Bathroom Decorating Ideas For Small Bathrooms

60 Small Bathroom Ideas You'll Want to Try ASAP

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If you've ever tried to carve out more storage space in a tiny bathroom, you know that it's a seemingly impossible task. That's why it pays to know what kinds of products, layouts, setups, and decorating ideas can help make the most of a small bathroom and keep it organized.

To help in this endeavor, we searched our house tours high and low to round up some of the savviest small bathroom ideas we could find. It all comes down to really thinking outside the box when decorating without potentially cramming your space or losing out on storage opportunities. The following homes have incorporated everything from floating shelves and tiny sinks to mosaic tile and chic towel racks.

12 Brilliant Ideas for Your Small Bathroom

Continue scrolling for 60 ingenious ways to maximize even the smallest of bathroom spaces—all without sacrificing an inch of style.

1. Make it a shower room

Even if your shower takes up your entire bathroom, you can still make the most of the space, as evidenced by this gorgeous Swedish studio. A water-resistant bench for holding your belongings and towels are key.

2. Hide pipes with a plant

Name something a plant can't fix—we'll wait. While you may be disappointed with certain things in your tiny bathroom that you don't have the means to fix, like unsightly pipes or a boring cupboard, you can use a plant to take the attention off the area like these California renters did in their bath. A sink skirt would work here, too.

3. Rely on tile

Smaller square footage means less room for decor, but when you install striking tile, like what's seen in this cozy Vermont getaway, who needs anything more? The colors and patterns in the ceramic squares instantly brighten up the room and take up zero precious space, since they're used as a countertop material and to trim out the shower.

4. Turn to hanging storage

Installing hanging baskets for shower storage makes your bathroom look so much more fun—just take a look at this chic Pennsylvania home as an example. Your walls also won't feel as cluttered, and you'll avoid the pain of drilling or putting together a flat packed shelf.

5. Go all out with color

With little space for art or hanging decorations, you can fix a boring bathroom with a maximalist wallpaper, as is the case in this vivid New Jersey home. It infuses fun, lively color into your space but still leaves room for wall-mounted storage if needed.

6. Pick a bold paint color

Bright turquoise blue walls provide a stylish contrast to traditional white tile floors in a tiny bathroom, as we saw in this colorful New Orleans home.

7. Mount a few floating shelves

A pair of wall-mounted shelves turn a cramped bathroom corner into a storage-savvy scene. Let a chic Washington, D.C. apartment show you how it's done.

8. Give your space the tiled treatment

Add mosaic tile to the walls surrounding your bathtub or shower to create an artful display in your small bathroom, just like we saw in Shana Cohen's cozy cottage in Florida.

9. Play with texture

Take a cue from this Santa Barbara home by bringing some boho flair to a small bathroom. The duo used a mix of textures and textiles, like the woven rug, linen shower curtain, and rattan baskets.

10. Swap out your mirror.

Looking for an easy way to upgrade your small bathroom in a pinch? Replace your current mirror with a more sophisticated one—like the round floral bone mirror we found in this San Francisco apartment—to elevate the entire ambiance of your bathroom. No renovations necessary!

11. Work wonders with wallpaper

As proven in this maximalist Philadelphia home, sprightly floral wallpaper brightens up a tiny powder room with style.

12. Fake it 'til you make it

An oversized mirror, like the round one we spotted in a Michigan home, reflects light and creates the illusion of more space in a tiny bathroom.

13. Picture ledge power

Working with little to no surface space for storage on your pedestal sink? Mount a floating picture ledge above your sink to store cosmetics, perfume bottles, and other small bathroom necessities, as we saw in this Paris apartment.

14. Just keep it simple

A bathroom in a tiny home is about as small as you can get, but this Washington DC abode's bathroom doesn't feel cramped. If you keep products to a minimum and select only your favorite plant or candle to display, things will feel more spacious, even if they're actually far from it.

15. Make a splash with a shower curtain

The cheery shower curtain in a boho-style Bronx apartment creates an artful display in her tiny bathroom.

16. Gallery walls galore

A pair of gallery walls filled with eclectic artwork brings color and personality to a small bathroom—no floor space required, as we found in Apartment Therapy editor Adrienne Breaux's New Orleans home.

17. Wow with a wreath

No room for a house plant? Take a cue from this farmhouse and hang a wreath for an organic touch.

18. Spice it up with sconces

Searching for a stylish way to free up space around your sink? Swingarm sconces—like the ones in this Michigan home—will provide plenty of accent lighting without taking up an inch of surface space.

19. Be bold and bohemian

Usher some boho vibes into your small bathroom by switching out the mirror above your sink with a more eye-catching style, like the colorful one we spotted in this art-filled New Orleans home.

20. Create a chalkboard wall

Cover a single wall in a fresh coat of chalkboard paint to make an artful statement in a small bathroom, which will also keep you entertained while you're in there. Let this Rhode Island home serve as the perfect bathroom inspo.

21. The trim treatment

Bring a pop of color and contrast to your small bathroom by painting your baseboards and door trim in a bright hue. The owner of this Kansas City home nailed this design trick.

22. Embrace the awkward

Maximize a small, awkwardly shaped bathroom by covering the walls with some playful wallpaper, as we saw in this charming house in Edinburgh, Scotland.

23. Go green

24. Lean in

Not working with a ton of wall space to hang art in your tiny bathroom? Learn from Cupcakes and Cashmere founder Emily Schuman and prop a piece of art above your toilet tank. Let it lean against the wall for a sleek, nails-free display like she did inside her Los Angeles home.

25. Think pink

A bold shade of bright fuchsia wall paint turns even the smallest of powder rooms into a glamorous scene, as we saw in a very colorful Minneapolis, Minnesota loft.

26. Make mirror magic

27. Dive into the decor deep end

Dark walls allow flashy gold-finished fixtures to shine in a small bathroom, as we found in an Art Deco-inspired Indiana home, which hits a high note in our book.

28. Collect toiletries in a cute tray

A well-placed tray instantly creates storage opportunity on top of your toilet tank, as we saw in this modern Chicago home.

29. Create a glamorous glow

Switch out your humdrum flush mount for a more striking overhead style, like the pendant light we spotted in this San Francisco remodel, to upgrade a small bathroom in seconds.

30. Work with your window treatments

Hang an eye-catching curtain panel or two in place of traditional shades or drapes to make a bold statement with your window coverings in a small bathroom. Let this maximalist Los Angeles rental show you how it's done.

31. Edit your palette

If you feel a busy color scheme cramps your style, select two colors—or even just one—and stick with it. This small but stylish New York apartment shows how black and white can make a bathroom appear larger than it is.

32. Wallpaper FTW

Install vibrantly patterned wallpaper in a petite powder room to bring a touch of drama to a hard-to-decorate space, as we saw in this pretty Boston abode.

33. Work your wainscoting

Create contrast in a compact bathroom by painting the wainscoting in a rich neutral shade. In her Michigan powder room, the occupant used a navy blue that doesn't overwhelm the small space.

34. Be bold

Too much of a good thing can be wonderful, and gallery walls in a small bathroom are no exception. Take a cue from this eclectic Nashville home and install floor-to-ceiling gallery displays on every wall of your bathroom for an impactful maximalist scene.

35. Hang out

An extra-long hanging plant—like the wall-length heartleaf philodendron we spotted in this Los Angeles bathroom—naturally draws the eye up so a cramped space seems larger than it actually is.

36. Dare to be woodsy

You can always count on wood-paneled walls to create an outdoorsy atmosphere in your tiny bathroom, just like we saw in this inspiring Austin, Texas abode. Who needs to trek to a log cabin when you have this?

37. Wall-to-wall color

An eye-catching coral-hued curtain panel, as seen in a Pennsylvania home, brightens up a small, neutral bathroom in seconds.

38. Try an atypical towel rack

Score some extra sink-side storage space by replacing your wall-mounted towel rack with a multifunctional leaning ladder, as we saw in a gorgeous Australia-based bathroom.

39. Fashion flower power

In the bathroom of a Highland Park, California home, a commanding shower curtain creates a colorful centerpiece in a tiny white-tiled space

40. Forge some floating storage

Invest in a sleek and slender hanging rail system, like the FINTORP series at IKEA, so you won't waste an inch of precious sink space on toiletries. Jordan and Brittany Griggs take their storage strategy to the next level with this hack.

41. Find smaller fixtures

Smaller bathrooms call for smaller fixtures, which in turn leads to a perfectly proportioned space like this sun-soaked barge-turned-home. An itty bitty sink and petite toilet help make the wee bit of square footage in here not feel cramped.

42. Consider a chair

In this Brooklyn brownstone, a pretty porcelain stool brings a burst of color and some extra surface space for storage into a tiny neutral bathroom.

43. Go wild with mosaic tile

Divert attention away from an awkward bathroom layout with colorful mosaic tiled floors and walls, as we saw in a stunning Los Angeles bungalow.

44. Be bold and botanical

When you don't have enough room to place houseplants in your powder room, consider vibrant leaf-patterned wallpaper. This trick definitely pops in a lush Beverly Hills home.

45. Keep plants in the shower

Plant parents don't need to sweat it, if shelf space is taken, and there's no room on the floor. Many plants do perfectly fine chilling with you in the shower. Just take note of how the owners of this stunning Montreal home did it and research to see if your green-fronded friends can find a home in your bathroom. You can even hang a few off of your shower rod!

46. Make a mirrored marvel

An eye-catching full-length mirror brings an artful touch to a small bathroom while creating the illusion of more space, as we saw in this Texan house.

47. Embrace the extra

A floor-to-ceiling gallery wall gives a compact bathroom a maximalist upgrade when displayed against a bright green-painted wall. Look to this colorful Los Angeles home for some inspiration.

48. Shop for slim storage

49. Try textured walls

50. Play with complementary colors

The orange shower curtain and blue walls in the bathroom of a stylish New Orleans house pull the eye up and around the space. They also help visually elongate the room, emphasizing the tall ceilings and taking attention off of the narrowness of the space.

51. Beautify with baskets

A good-looking woven basket provides more than enough storage room for rolled towels, bathtub toys, and other bathroom accessories. Let this West Hollywood apartment show you how it's done.

52. Raise a glass (shelf)

No sink storage in your small bathroom? No worries. In this Brooklyn brownstone, a slender floating glass shelf offers up space for stashing a range of toiletries without cramping up a small bathroom.

53. Color your cabinets

Bring a burst of color into a small, minimalist bathroom by painting your sink cabinets in a vibrant hue, as we saw in this soothing space in a Michigan kit home.

54. Take a seat

A petite side chair provides a place to perch and surface space for tub-side storage in a small bathroom, as seen in this English farmhouse.

55. Go geometric

A shapely wall-mounted storage unit, like the floating brass circle shelf we spotted inside an Oakland apartment, adds some geometric flair (and a storage opportunity) to a tiny bathroom.

56. Find functional furniture

An unexpected but multifunctional piece of furniture, as seen in this Berlin apartment, offers up some much-needed storage space in a small bathroom.

57. Create contrast

58. Float on

If you're working with little to no storage space around your shower or bathtub, mount a floating shelf or picture ledge on the wall above the tub to store your shampoo, conditioner, and soap. This Buenos Aires home strikes a balance between form and function.

59. Keep a low profile

When you don't have any surface space around your pedestal sink, consider employing a petite, tiered side table to create some instant storage opportunity. This Austin abode show how to get the job done in style.

60. Go big or go home

Don't let a lack of square footage hold you back from designing your dream bathroom. Take a cue from Lauren Naimola and Chad Pratt and install everything from a gallery wall to a statement light in your powder room to prove that good style will always trump size.

Caroline Biggs

Contributor

Caroline is a writer living in New York City. When she's not covering art, interiors, and celebrity lifestyles, she's usually buying sneakers, eating cupcakes, or hanging with her rescue bunnies, Daisy and Daffodil.

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