Nine Small Bathroom Ideas to Inspire Your Next Makeover

Small bathrooms are very common, most homes have at least one. Whether yours is a petite hallway powder room just big enough to squeeze in a toilet and sink or it serves as your master bath with a stand-up shower or full tub, it can be a challenge to design and decorate. That, however, doesn’t mean you can’t fit both style and space into your current layout. With a little bit of planning, imagination and these charming small bathroom decorating ideas, you can have a space that functions well and is filled with big personality. Let’s take a tiny tour, shall we?

1. Mirrors Are A Must

Every bathroom needs a mirror and that goes double for small space bathrooms. Mirrors not only help us with our morning routines, but their reflections immediately make a room appear larger by creating the illusion of another adjoining space. Real or imagined, those few extra visual feet can make a huge difference in the way the room feels. Wanda at From House To Home blog installed a gorgeous Venetian mirror over a newly tiled wall with glamorous results. The arch of the mirror draws your eye upwards as do the arches on the light fixtures that flank the mirror. Their drop crystals complete this high-end look with a touch of elegance and did you notice they are mirrored, as well? Fabulous. 

See post: Wanda @ From House To Home|How To Renovate A Small Bathroom On A Budget

2. Embrace The Darkness

Adding dark paint to a small room seem counterintuitive. Most magazines and designers list it as a giant decorating don’t, however, if you’re drawn to drama, it’s the way to go. This small modern bathroom is outstanding, because of the rich tone that’s been applied to the walls. Plus, despite the deep hue and busy pattern on the floor, the room is still the same size. Paint color doesn’t actually change the square footage of the room, regardless of what the experts will have you believe. The white shower curtain and painted floor pop due to the contrast and the simple lines of the fixtures stand out, as well. So if you crave color, for it and embrace the dark! 

See post: Lela Burris|Small Bathroom Remodel On A Budget

3. Take It Off

Sometimes the layout in a small bathroom isn’t ideal, especially when you’re living in an older home. Hometalker Urban Acreage was lucky enough to have a tiny linen closet tucked into her only bathroom, but the open door often knocked into the main bathroom door, making it difficult to access her necessities. To solve this small space dilemma, she removed the closet door entirely. She replaced the painted shelves with butcher block to create more counter space and gained an accessible storage area in the process. Since the shelves are open, the homeowners have an area to showcase their decor, storing everyday items, like their toothbrushes and band-aids, in stylish containers. 

See post: Urban Acreage|How We "Deal" With Our (Really Really) Small Bathroom

4. Open It Up

Hometalker Sara from Birdz Of A Feather did more than just remove a door in her small bathroom, she went a step further and removed the drywall. A poor layout in a new home left several inches of awkward wall space between the tub and window. Rather than hang a picture there, she opened the wall up and boxed out a storage nook to house towels and toiletries. She was so pleased with the results, that she kept going and removed the bulkhead above the shower and tub combination to give the room an additional feeling of space. While the footprint of the room hasn’t changed at all, the room lives much larger. Do you have any hidden headroom hiding behind your walls?

See post: Birdz Of A Feather | Reclaim and Maximize Space in Your Bathroom!

5. Create A Custom Vanity

Big box stores carry reasonably priced vanities that you can pull off the shelf for same day installation, but they’re often cookie cutter squares that lack character and storage. Placing a custom order can buy you something that looks and works better in your allotted space, but it will definitely cost you. However, by turning an old dresser into a bathroom vanity, you can get a unique, one of a kind armoire in the size you need. Whether you buy a new piece of furniture or upcycle a curbside find, you can stain, paint or distress it to compliment the theme of your room perfectly since you are the DIY designer.

See post: Angela Davis- A to Z Custom Creations|DIY Dresser Vanity for a Small Bath!

6. Budget Bathroom Beauty

So you’d love to start your own makeover, but the budget is a little tight. Well, don’t despair, one of the benefits of having a small bathroom is that the cost of remodeling doesn’t have to break the bank. Teryn Yancy was able to completely change the look of her boring bathroom from bland to grand for under $100. Keep in mind that price included the board and batten walls! By combining a few bargain store finds with thrift store treasures, DIY decor, and a couple items she already owned, Teryn was able to give this bathroom the shabby restyle she was ready for, for a price she could be excited about! 

See post: Teryn Yancey|Bathroom Makeover Under $100

7. Let It Slide

Privacy is a very important consideration when planning your renovation, but sometimes small bathroom layouts don’t leave enough room for a door that swings. If that’s the case, why not add one that slides? Pocket doors tuck between the drywall on tracks but can be hard to install if the walls are already closed up. Barn doors work the same way but are mounted on the outside of a finished wall. The hardware is available in big box DIY stores and online in custom sizes and it works with whatever door you choose, vintage, new, wooden or tinted French glass. Since there are no hinges to contend with, you gain a little more floor space and, let’s face it, a whole lot of style. 

See post: Rachel|Small Master Bathroom Budget Makeover

8. Double Duty Decor

When space is at a premium, you might think you have to choose between your need for storage and your passion for displaying your treasured decor, but think again. If you’re like Susan from Homeroad, your decorative accessories will pull double duty and serve as both. She combined this old ladder and vintage looking wire basket to form a unique shelf in her own tiny bathroom. Her rustic DIY upcycle adds a bit of farmhouse flair to the space and puts the towels in easy reach of the shower for her family members. It’s the perfect space-saving combination of convenience and country creativity.

See post: Homeroad|Rustic Bathroom Storage Solutions

9. Shiplap It

Farmhouse style is very popular right now with shiplap wall planks taking center stage. They’re often featured in bedrooms, living rooms, and kitchens, but bathrooms? Well, why not? Their clean, long uniform lines visually lengthen the walls and the bright, white paint lends an airy feel to an otherwise small area. It’s a simple DIY job that can be done on any size budget, depending on the type of wood you decide to use, and will totally transform your suburban bathroom into a room that blends in seamlessly with the rest of your cozy, country abode. 

See post: Christina|Faux Shiplap Bathroom Makeover

It’s easy to see that just because you can’t tear down a wall, doesn’t mean you can’t fit the bathroom of your dreams inside your existing small space. Country, modern, master or guest, these bathroom decorating ideas are sure to help you take your current decor up a giant step. Which idea was your favorite? How did you decorate your small bathroom? Care to share? Come visit us at Hometalk and post all about it!

Written for the Hometalk community by: Kim | Exquisitely Unremarkable