Small Bathroom Ideas
If your bathroom is small, like mine, it can probably use some great small bathroom ideas – ideas to save space, make the best use of the space you do have, and make the space look larger even if it really isn’t. Read on for a collection of ideas for small bathroom designs, from the basic to the slightly over-the-top, to help you make the most of your small bathroom.
Use a shower instead of a tub. If you have a tub somewhere else in the house, maybe you don’t need one in this particular bathroom. Nowadays, most people take showers instead anyway. The space used by a standard tub, 60″ x 30″, will give you a luxurious two-person shower, or you can install a smaller shower and use the extra space for storage or a second vanity basin.
The toilet-lid sink is a sink which installs in place of the lid of your toilet tank, and drains into the tank, thus reusing your washing water as flush water and saving water. I can’t see many people installing this instead of a regular vanity or sink, but if you’re in a really small bathroom it might be just the ticket.
Good lighting can make your small bathroom seem larger, and even if it doesn’t, it will make it brighter, more cheerful to be in, and safer and easier to use. Think about windows (including interior transom windows over doors), skylights, solar tubes, fan/light combo units, heat/light combo units, vanity lights, over-shower/tub lights. Also consider bulb types: compact fluorescent (CFL) and even LED light bulbs are now as good and as available as the old incandescent bulbs, and save a lot of energy in comparison. They also run much cooler, saving on AC if you have hot summers.
Do you need only minimal storage in the bathroom? If this is a guest bath, or if you have storage right outside the bathroom door, you may be able to get away with only enough storage for a few toilet rolls and spare toiletries. That frees up space for actual spaciousness: consider the difference in look between a pedestal sink and a vanity cabinet. Alternatively, use a half-depth vanity cabinet, with the sink extending forward over the front: these take up less floor space while providing some storage space.
Frequently used or not? If not, you can use wild or fragile decor which might get damaged or tiresome in a heavily used room.
Instead of trying to make a small room look less small, why not play on the smallness and make it into a cocoon or cave.
Use opposite-wall mirrors or reflective wallpaper to make the room extend into infinity.
Borrow space. Can you set a shower or tub back into unused closet space in another room? Set storage cabinets between the studs? Expand a ceiling up into attic space? use a greenhouse window in place of a standard one? Even bump out one wall a couple of feet?
A light colored floor which is as clear as possible makes a space look larger. Use a pedestal sink or small vanity cabinet, a vanity cabinet on legs, a claw-footed tub, or wall-hung toilet to give you the maximum visible floor area.
Bath/shower combos often feel very cramped in use, but much of that perception is at torso and shoulder level rather than round your feet. A curved shower rod which projects into the room gives a surprising feeling of spaciousness to showering in the tub, and doesn’t impose much on the room visually.
A cathedral ceiling can make a space feel more airy and open but don’t go too wild: a too-high ceiling in a small room sometimes just feels like you’re in the bottom of an elevator shaft!
Glass shower stall walls and doors allow the eye to move freely through the space instead of being stopped by structures – and that means feeling as if there’s more available space.
Related Blogs
- Related Blogs on bathroom decor
- Bathroom Decor For Kids | Project Nursery
- Elegant Bathroom Decor « Home Interior Designs
- 8 Hot Trends in Bath Design 2009 | The Decorating Diva
- Bathroom tiles | My blog about houses – Best house plans
- dwellings and décor » Blog Archive » The Murphy’s New Bathroom
Bathroom Tile Design Ideas
The bathroom and tile design go together like… hmmm…. rhubarb and custard? Maybe even better than that! Seriously though, the beauty of tile and its tough, waterproof surface make it the perfect material for bathroom walls and floors, especially in wet areas.
Functionally, there are many things to take into account. When choosing tiles, make sure the tile you pick is suitable for the area you plan to use it – waterproof enough for the bath or shower, and textured and tough enough for the floor.
Here are some pictures of tile use in bathrooms to help you come up with your own bathroom tile design ideas.
Large wall tiles broken up with narrow contrast stripes behind a white vessel sink
The large pale mottled/marbled effect tiles have a quiet, soothing effect, while the contrast stripes are made up of multiple small stone tiles in different colors, and break up the expanse to a more human scale.
Pale blue/grey/silver mosaic tiles behind a white vessel sink
The subtle damask-type pattern in these pale blue-grey tiles sweeps over all the bathroom walls. It gives the walls lots of interest while not being obtrusive, and makes a great background for the natural wood, metal and stone finishes.
Shades of black, grey, white and silver mosaic tiles
This is quite a busy mosaic tile pattern. It might make a good shower or bathtub surround for a morning-use bathroom when you want to be woken up! Alternatively, panels of this pattern surrounded by white would pop out and make a statement without being overwhelming.
Large pale diagonal tiles with narrow striped accent
These are the same pale marbled tiles in the first picture above, with the same small rectangular stone accent tiles, but here the large tiles are set on the diagonal. The swoopy towel ring makes a nice contrast with the straight lines of the tiles.
Bathroom Design: Pictures and Photos
One fun way to get more bathroom ideas for your new bathroom designs is to look at pictures of what other people have done with their bathrooms. Here are pictures of some nicely remodeled bathrooms, from the basic to the luxurious, and of several sizes.
Of course, you don’t have to copy all the ideas from one bathroom picture – you can mix and match compatible ideas to come up with your own unique bathroom decor style. The textured metal in the first picture, for example, gives a very sparkly look which could be paired with blue granite counters and deep colored walls instead of the natural wood and pale walls shown. The more of your own imagination you can include in your bathroom designs, the better!
Modern bathroom with lots of sparkly textured stainless steel and natural wood.
Antique-style natural wood vanity with white solid-surfacing top, integral sink and gold-finish faucet
Traditional-style bathroom with wallpaper, beige fixtures, bathtub in alcove, light wood double vanity.
Wall-to-wall double bathroom vanity with white vessel sinks, tiled walls and granite counter
A romantic bathroom scene with candles, roses and wine carefully placed on the rim of the set-in tub.
Updated bathroom using old and new materials: natural stone window seat, elaborate but subtly-colored tile mosaic walls, and white vessel sink.
Glass tiles with wide grout lines in many shades of blue
Old but still attractive bathroom in shades of green with white pedestal sink
Romantic-style bathroom vanity with ornate wood mirror, boudoir lamp, granite counter and waterfall faucet
Modern toilet alcove, completely tiled, with built in hand-held shower plus a telephone
Inset tub with columns, swagged curtains, candle-holders; all ready for your romantic evening
Modern toilet alcove with hidden tank, completely tiled walls and floor, stainless steel accessories
Fancy white and gold bathtub faucet, dark blue marble walls, white tub
Grey and green marble and tile, plus natural wood finishes; unusual toilet shape.
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About
On this site we aim to bring you information and ideas about bathroom designs, to help you with your own bathroom building and remodeling projects. I’m just finishing up a complete gut and remodel job on my own bathroom, doing or taking part in every bit of the work myself, so I have first-hand knowledge of exactly what it takes to get the perfect bathroom – or even the “good enough” bathroom!