Small Bathroom Designs: 10 of the Best Small Bathroom Ideas
Just because your bathroom is a bit on the small side doesn’t mean you can’t make it as stylish and practical as any other bathroom out there!
Bathroom layouts are always difficult, and a small bathroom can be particularly challenging for any homeowner.
But, with the right design tricks up your sleeve, there’s no reason why you can’t create a beautiful bathroom – regardless of its size.
So if you’re short on space and you aren’t sure what to do next, here are some ideas you can work on to make your small bathroom just as impressive and enjoyable to be as any other room in your home.
1. Lose the tub
Tubs take up almost twice as much space as showers, which means by getting rid of your tub, you can open up a small bathroom a lot.
Showers are great for adults, and hand showers are perfect for getting your pets clean as well, but young children might struggle using a shower.
If losing the tub is a definite no, there are still ways you can improve your bathtub situation.
Create the illusion of space with an oval tub
By installing an oval tub in your bathroom, you can cut corners and give the illusion of space – freestanding tubs are a great option too.
What perfect way to keep your tub installed and give you an open, spacious look for your bathroom.
Add in a sunken tub
If oval tubs aren’t really your style and you’re looking for something a little bit more modern, then consider installing a sunken tub.
If you’re lucky enough to have space below your floorboards, a sunken tub is a perfect way to open up your small bathroom and give it a luxurious, 5-star hotel feeling.
2. Transform your bathroom with mirrors
Mirrors are a great way to open up your bathroom and make it look a whole lot bigger.
Adding mirrors across an entire wall can make the room look as if it's doubled in size and works well above a vanity or along the sides of a narrow bathroom.
Mirrors reflect light and give off an impression of space. Not only will adding mirrors make your bathroom look bigger, but it will also brighten your bathroom up and give it a more luxurious look.
3. Use a frameless glass shower screen
Nobody likes shower curtains.
They stick to everything and typically cause a mess. Shower curtains are a pain to clean, and sometimes they just look unsightly.
Did you know that shower curtains aren’t just annoying, but they also close off a third of your room visually?
To prevent all this hassle, simply swap out your shower curtain with a frameless glass panel. The panel will help open up your bathroom and let light into your tub.
4. Continuous flooring & curbless showers
Continuous flooring and curbless showers are one of the best small bathroom design hacks.
By getting rid of the curb around the base of your shower, you are opening up your entire bathroom by letting the floor continue right into the shower.
It works perfectly with concrete, tiled, and even stone slabbed flooring.
Not only are curbless showers easy to clean, but they’ll give your small bathroom a seamless and modern look.
5. Keep your walls a light color
Being strategic with color is incredibly important when it comes to designing a small bathroom.
Dark walls will make your bathroom look smaller as the colors absorb the light. Avoid darker shades and go for something lighter. Light-colored walls will make your small bathroom seem larger as lighter colors reflect light easier.
6. Mount your faucets to the wall
Having wall-mounted faucets will help free up a lot of space in your bathroom as they hide the pipework without the need for a basin pedestal. Mounted faucets create more storage space under your sink, freeing up even more space in the rest of the bathroom.
7. Use wall-mounted units
As well as wall-mounted faucets, you can also use wall-mounted furniture to clear up some space in your small bathroom.
This type of furniture is perfect for storage, and by opening up the floor more, it will create the illusion of a bigger bathroom.
8. Freestanding & multifunctional furniture
Don’t let having a limited amount of space impact your creativity!
If your bathroom is small, then consider using some freestanding furniture so you can move it whenever you feel like it.
Opting for freestanding storage or seating will allow you to make changes whenever you like. Unlike fitted bathroom units, you can move these freestanding pieces around and even take them with you if it's time to move out.
9. Use tiles to trick the eye
The amount of space you actually have at your disposal compared to what the eye tells you isn’t always the same thing.
Because of this, you can have fun and play with the boundaries of perception.
For example, by tiling the sides of your bath and the wall in the same design, you’ll make it harder for the eye to distinguish where one begins and the other ends. The result makes your space feel much larger.
Marble is a great choice when it comes to this sort of effect, as it looks like one huge sheet rather than smaller individual tiles.
10. Furnish your bathroom to scale
Large items of furniture are not suitable for a small bathroom.
By buying extravagantly large pieces for your bathroom, you’ll only make it look smaller. Buy items that suit the size of your bathroom and stick to the basic needs of a bathroom.
Just because you need to stick to the basics doesn’t mean you have to make them dull and boring.
Put some personality into it and paint your vanity or unit your favorite color. Pick a color scheme you like and decorate to your heart’s content.