45 small bathroom ideas from the House & Garden archive
A small bathroom is a challenge that many of us face, especially for flat-living urban dwellers and those blessed with old, draughty cottages (and all of their old-school spaces and awkward corners). Getting the most out of your bathroom's square footage, however, is easier than it seems. A guiding principle here at House & Garden is that small spaces are the perfect an opportunity to get creative (and sometimes the best things really do come in small packages…).
How to design a small bathroom
Shower-bath or walk-in shower? It's the big conundrum in a small bathroom: do you have room for a bath? It's a personal choice, of course, and we've seen some cleverly-designed shower-baths that can make a real style statement. If you opt for the latter, make sure you choose some really beautiful bathroom tiles as they'll be taking up so much visual space in the room.
Wall-hung loo or freestanding? A wall-hung toilet, or one where the cistern is boxed in, can be great for a more contemporary feel. For a more traditional feel, we love the old-fashioned Victorian-style contraptions with cisterns placed high above the seat.
Choose your vanity carefully: a wall-hung vanity is the most space-saving option of course, but you may want to put your basin on a vanity that incorporates storage, if you have nowhere else to store things. Pedestals don't really perform much of a function, but vanities on a metal frame can be quite handy for storing towels.
Get in storage wherever you can: you're going to need somewhere to keep all your lotions, potions and beautifying products, so you might as well make sure it's contributing aesthetically. If you use panelling, build a small shelf on top of the panelling where you can put your toothbrush and cosmetics; install hooks everywhere you might want to hang a towel or dressing gown. For loos where the cistern is boxed in, make sure there is enough room on top of the boxing to put things. Antique or bobbin shelves, too, pair perfectly with a small bathroom. Follow the adage that if everything has a place, you won't feel the small size of the bathroom too much.
No matter its size, a room will have four walls, each a perfect canvas to show off one's penchants in decoration. Tongue-and-groove panelling in a small bathroom, for example, is a great way to demarcate spaces (you might use it, for example, to create a special zone for the bath), and lends a traditional look while avoiding the pitfalls of wallpaper in a badly ventilated room. If you do have ventilation in the bathroom, on the other hand, we love a bathroom wallpaper - nothing adds character in quite the same way. Tiles and backsplashes, too, offer ample opportunity for inventiveness: a small bathroom is a perfect place to try out some beautiful tiles as a backsplash for the sink (you won't need too many) or experiment with a bespoke panels behind the bath or shower.
Once you've panelled, wall-papered or tiled your small bathroom, let your next consideration be the art. It might seem counter-intuitive to hang art in the bathroom (and it may not be where you want to keep valuable paintings), but prints, posters, photographs and other framed pieces will add plenty of charm.
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How to add character to your small bathroom
Is there anything worse than looking ghoulish under a harsh bathroom light? We know there are lots of requirements for bathroom lighting, but creating a thoughtful scheme will go a long way in such a small room. Stores like Pooky, Original BTC and Hector Finch sell plenty of IP-rated lights that are still beautiful and elegant (and help you to avoid the poorly-lit pitfalls that come from basic, dreary lighting).
When it comes to small bathroom ideas, the smallest of details matter the most. Pay attention to the room's fixtures and fittings: taps, towel-rails, light switches, handles and hooks are the things you touch, so splash out a little on these if you can.
Small bathroom ideas from the House & Garden archive
Boz Gagovski1/51The modern love affair with open-plan layouts may be fading, but the diminutive Hackney flat that Daniel Slowik shares with decorator and designer Benedict Foley exemplifies how to deal with a small space without (entirely) submitting to the open-plan fallacy. This bathroom is a testament to clever design in compact areas, being a simple wet room that maximizes utility without sacrificing style. The stool is a charming 19th-century piece from Peninsula Malaysia, paired with a 19th-century American folk art mirror. The floor, made of elegant terrazzo from Balineum, adds a touch of luxury, while the 19th-century white metal cup from Benares provides a unique historical accent. A painting by Duncan Grant, just visible in the mirror, completes the artistic and thoughtful decor, making this an inspiring example for small loo ideas.
Christopher Horwood2/51A flat of under 50 square metres, which could have been rather claustrophobic has, under Carlos Garcia’s careful steerage, become a cosy, characterful and much-loved home. Underfloor heating was installed in the bathroom below reclaimed Victorian black and terracotta tiles, which echo the original tiles in the back hall. Due to the limitations of space in the bathroom – and also to provide additional privacy – a mirror has been hung from the window frame behind the basin, with the bottom half of the window covered by a bistro curtain.
Paul Massey3/51Finding a compromise between the minimalist tastes of its owner and her love of tactile fabrics and pattern, Rita Konig has subtly enhanced the airy interiors of this Manhattan house. In the bathroom, walls painted with faux panelling conceal storage and add to the country theme found throughout the house. The panelling, too, adds particular intrigue to the space – necessary for a smaller, windowless room.
Tom Griffiths4/51In this blue and white bathroom in Melinda Stevens' house, the wooden wallpaper serves to ground the tile colours and create depth and a more soothing space – not to mention make it interesting to look at.
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Mike Garlick5/51The shower room in this charming Notting Hill flat, designed by Sarah Vanrenen, is a vibrant celebration of pinks and greens. The diamond-tile flooring, mirror, painted woodwork, and walls all contribute to the vivid intrigue of the smaller space.
Chris Horwood6/51In her rented flat, Sally Wilkinson has added a skirt around the basin, a simple decoration fix to add flair to an ordinary bathroom feature. A wall light and shade by Howe London, custom-made vanity skirt in The Cloth Shop fabric, framed blue and white tiles by Brownrigg and striped hand towel by Zara Home have also been implemented to enliven the space.
Boz Gagovski7/51In the small upstairs bathroom of this Notting Hill house by Stella Weatherall, a small table provides extra decorating space for trinkets, flowers and books.
Astrid Templier8/51With less space for decoration in this Herne Hill house by Pandora Taylor, clashing patterns on the walls, window and floor add interest. The tiles in the guest bathroom are laid in elegant stripes and are ‘Felini Gloss’ in Pianta and Cream by Claybrook.
Dean Hearne9/51The bathroom in Daisy Sims-Hilditch's Notting Hill apartment is fresh and airy with its sage green colour scheme. Daisy has combined Adelphi Paper Hangings' ‘Otis Federal Stripe’ with Neptune's ‘Sage’ paint on the woodwork. The mirror is from Soane, and the same company's ‘Scrolling Fern’ fabric makes a charming sink curtain. A small painting by Daisy hangs over a Portobello Market find on the far wall.
Paul Massey10/51Lisa Mehydene, founder of online homeware platform edit58, was looking for a weekend house in the Cotswolds when she found this loftily proportioned converted barn on the site of a former spiritual retreat. Upstairs, space was carved out for a bathroom in the children’s shared bedroom, while a sliver was also stolen from the spare room to enlarge the adjoining bathroom. The panelling round the bath is in Farrow & Ball’s ‘Lichen'.
Mark Anthony Fox11/51A generous vanity unit made from a repurposed Charles X commode makes the bathroom of this historic Wimbledon flat by Emma Burns feel like an extension of the bedroom.
Boz Gagovski12/51The interior designer Lucy Mayers has wrought an impressive transformation on her tiny Kensington flat, taking it from boring ‘standard student rental fare’ to a space full of personality and packed with surprises. The narrow vanity in the bathroom is an old sewing table bought at Criterion Auctions as a bedside table, but Lucy adapted it into a vanity by adding a brass top and a marble bowl from Ebay. Deep green zellige tiles line the walls.
Owen Gale13/51In Laura Logan's Leytonstone house, the family bathroom is bright and airy with Zellig tiles.
Boz Gagovski14/51Creative consultant Max Hurd’s London terrace is the perfect illustration of his eclectic influences, from Oscar Wilde to Verner Panton. The result is a flamboyant contemporary take on country-house style realised in collaboration with the designer Benedict Foley. The bathroom fittings stayed on a sustainable principle, only swapping the loo (which, as Benedict says, was formerly a cross between something from Kubrick’s 2001 A Space Odyssey and a Soviet nuclear reactor) for a reclaimed classic style version found on eBay.
The walls are in Farrow & Ball's Pitch Blue. The pelmet was inspired by an early John Fowler design; it was made by Max’s friend Sam Collins and painted in leftover paint and sample pots (Farrow & Ball's Harissa Red & Joa’s White). The window curtains are Red Ivy Trellis, a custom print from Daniel Slowik Limited. A Serpentine frame in Deep Rose by A.Prin hangs next to the sink.
Martin Morrell15/51The son of the owners of this 19th-century Cotswolds barn, a writer, finds his small space ideal, as he can go straight from bed to bath to the antique military chest that serves as a desk. The bath is from Mongers Architectural Salvage.
MICHAEL SINCLAIR16/51The oddly-shaped bathroom in this Hampstead Heath house was transformed into an airy, calming space, with insets created for the sinks and bath – the perfect solution for small or angular spaces.
Chris Horwood17/51The bathroom in James Shaw's Shoreditch house is tiled in Domus ’Seta’ mosaic tiles with ‘illustrations’ created from colour samples. James cleverly covered the side of the tub with a reflective material, creating the optical illusion of more space in the tiny bathroom.
James McDonald18/51In this small bathroom in Kate Guinness' riverside house, the walls are papered in Sandberg's ‘Beata’, a neat contrast with the Marmoleum flooring in ‘Fresco Blue’ from Forbo.
19/51A brass-framed vintage mirror, matching sconces, and a ceramic table lamp from Les Composantes dominate the otherwise minimal primary bathroom in fashion designer Marianne Sézalory's Parisian flat.
Owen Gale20/51Alix Reynis designed the bathroom in her Parisian home based on the ‘New York loft’ style of interiors, though she was also heavily inspired by the bathroom at the Ned, in London, designed by French interior designer Marianne Evennou – the perfect inspiration for a small bathroom.
Chris Horwood21/51The designers of this Mayfair apartment worked with the architect to make sure there was space for a generous vanity, large shower and bath.
Dean Hearne22/51Having lighted on his ideal house in the wild Devon countryside, Tom Cox of HÁM Interiors set about making it into a warm and welcoming place to get away, filled with the distinctive art and antiques he has grown up with.
In the cottage next door to the main house, a bedroom with a bathroom and tiny kitchen occupies the ground floor. The bathroom is divided from the bedroom by a half glazed door and wall. ‘Verity’ wall lights from Jamb surround a ‘Branch’ mirror and ‘Exe’ vanity, both made by Studio HÁM. The taps are by Waterworks.
Paul Massey23/51The owners of this Thirties Georgian-style house were keen to give it an established look while avoiding any stuffiness. So they asked designer Henri Fitzwilliam-Lay to conjure distinctive interiors full of idiosyncratic details. Blue tiles from Waterworks and a bespoke mirror create a pleasing contrast with the woodwork in a custom-mixed orange from Papers and Paints in this bathroom.
TARAN WILKHU24/51Traditional Spanish encaustic tiles are set off by Swedish-inspired panelling in the light-filled bathroom in a peaceful Wiltshire country house.
Alexander James25/51Entrusted with the mission of bringing light to a gloomy ground floor flat, Sarah of Studio Peake leant on her client's love on textiles and art to bring warmth to their London bolthole. In this bathroom, the brief was to offer a French country feel. The room is entered through the joinery in the corridor, so it ‘almost feels like a secret bathroom!' laughs Sarah. The floor tiles are Series S Ibiza Variato by Balineum and the wall tiles are Zellige by Mosaic Factory.
Mark Anthony Fox26/51The bathroom, set off the studio in artist Haidee Becker's light-filled house, is also lined with art, as well as plants. The hanging paper mobile was created for Haidee by her daughter, Rachel.
Mark Anthony Fox27/51Ash panelling, a vintage Hungarian table and a hessian-lined door add texture to the master bathroom in this contemporary cottage in Cornwall. The bespoke circular, brass-backed mirror was inspired by the work of Olafur Eliasson.
Paul Massey28/51The all-pink bathroom in this handsome Queen Anne house in Norfolk rejuvenated by Carlos Garcia is a glorious jewel-box of a space, its light, dusty colour calming yet fresh.
Sam Frost29/51In a small bathroom in this well-layered San Francisco flat, marble provides the backdrop for a Waterworks bathtub and the vintage Gilbert Marklund stool.
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Matthew Kissiday30/51The bathroom in this bright and joyful house in Connecticut has a mirror by Balineum, set against walls in Sherwin Williams' ‘Blushing’ and joinery in ‘Grassland’. Elizabeth sourced the Indian reverse glass paintings from Tallulah Fox in Petworth.
Sarah Griggs31/51For this couple with a young child, it was a priority to live in a house that lent itself to family life as much as to entertaining. With the help of Tiffany Duggan, the small terrace is now a space that thrills as much as it functions. In the tiny downstairs loo, a bold wallpaper from Gucci sits perfectly with the Robin Myerscough mirror and brass sconces from Graham & Green.
Mark Fox32/51Cobbie Yates transformed the bathroom in his flat into a wetroom, using the bathrooms of boutique hotels they had visited as inspiration. The shade for the micro-cement was determined from the Acne Studios’ signature pink colour.
Owen Gale33/51Georgina Cave of Cave Interiors chose these reclaimed patterned tiles to cover the floor and back wall of the bathroom in her London house.
Magnus Mårding34/51A built-in cabinet in elm and elm burl elevates the bathroom storage in this Stockholm apartment. The mirrors at the back of the cabinet refract light, which adds to the bathroom's ambiance.
Paul Massey35/51The tiles above the basin, sourced from a vintage market in Sicilian capital Palermo, were the starting point for the decoration of Rosi de Ruig's loo, which is lined in Ottoline’s ‘Pillars’ wallpaper with woodwork in Farrow & Ball’s ‘Dutch Orange’. The basin skirt is in Molly Mahon’s ‘Luna’ linen in oyster/pink.
James McDonald36/51Having found and bought this 17th-century Cotswold cottage in the space of a week, former Sotheby’s specialist James Mackie has created a charming art-filled home that reflects the interior-design skills he is now capitalising on. In this space off the main bedroom, James has teamed woodwork in Farrow & Ball’s ‘Salon Drab’ gloss with Howe’s ‘Knurl’ wallpaper to add bags of character. The tiny ‘Soho’ basin, perfect for a small room, is by The Water Monopoly. Framed intaglios flank a George II mirror – all auction finds.
Simon Upton37/51Nicky Haslam teamed up with his former protegées, Jena Quinn and Lucy Derbyshire of Studio QD, to renovate this London house previously split into two flats to create an exuberantly elegant single home. Panels in ‘Lavender’ by Edward Bulmer Natural Paint frame a seagrass wallcovering and ‘Light Emperador’ marble from SPC. The chair is in ‘Strange Blooms Mono’ in tom’s blue by Bird in the Hand from Justin Van Breda.
Taran Wilkhu38/51It took just three months for photographer and artist Zoë Zimmer to make her mark on this London flat, guided by her love of classic 20th-century design and atmospheric lighting. Zoë was inspired by the combination of white tiles and black grout she had seen on buildings in Tokyo. The basin is similar to Lefroy Brooks’ ‘Belle Aire’ design.
James McDonald39/51Designer Martin Brudnizki's compact west London flat perfectly demonstrates the cleverly layered look of which he is a master. Best known for his work designing hotels such as Soho Beach House in Miami and The Beekman in New York, Martin Brudnizki's forte is creating 'homes from home', he wants his work to be grand and glamorous, but there is also a sense of intimacy and comfort. The bathroom, covered with small marble metro tiles, is the epitome of understated glamour, with brass accessories and industrial-style light fittings.
Simon Upton40/51Flora Soames' woodland cottage may have a small bathroom, but it's certainly a beautiful one. The freestanding bath frames the window, and clever decorative touches have been added by a set of wooden shelves, blue stool and wooden console. It's an utterly lovely example of a country bathroom.
Paul Massey41/51Interior designer Octavia Dickinson has put together an appealing blend of antique finds, favourite fabrics and bespoke pieces to create a comfortable, colourful home for her family in south London. Octavia designed the vanity unit, which has fabric panels made from Bennison’s ‘Petites Fleurs’. Wall lights from Vaughan have lampshades painted by Sarah Blomfield. The ‘Aspa’ wallpaper is by Sarah Vanrenen for Penny Morrison. ‘I used slate around the vanity unit and bath to take the edge off of the prettiness’ she explains.
Paul Massey42/51Artist and maker Bridie Hall has made her mark on her Victorian house in north London with eclectic collections of antique finds and her own eye-catching works set against bold blocks of colour. In her attic bathroom, a red version of Bridie’s ‘Pediment Mirror’ stands out against panelling in ‘Verdure Brown’, £36 for 1 litre oil-based gloss, from Papers and Paints.
Simon Brown43/51Each area of the open-plan main room in this small west London flat has its own distinct atmosphere, thanks to the inventive details introduced by interior designer Beata Heuman, who relished the creative challenge of making every inch count. A bespoke Carrara marble shower surround and vanity unit contrasts with walls in a dark blue gloss paint. Best Tile’s ‘Moroccan Encaustic Cement Pattern 06k’ tiles add decorative detail to the floor.
Owen Gale44/51Undertaking the renovation and decoration of a four-bedroom Victorian house is no easy task, and with the masterful results on show in Sandra Barrio von Hurter's house, you'd never realise this was her first project.
The orange of the spare room is picked up in the paint on the bath and basin legs of the master ensuite. Sanderson ‘Rowan Berry’ is the colour, tempered by the pale yellow tiles and walls.
Owen Gale45/51In a small bathroom in Angelica Squire's London house, the shower is lined with deep blue zellige tiles. These help reflect the light and bounce it around the room, creating a sense of a bigger space.
Paul Massey46/51The colour palette used throughout Caroline O'Donnell's London flat is pared back, but with a few well-placed hits of bold colour - the most dramatic of which are the wet-room tiles. 'I loved the idea of Caroline waking up to this rich blue, which is offset perfectly by the glamourous gold fixtures and fittings,' explains designer Harriet Anstruther. The electric blue Bisazza tiles make an ensuite that is tiny but stand-out.
Alexander James47/51Interior designer Amanda Hornby has used 'Vermicule' wallpaper from Pierre Frey in the bathroom, which contrasts with the marble bath surround and swooping curved splashback, sourced from a quarry that was reopened 20 years ago when the marble in the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles was being restored, 'I love its funky psychedelic orange and red veins,' says Amanda.
Simon Upton48/51The vertical lines of the panelling in this Welsh farmhouse by Hackett Holland add height to the awkwardly shaped bathroom, while the window gives bathers a view of the sky. A sink curtain emphasises the country feel of the scheme and hides any unsightly pipes.
Sharyn Cairns49/51Why not make a small bathroom the place where you experiment with the bold colour you're slightly afraid to put elsewhere. Take this tiny windowless room designed by Suzy Hoodless. Adhering to the time-honoured rule that if a room is already dark there is no off-white on earth that will change it, seductive black walls have been combined with good lighting, plenty of mirror and chic, unfussy fittings. The scheme is anchored by monochrome cement tiles from Popham Design.
Paul Massey50/51Wondering how to fit a bath and a shower in to a small, sloped attic space? Take inspiration from this design by Todhunter Earle for a chalet in Chamonix. The space is enlivened with iridescent tiles by French company Emery & Cie.
Rachel Whiting51/51This iconic wallpaper is Scalamandré's 'Zebra' in masai red, famously used in Wes Anderson's film The Royal Tenenbaums. It creates an intimate feeling in this small bathroom, which was boldly designed by Beata Heuman.
