing, ventilation, ceiling and water pressure."
"Go larger than you think with the shower head," says interior designer Abigail Ahern. "I'd also build in a niche or ledge for bottles so there's nothing cluttering the floor."
Small bathrooms can be notoriously difficult to keep calm and clutter-free. If there are bottles, brushes, and cleaning products littering every surface, you'll lose that luxe look you painstakingly put together in seconds. That's where clever storage is king. But where to start in a mini bathroom? Never fear; many small bathroom storage ideas can help you unlock more space in even the most compact bathroom. Here's to culling the clutter and restoring calm and order while you get ready for the day or unwind at night — in style, of course.
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