Small Kitchen and Cloakroom Layout: Space-Saving Tips

Small rooms reward careful planning. A downstairs cloakroom or a galley kitchen has no spare inches, so every fitting has to earn its place. These are the layout principles we come back to again and again, along with a few fittings that make tight spaces easier to live with.

Start with clearances, not products

Before choosing anything, draw the room to scale and mark the doorway and its swing. A common rule of thumb is to leave roughly 600mm of clear floor space in front of a toilet so it can be used comfortably, and enough room beside it that you are not wedged against a wall. Check current Building Regulations and your installer's guidance for your own project, as requirements depend on the room and the work being done.

The same thinking applies in the kitchen. Keep the sink, hob and fridge within easy reach of each other, and make sure doors and drawers can open fully without hitting each other.

Lift fittings off the floor

In a cloakroom, the quickest win is to choose a wall-mounted toilet. With the cistern concealed in the wall, the pan projects less into the room, and the clear floor underneath makes a tiny space look larger and is simpler to clean. If you want bidet functionality without adding a separate fitting, a combined bidet toilet saves the space a second fixture would take. Our wall hung bidet toilets are designed for exactly this kind of room.

Remember that a wall hung pan needs a suitable frame and a wall that can take it, so plan the build-up with your plumber before you order.

Make the kitchen sink work harder

In a compact kitchen, worktop is precious. A single large bowl is often more useful than two small ones, because you can fit a roasting tin or a big pan in it. Where space is really limited, a small bowl of around 400mm works well for a utility room, a bar or a secondary prep area. Our single bowl sinks start at £77 and include compact stainless steel options.

An undermount sink also frees up a little visible worktop edge and makes wiping crumbs straight into the bowl easier.

Plan storage as part of the layout

Use vertical space. Slim wall cabinets, recessed niches and shelves above the door keep surfaces clear. Light colours and a single consistent finish also stop a small room feeling busy.

For more ideas across the whole home, explore the full range at Ultra Bathroom.