Space is at a premium in London bathrooms. This guide covers the best toilet options for small bathrooms — short projection, cloakroom, and wall-hung toilets — and how each one affects the usable floor area.
The Space Problem in London Bathrooms
London has some of the smallest bathrooms in Europe. Victorian and Edwardian terraced houses were built without bathrooms at all — the bathroom was a later addition, typically carved out of a bedroom or fitted into an awkward corner of the upper floor. The result is that many London bathrooms have floor areas below 3 square metres, and a standard close-coupled toilet with a 65 cm pan projection occupies a disproportionate share of that space. Choosing the right toilet for a small London bathroom can meaningfully increase the perceived and usable floor area.
Understanding Toilet Projection
Toilet projection is the depth the toilet pan extends from the wall — measured from the wall behind the cistern (or from the wall in a back-to-wall or wall-hung installation) to the front of the pan. A standard close-coupled toilet has a projection of approximately 65 to 70 cm. This is the distance that must be kept clear in front of the toilet for comfortable use. Building Regulations recommend a minimum of 600 mm clear space in front of a toilet pan, measured from the front of the pan to any wall or obstruction. In a bathroom where the opposite wall is 120 cm away from the rear wall, a standard toilet leaves less than 55 cm clear — technically below the recommended minimum.
Short Projection Toilets
Short projection close-coupled toilets are designed with a reduced pan depth — typically 48 to 55 cm versus the standard 65 cm. This saves 10 to 17 cm of floor depth, which in a small bathroom is a significant gain. Short projection models are made by most major UK manufacturers — Ideal Standard, Duravit, Roca, and VitrA all produce short projection ranges. The cistern and seat are standard size — only the pan depth is reduced. Short projection toilets are the simplest solution for a small bathroom because they require no structural changes — they are fitted in exactly the same way as a standard close-coupled toilet.
Cloakroom Toilets
Cloakroom toilets are the most compact toilet option available, with pan projections as short as 39 to 45 cm. They are designed for under-stairs WCs and small cloakrooms where the floor area is minimal. The cistern is typically a slimline back-to-the-wall unit or a small close-coupled cistern. Because they are designed for occasional use, cloakroom toilets are not the best choice for a main bathroom used regularly by multiple people — the shorter pan can feel less comfortable for extended use. However, for a dedicated WC or a secondary bathroom, a cloakroom toilet with a 39 cm projection can transform an otherwise unusable space.
Back-to-Wall Toilets
A back-to-wall toilet connects the pan to the wall with the cistern concealed inside a furniture unit or a duct behind the pan. The pan itself is typically standard depth (65 cm or a short projection version), but the cistern does not project into the room at all — the cistern is hidden. This is the preferred solution where the bathroom has wall depth available to build out a unit or duct, and where the visual bulk of a visible cistern is the issue rather than the pan projection. Back-to-wall toilets suit modern London bathroom designs where a built-in vanity unit provides storage alongside the concealed cistern.
Wall-Hung Toilets
A wall-hung toilet is the most dramatic space-saving solution and the most expensive to install. The pan is suspended from the wall with no floor contact, and the cistern is concealed inside the wall or a false wall. The floor is completely clear beneath the pan, which creates a strong visual impression of more space even if the pan projection is similar to a conventional toilet. Wall-hung toilets with short projection pans (55 cm or less) combined with the floor clearance beneath can make a small London bathroom feel significantly larger. The installation cost starts from £600 for supply and fit of the frame and pan, with additional cost for any false wall or tiling work required. Prestige Engineers install all compact toilet types across London.