Your small bathroom deserves more than plain walls and thrown-together details. Try these small bathroom ideas to transform the space into a room you’ll truly want to unwind in.
Little bathrooms are among the hardest rooms to decorate. On top of the challenging size and layout, you also have the humidity to contend with. But, to take the room from a purely functional space to a truly loved space, there are loads of clever tricks to try.
Top tip: If looking for bathroom wall panelling, make sure it’s made from moisture-resistant MDF so it’ll be durable in humid environments!
Best small bathroom ideas
1. Add tongue and groove panelling for a cosy farmhouse look
Lean into the small size of a bathroom and go for optimum cosiness with tongue and groove panelling. When installed over the lower half-of the wall, the vertical lines give some illusion of height without overpowering the room.
Tongue and groove is ideal for ensuring a secure fit and it looks lovely once installed.
We have moisture-resistant (MR) MDF panelling that offers a farmhouse style design and suits humid rooms like bathrooms and shower rooms.
For example, our beaded MR tongue and groove panelling introduces gorgeous textures with resilient materials. The beading adds that little bit of extra detailing that subtly elevates the room’s design.
2. Make an impact with bold wallpaper
Understandably, many homeowners are hesitant to introduce bold colours and patterns into small spaces. But hear us out.
In small bathrooms and loos, rich tones, patterns and textures can actually add to a room, when done well. It’s a good idea not to go over the top with daring colour contrasts, but rich colours like navy and green can look incredibly elegant. The key is to keep the other details like shelves simple and coordinated, so the room overall looks balanced.
3. Add shaker style panelling for understated chic
Shaker style panelling is where strips are arranged in symmetrical square or rectangle formations. It’s a classic design that suits both contemporary homes and period properties.
And the good news is there are moisture resistant MDF panelling strips available to create this look.
You can order the strips in the perfect size with our made to measure panelling creator tool. You can even spend a bit extra to get all the essential tools included in your kit to simplify the process.
4. Use bright colours to make the room feel light and airy
We mentioned earlier that bold colours can look great in small bathrooms. But so too can bright colours like yellow and light blue. The picture above is the perfect illustration of this.
Light colours are super effective at making a room feel more airy. This makes a particularly big difference in small bathrooms when you want to create the feel of spaciousness.
Our wainscot panelling kits will help you get this look. They cover the lower parts of walls with moisture-resistant MDF. So, as well as being resilient in humid rooms, they also help to protect walls from scuffs.
You can get the kits complete with skirting and dado rails. And, if you get the panelling pre-primed, they’ll be ready to paint when they arrive.
5. Fill the walls with pictures
One of our favourite small bathroom ideas is to fill the walls with framed posters or prints. This brings in colours and patterns without going overboard.
For example, if you have minimalist home decor, you could bring white walls to life with artworks. This injects personality into the space while maintaining a cool, low-key bathroom design.
6. Balance the textures of panelling with neutral colours
In a small bathroom, there’s the risk of different lines and textures becoming overwhelming. A way to avoid this is by largely using soft, neutral colours throughout the room.
In the picture above, for example, the cream walls ensure the blue hues from the sink cabinet, bath and wall tiles remain balanced and calm, despite the variations in patterns.
Combined with this, think carefully about how your fixtures and fittings tie together. In the example above, the chrome taps, radiator, toilet roll holder and mirror bring consistency to the room’s overall design.
The result is a beautiful, soothing room to unwind in after a long day. Bliss.
7. Incorporate towels and bathmats into the room’s design
In a small bathroom, every detail counts. So, when choosing your towels and bathmats, think carefully about the colours and patterns to consider how they’ll tie into the rest of the decor.
If, say, you’ve got warm hues of yellow and orange in the room, you can continue the theme with the towels. Or if you’re using neutral colours throughout the room, there’s the opportunity to add a pop of colour with fun towels.
Likewise, details like pretty soap bottles and potted plants all add to the feel of a welcoming and well-curated bathroom.
8. Hang up a mirror to make a room feel bigger
Mirrors are of course staples in bathrooms. And the beauty of them is they have the potential to make a room feel bigger if carefully chosen and arranged.
If you have space for a large mirror above your sink, this could help to give the illusion of space by reflecting more light and creating a greater sense of depth.
However, the key is to find one that doesn’t look too big for the room. If it looks excessively large on the wall, it could have the opposite effect and make the room feel too cramped. Instead, try to find one that looks balanced in the room and complements the decor.
9. Add scented candles
One very easy small bathroom idea is to add candles beside your bath. This is such a simple way to make your bathroom feel instantly more relaxing.
Look for candles that look luxurious and smell divine – ones you’ll be genuinely excited to light while preparing a bath.
All the above tips will help you to create a room that feels excellently designed. And, once your happy with the decor, a few little candles may well be all that’s left to create the bathroom you’ve been dreaming of.
Ready to start decorating your bathroom? Try our custom wall panelling creator.
