Skip to Content

Small Bathroom Decorating Ideas

Sharing is caring!

Whether you’re working with a tight budget or aiming for a luxurious update, there are countless ways to infuse personality, elegance, and efficiency into your bathroom. From clever storage solutions to creative color schemes, these small bathroom decorating ideas will help you make the most of every inch.

Transforming a small bathroom into a stylish and functional space can be a rewarding challenge. With the right design choices, you can maximize both form and function, creating a room that feels more spacious and inviting.

*This post contains affiliate links. For more details see my full disclosure.

Small Bathroom Decorating Ideas

Small bathrooms can be a major pain to decorate. There isn’t a ton of room but you will need space to store items such as toilet paper, towels, and toiletry items.

What is a person to do? Well I have some great options for you to consider for your small bathroom.

Choose a petite bathtub

A small bathroom with a small tub that you sit upright in with a wood step stool to get in.
Source: Quality Bath

Unless you are a very tall person a petite bathtub can really free up space. A small tub like this one can give you additional room for a laundry basket or toilet.

Skip the tub and only have a shower

A white bathroom with black and white decorative tile in the shower along with subway tile.
Source: 34 St. John

If you aren’t a bath person then just skip it! This has been a huge trend in the last 5 or so years. Eight years ago my Mom built a house and opted for no bathtub.

By choosing to ditch the tub you can have more space for a larger shower!

Hang your shower curtain high

A bathroom with camel colored walls, and shower curtains hung almost to the ceiling.
Source: Blesser House

Just like in a family room hanging curtains high can make your ceilings look taller, the same principle applies with shower curtains.

Hang your shower curtain as high as possible to elevate the look of the height of your bathroom.

Have ample light

A black and white bathroom with wood floors and a chandelier over the bathrub.
Source: Bee Ridge Lighting

I need lots of light to be able to see when putting makeup on! But the type of lighting you have is very important.

First you need overhead lighting to illuminate the whole space. That can be recessed lights in the ceiling or a gorgeous chandelier.

Then you need task lights around your mirror. This will help you be able to see your face well. I like the drop lights here or some wall sconces would be great too.

Use mirrors to make the space feel bigger

A white bathroom with gold hexagon mirrors and gold hardware and faucets.
Source: Utah Style and Design

This is a design trick that has been used over and over. Adding mirrors not only bounces light around the room but it also make the room feel bigger.

Add decorative tile

A white bathroom with marble tile on the floor and decorative tile on the back wall behind the tub.
Source: Backsplash.com

Decorative tile can give you a wonderful focal point like in the photo above or a great look to have under your feet.

Adding a decorative tile makes the space feel expensive and what’s great is if the tile is a little more pricey you don’t need that much of it because it’s a small space!

Install a medicine cabinet

A bathroom with a light wood vanity black hardware, gold faucets and a gold mirror above that is a medicine cabinet.
Source: West Elm

In the mid 1900’s every home had a medicine cabinet but as we got closer to 2000 they were considered a dated concept. But then we have the issue of where do you put your stuff?!

In small bathrooms organization can be very important. The old medicine cabinets are a hard no but the new style of medicine cabinets are totally in! They can be recessed into the wall or hang on the wall. They are a great option for small bathrooms.

Decorate with plants

A bathroom with a light wood vanity and a vessel sink with marble tile on the walls and lots of plants.
Source: DCon Build

I always love to add plants to a room to make the room feel fresh and lived in. The bathroom is no exception. There are also a lot of great plants that can be beneficial to your health when placed in the bathroom!

Add shiplap

A bathroom with white shiplap walls, a mint green vanity with white counter and a round mirror.
Source: Lily Ann Cabinets

Shiplap isn’t just for farmhouse style, it can be used in a very modern space and look fabulous. What’s great about using shiplap is it makes the space feel bigger!

The horizontal lines in the photo above make the space feel larger. If you have a space with low ceilings you can run the shiplap vertically to make the room feel taller.

Use a wall-to-wall vanity

A bathroom with a wall to wall vanity.
Source: Homluv

Maximize space by adding wall to wall cabinetry. Not only does this add more storage but running cabinetry like this tricks the eye into thinking the space is wider than it is.

Install a pedestal sink

A bathroom with gray walls, a white pedestal sink and a gold faucet.
Source: Vintage Tub

Another option is to install a pedestal sink. It takes up less floor space leaving you with with the illusion of the room looking bigger.

Add wainscotting

A bathroom with lots of white, mint green walls and a crystal chandelier.
Source: Thrifty Decor Chic

You might think wainscoting cuts the room and will make it feel smaller but it doesn’t! Having wainscoting adds interest to the space without taking up space.

Make an accent wall

A bathroom with an accent wall behind the toilet and vanity that is dark sage green.
Source: Kolo Magazine

Every space needs a focal wall, the bathroom is no different. By adding a focal point you give the room personality and a place to focus your attention, not on the fact that the space is small.

Have a floating vanity

A bathroom with a floating vanity, white walls and arched mirrors.
Source: On Floating Vanity

If you are short on floor space having a floating vanity will give you the illusion that the space is bigger. The reason why is because you can see more of the floor than if the vanity went all the way down.

Use wallpaper

A bathroom with a lrge jungle pattern wallpaper and gold framed mirror with a gold faucet.
Source: Natalia Style

Small bathrooms are a great place to inject something fun and wallpaper is a great option! It gives the room personality and keeps you from feeling that the space is small.

Control the clutter

A white bathroom with lots of cabinets and flowers on the countertop.
Source: Pure Happy Home

Nothing can make a space feel small than a lot of clutter. Making sure everything has a place is so important. Empty counters give the illusion of a larger space.

Add an area rug

A white bathroom with a side table with books and a multi-colored rug on the floor.
Source: Apartment Therapy

Bathrooms are a very cold space with lots of hard surfaces. Adding a rug can really help soften the space and give you something warm under your feet.

Other bathroom posts you might like:

A grid of three bathrooms with text overlay.

As a licensed Real Estate Agent and an avid home decorator, I strive to give my clients the very best I can when it comes to staging, selling, and decorating their homes. I have lots of experience with paint color choices and love to DIY my home so I can have everything just the way I want it. I share my ideas and projects with the world in the hopes that I can help others have their homes just the way they want as well.

I accept the Privacy Policy

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.