Twenty-four square feet. Floor-to-ceiling zellige tile, a floating vanity, and a single sconce that did the work of three. Leo Chase walks through the layout math, the one tile decision that made the room feel taller, and what he'd do differently if he could do it again.
Plumbing isn't glamorous, but it's the most expensive thing in your bathroom to move. Leo Chase explains the single-wall strategy — lining up all three fixtures along one wet wall to save on labor, materials, and the hidden costs that eat a renovation budget from inside the framing. One wall, one stack, thousands saved.
An inward-swinging door can waste up to 9 square feet of floor space in a small bathroom — space you're already short on. Leo Chase walks through five door-swing fixes that require zero structural changes: pocket doors, barn doors, outward swing, shower curtains, and the one solution he uses more than any other. Real dimensions, real trade-offs, no walls moved.
A wet room isn't just a glass box — it's the most spatially efficient way to place three fixtures in under 40 square feet. Leo Chase breaks down the real dimension requirements, the curbless floor logic, and when committing to a fully waterproofed room actually saves you square footage, money, and years of visual noise. No guesswork, no trend-chasing — just a layout that earns its floor space.
Most bathroom layouts fail before the tile even goes in — because people place the vanity first. Leo Chase explains why setting the toilet centerline first changes everything: proper clearance, smoother traffic flow, and fewer door-swing conflicts. One simple ordering rule, no walls moved, just a smarter sequence that makes any small bathroom feel instantly more functional.
Most people see a 5×7 bathroom and think compromise. I see the most efficient footprint in residential design. In this manifesto post, I break down the math that makes 35 square feet work so well: three distinct zones, zero wasted circulation, and enough flexibility to handle a tub, a shower, or a full wet room. If you think you need more space, you probably just need a better plan. Here’s how to read those 35 square feet the way a designer does.