5 Small, Clever Bathroom Designs
See how bathroom designers expanded the possibilities with fearless patterns, joyful accessories and smart space-saving solutions
If there’s one thing I’ve learned from bathroom designers, it’s that successfully designing a tiny space often means shedding one’s fears and inhibitions. Whether you’re remodelling a compact guest bath or updating your pocket-size bathroom to include more modern fixtures, the designers below will likely teach you a thing or two about stretching every square foot of space – and every ounce of design courage – when it comes to your small bathroom.
The designers also added niches to the small shower. “The shower niches eliminate clutter and make room for a beautiful shampoo, soap and loofah display,” says Andrews-Rice.
Tip: Forget matching your small bath or powder room with the rest of your home. “It’s really the place to go big, to have fun and to take risks that you wouldn’t ordinarily take in other parts of the house,” says Andrews-Rice.
Here’s how to put a shelf in your shower
Tip: Forget matching your small bath or powder room with the rest of your home. “It’s really the place to go big, to have fun and to take risks that you wouldn’t ordinarily take in other parts of the house,” says Andrews-Rice.
Here’s how to put a shelf in your shower
Architect Cathy Schwabe mounted the fixtures in this bath on the wall to save space. She also installed a tub that’s shorter than the 60-inch width of the room, making it a great choice for a compact bath.
A floating toy tray eliminates the need for clunky, wall-mounted baskets or tiered organising systems, which would only have taken up more of the limited floor space.
Tip: “It’s not an option for everyone, but if it is, I highly recommend adding a skylight,” says Schwabe. The skylight and the window give this small bath a feeling of height and expansiveness.
A floating toy tray eliminates the need for clunky, wall-mounted baskets or tiered organising systems, which would only have taken up more of the limited floor space.
Tip: “It’s not an option for everyone, but if it is, I highly recommend adding a skylight,” says Schwabe. The skylight and the window give this small bath a feeling of height and expansiveness.
This small bath exudes joy. “The shower curtain makes me smile each time I look at it,” says interior designer Scott Neste. It’s the ideal illustration to look at, at the start of a fresh day.”
Tip: Keep wall, ceiling, floor and tile colours tonal. Neste created what he calls a “controlled character” in this small bath by shifting from white to cream to tan. “The tone-on-tone colours create depth and help the room read much larger than 30 square feet,” he says.
Learn how to separate your wet shower area
Tip: Keep wall, ceiling, floor and tile colours tonal. Neste created what he calls a “controlled character” in this small bath by shifting from white to cream to tan. “The tone-on-tone colours create depth and help the room read much larger than 30 square feet,” he says.
Learn how to separate your wet shower area
This 55-square-foot bathroom may not have a soaking tub, but it has everything else needed for someone to come out feeling fresh and clean. In the simple and straightforward layout, designer Peter Balsam saved space by using a round vanity. “It fits perfectly within the niche and softens up the entire space,” says Balsam.
See how a small bathroom can maximise space
See how a small bathroom can maximise space
Tip: Figure out what you'll keep from your existing bath and what you'll replace in a makeover based on condition and practicality. Balsam did away with the old vanity and embraced the curves of this new petite walnut piece.
The marriage of mirrors and glass in this studio’s bathroom gives the illusion of space – even though the area is no more than 24 square feet. The toilet and custom vanity float above the hex tiles, leaving the floor space open.
Tip: Continuity in design gives a small space a sense of cohesiveness. The wall-mounted faucet, the sink and the shower fixtures all speak architect Jordan Parnass‘ contemporary language – and he even extended the mounted design right down to the toilet paper holder.
Read more:
Solutions to 9 Big Problems in Small Bathrooms
9 Amazing Space-Saving Ideas for Tiny Bathrooms
Tell us:
Do you have a small bathroom? How have your maximised space in it? Tell us in the Comments below.
Tip: Continuity in design gives a small space a sense of cohesiveness. The wall-mounted faucet, the sink and the shower fixtures all speak architect Jordan Parnass‘ contemporary language – and he even extended the mounted design right down to the toilet paper holder.
Read more:
Solutions to 9 Big Problems in Small Bathrooms
9 Amazing Space-Saving Ideas for Tiny Bathrooms
Tell us:
Do you have a small bathroom? How have your maximised space in it? Tell us in the Comments below.
They incorporated the bathroom’s existing pinwheel tile into the design. “We fell in love with the unusual and rare burgundy pinwheel tile and couldn’t believe that it was in such good condition,” says Andrews-Rice.