Small Bathroom Ideas To Give The Feel Of More Space

Having a small bathroom layout can create unique challenges. Below, you’ll find creative small bathroom ideas for vanities, sinks, storage, and decorating to create a space you and your family will love. Limited space has always been a good conduit to design creativity, and small bathrooms are no exception to that. These types of spaces introduce some design challenges that give way to surprisingly beautiful design solutions. When designing for these types of spaces, much care must be taken in planning out how to lay out and organize the elements in the room. Although not as often talked about as the other parts of the house, the bathroom is undoubtedly one of the most important rooms in the whole residence. It’s arguably the most private space inside the home and the one where the residents spend their time regularly. 

Here is a quick reference guide to help you know how to style your small bathroom design.

The narrow and small modern bathroom design featured in the picture above offers a marble countertop with ample counter space, thanks in part to using a sunken lavatory. The room even features an oval-shaped tub, with taps cleanly mounted onto the wall, and to the side is a shower area sectioned off via a glass partition. The major use of glass e.g. the mirror, large windows, and shower enclosures, paired with a lighter grey color, makes this narrow bathroom feel larger.

Small Bathroom Layout Tips

Anytime you deal with remodeling a small bathroom space, it can be a challenge to fit everything you’d like. Finding a bathroom layout that works with your space may require sacrificing accessories, downsizing your vanity size, or even removing a bathtub.

Below are some of the best ways to layout a small bathroom to increase its appearance.

Think Vertically – Since the wall real estate is limited to a small floor plan, it’s important to use what you have carefully. Adding shelving and cabinetry above the toilet can save space. Glass shelving can help the space appear larger than it is. Medicine cabinets should be recessed and mirrored, which also helps reflect light and keep things looking open.

Don’t Neglect Behind the Door – Behind the door is an often overlooked space where one can install towel bars or robe hooks which can free up space on the wall.

Small sinks – Pedestal sinks are often used in small bathrooms because they help the room look bigger. However, this comes at the expense of storage space. To avoid this, you can opt for a wall-mounted floating vanity with great results.

Remove the Bathtub – This may be considered taboo to many homeowners; regardless, removing the tub can be an easy way to increase your bathroom’s floor plan. For those who want to keep the tub, you may consider going with a lower profile tub, which offers a more open feel than a full size model.

Put In a Sliding Barn Door or Pocket Door – Besides removing the bathtub, the installation of a sliding barn door or pocket door may be one of the best space-saving measures. According to estimates, the elimination of the typical swinging door can save you up to 9 square feet of floor space. If you decide on installing the sliding barn door, you can avoid opening up your wall for the pocket door, which can save you time and money.

Frameless Tub – You can really open up your bathroom space by ditching the traditional shower curtain from your shower/tub combo and going with a frameless glass panel. A frameless tub design can make your floor plan look 1/3 larger and rid you of those ugly shower curtains once and for all.

Curbless Showers – Curbless showers are really popular in Europe, where space is at a premium. A curbless shower basically removes the curb around the shower and instead has the flooring run directly through the room. This type of design can look great when combined with tile, concrete, or stone floors.

Add Mirrors – Adding mirrors can really expand the feel of the room. Mirrors help brighten things up by reflecting light and can help you get more out of your existing light fixtures.

Wall Mounted Toilets – Wall mounted toilets have built-in tanks in the wall that create a slimmer profile that saves both legroom and floor space.

Use an Accent Wall – An accent wall using tile or other material can create visual interest and allow you to bring in color without being overwhelming. Accent walls can run as a horizontal strip on the floor and up the walls to draw the eye up to create the illusion of a larger space.

Small bathroom ideas that use a brighter color theme are a great choice, as lighter shades reflect light and help give the appearance of a bigger space. Further helping add reflective light are elements like a white wood framed mirror hanging over the lavatory in between a pair of classic style silver wall sconces. The toilet area should feature vanity storage space, with an overhead hanging shelf, a towel rack on the side, and a tissue roll holder and basket to the side of it. This leaves the lavatory counter free of clutter.

This bathroom features a dual-height countertop, with the higher part embedded with a counter-rimmed sink and the lower one being the top of a set of drawers. The vanity mirror is combined with the medicine cabinet and mounted over the sink and is lit by a trio of Classic style wall sconces. To the side, a tall open shelf is the perfect space for sanitary necessities and décor.

Decorating Ideas for Bathrooms with Small Spaces

Here are some things to consider when decorating a small bathroom or refurbishing a small space.

Smart Storage – Small spaces have a terrible tendency to get too cluttered too fast. The small floor area means there is less room for the assortment of things that are stored within a bathroom such as hygiene products, towels and robes, and clothes hampers. As such, try to find creative ways to store all these items. Floating and wall shelves are common ways to pull this off.

You could also try incorporating storage space on the fixtures in the bathroom, such as using sink skirts, upcycled crates, and trays, as well as stackable storage bins. Hidden tilt‑out baskets keep dirty clothes off the floor while preserving traffic flow.

Less is More – Minimalism is the new black nowadays. In answering the issue of cluttered small spaces, one should very seriously consider when to stop in terms of adding design elements to the room. Although personalizing and expressive creativity are always encouraged in interior design, a lot of people also have to know when too much is too much. With small spaces, this is all the more true, so be sure to know when something is useful or not in the bathroom and when you should consider relocating small ornamental items to another space.

Accent Pieces – That’s not to say you should do away with all style pieces in the bathroom; the key to good design is using bold accent pieces. Although in a small space, one should be careful not to over-clutter the space, the pieces that you do decide to keep must contribute to the general vibe of the space. This can be in the form of paintings, statuettes, and accent walls.

Consider Color – Always plan out your preferred color palettes in advance. Try to see what types of color combinations strike you the most, and consider concocting a palette that really brightens up the small bathroom space. Some advice would be to use neutral colors to promote calmness and cleanliness. Neutral tones and palettes used as the foundation of a bathroom’s color really enhance the classiness and style of the space.

Play With Pattern Scale – Lay oversized hex tile on the floor and run the same tile in a narrower mosaic on the shower niche. The shift in scale defines zones without physical dividers.

Built‑In Niches Everywhere – Stud‑bay niches only need 3½ inches of wall depth. Use one above the toilet for candles and plants, another in the shower for bottles, and a slim vertical niche beside the vanity for hair tools.

It’s the Little Things – With design, the smallest details make a world of difference. After considering the big accent pieces, the overall color palette of the room, and the layout of everything in the space, try to think about the details that make a bathroom truly shine.

This small contemporary bathroom pairs matte black fixtures with a white fluted vanity cabinet and terrazzo tile floor for a bold, modern look.

Lighting Strategies That Visually Expand the Room

Pro Tip: Position the exhaust fan on the same switch as the shower niche light—steam triggers the light/fan combo and reminds guests to ventilate.

Finish & Material Cheat‑Sheet for Small Baths

Borrow the following pairings straight from boutique hotel design playbooks.

• Walls: Satin‑finish acrylic paint in > LRV 70 (think soft dove white) reflects 2× more light than eggshell.
• Floor: 12 × 24 porcelain tile laid in a 1/3 offset. Fewer grout lines = calmer visuals.
• Countertop: Compact‑depth (18‑in) quartz with a mitered 1½‑in edge gives full‑size presence without stealing walkway.
• Hardware: Brushed nickel or matte black lever handles—both hide fingerprints better than polished chrome.

Make careful choices regarding the type of floor tiles used, the bathroom accessories used, such as towel racks and hooks, and even the hardware, such as door knobs and the type of toilet fixtures you’ll be using. To see these ideas in your own home, try one of our recommended bathroom remodeling software programs. These programs allow one to try adding different elements to a design to help visualize how it will look. You can also look at bathroom before and after pictures to get an idea of what you like.

This bathroom features a sloped ceiling, with the tallest part fitted with the dual tub and shower area. The small tub installation is lined with an array of shower heads, while the lower, sloped area is clad in a heavy-grained warm wood finish. Having the cabinets and shelves fit the slope, as well as cladding the upper wall in the same wood finish, is a great accent to the plain grey walls, and it also gives the room a cozy feel. The larger cabinet provides extra storage and décor space. A petite bowl-shaped vessel-type sink sits at the top of the lavatory countertop with the tap mounted onto the wall, freeing up more counter space.

This master bathroom for two features a pair of lavatory countertops. Each countertop is embedded with a rimless sink, meaning more counter space is available. In addition, the undercounter cabinets are large and great for storage and are aided by the tall open shelf in between the two lavatories, Above each countertop, large mirrors were mounted with a dark wood framing, giving the illusion of a larger space.

One of the most important ways to keep a small bathroom design looking larger is through the use of color. Light walls and colors reflect more light throughout the space. If you want to add a dark color, keep it contained to the floors for best results. See more white bathroom designs here.

This rustic stone bathroom features a darker textured tile for its floors and a lighter one for the walls, with dark mosaic tile used for accents on the shelves, back wall, and mirror frame. Using darker flooring in conjunction with a lighter wall emphasizes more space, especially if paired with a large picture window. The sink itself features heavy stone-clad shelves that also act as the support for the heavy sink and counter. The toilet tank is embedded into a built-up that is used as a shelf, and another shelf was made above it for more storage.

This bathroom uses rusticated brown tiles paired with the same colored tile in thin strips for accent areas such as the lavatory countertop and behind the open glass shelves. Horizontal lines give the illusion of wider spaces, and that is further exacerbated by the use of mirrors on the three enclosing walls of the lavatory countertop. The drop ceiling, as well as the embedded downlights, further highlight the space. From the mirror, it is seen that the toilet features a flush tank embedded into the wall, giving the toilet seat and bowl more space in the room.

Small bathroom ideas that use a brighter color theme are a great choice, as lighter shades reflect light and help give the appearance of a bigger space.

This bathroom features a dual-height countertop, with the higher part embedded with a counter-rimmed sink and the lower one functioning as a dressing table. The vanity mirror is combined with the medicine cabinet and lit by classic style wall sconces, with a tall open shelf to the side.

By removing the typical frame and going with a curbless shower style, you can run the flooring directly into the shower, creating a seamless flooring transition.

This small modern bathroom design keeps things bright with its white walls, floating vanity, and wood look porcelain tile floors.

This bathroom features a sloped ceiling, with the tallest part fitted with the dual tub and shower area. The tub is lined with white tiles while the rest of the bathroom features smooth plaster and natural wood.

This master bathroom for two features a pair of lavatory countertops. Each countertop is embedded with a rimless sink, meaning more counter space is available. The undercounter cabinets are large and great for storage, aided by a tall open shelf between the two lavatories.

Making use of the narrow space, this lavatory countertop takes advantage of the high ceilings in the bathroom. The vanity towers over the toilet with its tall mirrored cabinet flanked by warm metallic mosaic tile columns.

This small bathroom economizes the layout by placing all fixtures on one side of the wall, ensuring a path with no obstacles.

This bathroom utilizes a compact modern dual vanity with a navy shiplap accent wall, double black-framed mirrors and a thick marble slab countertop.

This double sink lavatory countertop features a marble top with a distressed sage green finish for its under counter drawers and cabinet doors.

This small bathroom comes with white walls and white painted wood wainscoting. Its tiles are also in a white colored base with black accent tiles to form a checkered pattern on the floor.

Creative use of shelving can add character to small bathroom designs. A trio of long open shelves is cleanly mounted beside the pedestal sink for additional storage and display.

This light lavender bathroom features a pedestal type sink with a thin base and a robust basin, complemented by an ornate chrome chandelier and mosaic tile floor.

This small bathroom features an odd L-shape, and this layout takes full advantage of the irregular shape, using floating shelves with small plants to fill the nooks.

The dark wood finish of the undercounter cabinetry goes well with the white marble countertop with backsplash, as well as the chrome fixtures and silver mosaic tile framed mirror.

This Master bathroom features a symmetrical front, with a pair of double pedestal sinks having a brushed chrome tap and basin faucet. A bamboo rattan chest between the sinks provides extra storage.

This very small powder room features a distressed seafoam green antique-style vanity with a white vessel sink, a decorative sunflower wall mirror, and rich dark wood strip flooring.

This small bathroom features a glass enclosed shower in one corner, set with white subway tiles. A built-in shelving tower beside the toilet displays starfish and coastal blue vase decor.

Many small bathroom ideas use pedestal style sinks because of their low profile design. This chrome console sink with marble wainscoting surrounds pairs beautifully with a dark built-in shelving unit.

This bathroom features a lot of classic elements, such as hexagonal penny mosaic tile flooring, square marble tiles for the tub surround, and white beadboard wainscoting.

This bathroom features a small vanity counter with a vessel type basin mounted onto the surface. White subway tile covers the walls with a decorative glass mosaic border strip.

This small bathroom features a very simple pedestal sink and toilet but makes up for it in terms of storage with wicker hanging wall baskets mounted on chrome rods.

A trio of L-shaped open shelves mounted in the corner is an excellent showcase for ornamental items and coastal decor, painted in a calming sage green.

Many small bathroom ideas utilize mirrors and glass shelving to create the illusion of a large space. This bathroom features chrome glass floating shelves and a grey tile walk-in shower.

This petite bathroom keeps things simple with a white pedestal sink, natural driftwood framed mirror, and stacked seagrass storage baskets to save floor space.

This bathroom mixes shower area and tub, creating a space where users can do both, with a beautiful all-white ornate X-brace vanity and marble countertop anchoring the space.

Small Bathroom Storage

Built in cabinetry positioned above the toilet can create additional storage space in a smaller bathroom. This cherry wood cabinet and matching vanity make excellent use of vertical space.

A classic style bathroom ladder shelf is one of the best ways to create storage or hanging space in a bathroom. This white ladder holds aqua towels and a small plant beside a freestanding soaking tub.

This small bathroom was painted all white — lighter, uniform colors tend to widen a room — and it works here in conjunction with a wall-mounted medicine cabinet and rose gold mirror.

One of the most important ways to keep a small bathroom design looking larger is through the use of color and light. This modern all-white bathroom with LED mirror cabinet maximizes both.

Some of the best small bathroom ideas come about from necessity. Right outside the dark slate shower enclosure, black pipe and reclaimed wood open shelving serves as practical towel storage.

This rustic stone bathroom features natural limestone tile for its walls and a darker slate for its floors. The built-in stone open vanity and carved vessel sink are striking design features. This bathroom uses dark bronze ribbed ceramic tiles paired with chrome glass display shelves for a dramatic modern look. The stone vessel sink creates a bold contrast against the dark floors

Small Contemporary Bathroom Ideas

Warm honey oak wood and handmade zellige tile bring organic texture to this small contemporary bathroom with limewash plaster walls and brushed gold fixtures.

Deep navy blue walls and a gold hexagon mosaic tile floor create a jewel-box effect in this small contemporary bathroom with a white freestanding soaking tub.

Polished concrete walls and a long integrated trough sink give this small contemporary minimalist bathroom a sleek, architectural feel with matte black wall-mounted faucets.

A sage green flat-panel floating vanity with white quartz countertop and matte black hardware brings a fresh, contemporary feel to this compact bathroom design.

Visit this page for more bathroom ideas for small spaces.

To showcase highly specific designs, some images on this website use advanced AI-generation software to illustrate ideas and room inspiration. See our editorial policy to learn more.

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