• Narrow Bathroom DesignBathroom image by Nikolay Okhitin from Fotolia.com
  
  Creating the perfect bathroom design is often limited by space. Bathrooms, especially in a remodeling project, tend to take a lower priority in respect to the other living spaces. While your space may be limited, the comfort and versatility of your new bathroom can be designed to facilitate the demands of both form and function. It is important to keep four major elements in mind when creating a narrow bathroom design: the toilet, sinks, shower and storage.
  
  

The Toilet

• While moving the toilet is possible and sometimes economical, it will usually increase project time and cost dramatically. The most efficient bathroom design will maintain all plumbing fixture locations.
  
  

Sinks

• Integrating low profile vanity and stand-alone sinks into your bathroom design will help free up a lot of floor space; adding floor space increases physical comfort and aesthetic value. Pedestal sinks are the most effective way of adding floor space but they also decrease the room's storage capacity. A low profile vanity, with a farm-style sink overlay, saves space while also providing a modicum of under sink cabinet storage. A standard vanity sink cabinet measures 21 inches deep. Narrow vanity cabinets measure 16 to 18 inches deep with 5 to 3 inches of sink overhang at the top center. The potential savings in floor space is nearly a half a foot, which can be substantial.
  
  

Shower

• Replacing a tub with a walk-in custom tile shower frees up even more floor space. When possible, maintaining the drain and faucet proximity will reduce time and cost. Rearranging the space to accommodate a small walk-in shower can almost cut the floor formerly dedicated to a tub by half; you may need a few more inches in depth, but the length can be reduced by more than 50 percent.
  
  

In-wall Built-in Storage

• There is a substantial amount of unused space within stud-frame wall construction. Built-in shelf units expand the usable living area without compromising floor space by using the forgotten room within stud-framed walls. Removing the sheetrock and insulation and inserting custom-made wood shelves or cabinets in their place is a creative way to use an otherwise unused void. This concept is best applied to interior walls only, as the removal of sheetrock and insulation from exterior walls will greatly reduce the home's overall efficiency.