3 'unusable' bathroom layouts that actually work – I spoke to interior designers to discover the clever layout tips they've used in pokey bathrooms

Bathrooms are very rarely the 'right' shape. Whether your washroom is too small or just awkwardly shaped, it can be so tricky to find a layout that includes everything you need and still leaves enough space. Instead of letting your small bathroom cause too much frustration, take inspiration from these interior designed spaces that make the best out of a bad layout.

I spoke to three interior designers who have grappled with pokey bathrooms, difficult sloping ceilings and complicated briefs that muddy a bathroom design.

Every bathroom is unique, but you can take inspiration from the small tricks they used to create beautiful designs, that most importantly, make for practical wash spaces.

1. Attic en-suites

The sloping ceilings of attic bathrooms makes them inherently difficult to design, from finding space to fit the loo without hitting your head to ensuring you have enough storage and space to shower. Limited ceiling height will be the biggest issue you'll face in an attic bathroom, and this is how interior designer Melissa Hutley sought to overcome this common conundrum.

'With sharply sloping ceilings, limited head height and a narrow footprint, there was very little ‘standard’ wall space to work with. In awkward bathrooms like this, every centimetre counts, so the layout had to be carefully planned around where you can actually stand comfortably,' Melissa Hutley, interior designer & co-founder of Hutley&Humm explains.

'We tucked the shower beneath the skylight to maximise head height and flood the space with natural light, which instantly makes it feel larger and more uplifting. Rather than fighting the angles, we celebrated them - running the tile neatly into the eaves so the architecture feels intentional. Access was another challenge, so we opted for a stable door instead of a full swing door. It takes up far less room, improves flow and adds charm, proving that practical decisions can still feel characterful and considered,' Melissa adds.

2. A multi-use washroom

Some of the trickiest bathrooms to design are those where there isn't a clear use case. It might be that it acts as a go-to bathroom for the kids and guests, with differing needs. This was the case for Sophie Pringle, who needed to design a bathroom for her clients that had multiple uses.

'The layout was challenging as this compact basement bathroom needed to serve guests, the media room, and the gym, so incorporating a generous shower was essential. Using a single pane of glass with a continuous floor and wet-room grate, and integrating a long wall niche that runs from the shower through above the loo, we maximised space while keeping the room feeling cohesive and considered,' Sophie Pringle, interior designer & founder of Pringle & Pringle explains.

3. The downstairs cloakroom

A cloakroom is one of the trickiest places to decorate and plan for. They're pokey and often squeezed beneath staircases, but you still need them to function well for everyday use.

'Downstairs loos are often some of the most awkward spaces to design as they’re typically compact, lacking natural light and full of practical constraints, yet they’re also rooms guests always use, so they present a wonderful opportunity to create impact,' explains interior designer, Laura Stephens.

'In our N4 project, the footprint was incredibly tight. We leaned into the intimacy rather than trying to disguise it, wrapping the walls in a deep lacquered red to create a jewel-box effect that makes the room feel intentional rather than compromised. A wall-mounted basin freed up valuable floor space, while integrated shelving allowed us to introduce storage and personality without adding bulk. Using vertical panelling helped draw the eye upward, visually elongating the room, and warm brass details bring softness and contrast against the bold colour. The result is a small space that feels confident, playful and surprisingly generous despite its size.'

Awkward bathroom layouts don't mean that you're destined to have an impractical bathroom - it just means you have to be a bit more creative in how you design the space.