7 decor ideas for a small bathroom

Sometimes, our homes’ smallest, hard-to-decorate spaces hide the most potential. This is undoubtedly true for tiny bathrooms. Small powder rooms and bathrooms prioritise functionality above all else, but they also offer a blank canvas for us to express ourselves creatively and experiment with our own tastes. Furthermore, even the smallest tweaks can have a major impact due to their small size.

New York-based designer Kati Curtis is somewhat of a tiny bathroom expert and fully endorses this sentiment. With a small bathroom, she told ELLE Decor, she “[has] the freedom to be bold with dark colours and patterns” which, contrary to popular belief, can make a small space feel expansive and dimensional. The goal? “[Transforming] a small bathroom into a destination rather than a drawback.”

These tiny bathroom decor ideas are sure to spark your creativity, whether you’re opting for a simple makeover or a complete redesign.

Whether or not you agree with Curtis’ stance on moody dark bathrooms, sticking to a colour scheme for your powder room is a solid starting point for your renovation. A fully white bathroom, for example, is a great choice if you don’t have lots of space, as it maximises space by reflecting light.

The main hurdle for decorating a tiny bathroom is undoubtedly the lack of storage. To make things worse, nothing makes a small space feel even more suffocating than mess and clutter. Using a vanity instead of a pedestal is a great way to maximise storage and use the limited space wisely. A floating vanity will have the added benefit of making your tiny bathroom look bigger too!

Floating shelves are another must-have for tiny bathrooms. They’re a great way to leverage your wall space to the max and the perfect place to display your accent pieces. Moreover, they also won’t have the same cluttered feel that shelf brackets might give. If you’re going for a streamlined, modern aesthetic, glass shelves are the ones for you.

A bright, colourful accent goes a long way to decorating your tiny bathroom. Whether it’s a vanity, a rug or bathmat, or some wall art, a pop of colour is sure to add character and personality to your bathroom, however small. Colour coordinating your accents—for example, by matching your towels to your mirror—adds depth to the space and makes it even more cohesive.

A small space is the perfect place to have fun and take creative risks when decorating, so why not bring your tiny bathroom to life with a splash of bold wallpaper? No matter what print you choose, a colourful wallpaper will transform your powder room into a real-life treasure chest.

Interior designer Annette English is on our side when it comes to seeing tiny bathrooms as treasure chests. “It’s a wonderful opportunity to make a maximum statement using a few key elements,” she explains. “Amazing sconces, artwork, tile, paint and plumbing go a long way to making a small bathroom become a special room.”

When dealing with a small bathroom, renovating the shower is one of the easiest ways to make a design statement. A bold and beautiful shower curtain will separate your shower from the rest of the space, making it feel larger as a whole, and also provide exciting and colourful design elements like wallpaper or tiles.