Small Bathroom Ideas: 10 Simple Small Bathroom Ideas 2023

Small bathrooms can be extremely appealing. A small bathroom, unless it’s a sweet little bonus powder room with no purpose other than hand-washing before dinner, can also be difficult to design. What happens to clean towels?

What about wet-suit hooks? And how much space is available for a shower or bath? When done correctly, a small bathroom can be a study in smart simplicity with plenty of personalities.

Don’t let a lack of space prevent you from living large! Before you call a broker to help you find a new place, consider the storage, floor plan, window, and styling solutions that will make your small bathroom look as good (and work as hard) as a big jack-and-jill. Make every inch count, and you’ll quickly forget how small your bathroom is.

Continue reading for more design FAQs!

Choose a Small Tub

“Because the bathroom is so long and narrow, I had to find the right bathtub to fit in there,” designer Delia Kenza says of a small bathroom she renovated for clients in Brooklyn.

She removed the old bathtub surround, which was a waste of space, and replaced it with a freestanding Signature Hardware tub on an elevated platform.

Make Your Presence Known

Alison Victoria, the HGTV star designer, chose not to include any doors in a bathroom off the main bedroom in her Atlanta loft.

Instead, she used a solid bronze elevator doorframe and an ombré Phillip Jeffries grasscloth wallcovering hand-painted with 24-karat gold to complement the gilt theme.

Vertically Hang Art

“I wanted it to feel like a jewel box,” says Andrew Brown, designer of this small but opulent bathroom.

Brown demonstrates that an elevated look doesn’t require a large canvas to work with, with bold gold features, rich textures, and plenty of patterns.

A Jib Door Can Be Used to Conceal the Bathroom

“I watched a lot of period piece murder mysteries, and I knew I wanted a secret door,” Michelle L. Morby, the owner of this whimsical powder room by Landed Interiors & Home, says.

Hide any room (no matter how small) behind a Murphy Door to make it the most exciting place in the house.

Maintain a Limited Colour Palette

Elizabeth Cooper used an icy pale blue paint colour on the cabinet doors to highlight the rich blue veining in the marble surfaces.

Leaving some of the walls unfinished creates a soothing effect that prevents pattern-pushing small spaces from feeling overwhelming.

Only Keep Items That You Adore

AP Design House made this bathroom more functional by installing a narrow shelf above the sink for storing small essentials such as:

• Skincare products
• Cotton swabs
• Other items

However, choose items with attractive packaging so that you don’t have to hide them away.

Make Use of Your Toilet as a Surface

Robin Henry’s bold and playful bathroom proves there’s nothing wrong with using your toilet as an extra surface for propping up bathroom accessories.

How do you keep it looking tidy?

Instead of open shelving, allow vibrantly coloured walls to take centre stage.

Make Space-Saving Additions to Your Small Bathroom

Everything in Nicky Kehoe’s small bathroom serves a purpose while also adding some decorative style.

Even the wall hook, for example, is ideal for small spaces.

If you look closely, you’ll notice that it has several swivelling prongs for extra hand towels—we like this straightforward one from Wayfair.

Toilet Paper Should Be Stored in Bins

Put toilet paper and other personal hygiene items in baskets or bins and tuck them neatly under the sink, as designer Shari Francis does here.

Install Adequate Lighting

The fun use of tile and colour is the obvious highlight of this bathroom, but designer Kureck Jones also knows how to maximise function.

The oversized pendant adds just enough contrast while also flooding the room with light, which is essential in a bathroom (don’t forget to include extra lights near the sink and mirror areas, as well).

What colour is best for a small bathroom?

“Think about the night sky,” designer Shavonda Gardner suggests. “It’s huge; there’s no end in sight.” Your eye does not stop at the boundary between dark walls and a white ceiling; it continues.” This is precisely why designers prefer dark colours in small spaces—they truly open things up!

How should a small bathroom be designed?

Consistency is essential. Extend a tile wall across the room, as Lucy Harris did in this bathroom in a New York State home. All-glass shower doors—or even none at all if the rest of the room is finished in waterproof surfaces—keep the space feeling open and airy. Don’t forget to include a location for a medicine cabinet. There’s so much space for storing toiletries out of sight!

In a small bathroom, should you use large or small tiles?

When it comes to tiling a bathroom, pattern and colour are more important than size. The key in a small bathroom is to keep the surface as streamlined as possible, whether you go for subway tile, huge marble squares, or tiny penny tiles. Match the grout to the tile, or make a simple pattern that doesn’t overpower the space or create visual clutter.

Related article: Practical Bathroom Design Renovation