A lot of bulky elements make up a bathroom — sink or sinks, shower or tub, vanity or storage cabinet, toilet — and most of them are needed for a functioning space. Add in standard measurements and clearances to meet permit requirements, and you can be left without much of a footprint with which to get very fancy. Still, designers come up with many creative ways to save space and deliver function and style. These seven small bathrooms are proof.
i.d. | interior design
1. Blue Heaven
Designers: Carrie Harrington of i.d. interior design and Erik Mahin and David Schnacky of Plekkenpol Builders
Location: Minneapolis
Size: 38½ square feet (3.6 square meters); 5½ by 7 feet
Homeowners’ request. Update a cramped and dated bathroom to include a larger shower and more storage for a couple’s tween daughter.
Space saver. Designer Carrie Harrington incorporated space from a closet in an adjacent bedroom to expand the footprint by about 4½ square feet.
Style point. Black ceramic sconces original to the hundred-year-old house. “This set the tone for the color scheme and other elements of the room,” Harrington says. “It’s historic-traditional with a twist.”
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i.d. | interior design
Other special features. Marble floor tile in a basket-weave pattern. Subway tile with penny tile accent strip in gray-blue and black.
Designer tip. “The custom cabinetry really maximizes the storage in the small room,” Harrington says. “Also, the glass-walled walk-in shower helps the space feel larger and lets in light from the window in the room.”
Boca Raton widespread faucet in brushed nickel: Mirabelle; Silver Gray cabinet paint and Sky Gray wall paint: Sherwin-Williams
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Sea Island Builders LLC
2. Dark Side
Designer: One of the homeowners, a former professional interior designer, designed this bathroom, which was built by Sea Island Builders.
Location: Mount Pleasant, South Carolina
Size: 51½ square feet (4.8 square meters); 4 feet, 10 inches by 10 feet, 8 inches by
Homeowners’ request. Turn a dated and choppy 1990s-era home into a modern marsh-front retreat with a black-and-white motif, a 180-degree view of the intracoastal waterway and an open floor plan fit for modern living and entertaining.
Space saver. A modern-style floating vanity with black honed granite countertop helps make the space feel larger. A bathtub was sacrificed to make room for a streamlined shower with a floor-to-ceiling glass partition that makes the ceiling seem higher.
Style point. Black wall tile measuring 12 by 24 inches in a straight lay pattern with black grout in the shower, combined with a partial glass door framed in black metal, gives the room a bold look.
Other special features. Porcelain floor tile measuring 12 by 24 inches with bright white grout. Absolute Black honed granite countertop with 6-inch backsplash. Bronze finishes.
Cleo sconce: Kelly Wearstler, Visual Comfort
Ore Studios
3. Light and Airy
Designers: Andy Beers of Ore Studios and John DeForest of DeForest Architects
Location: Seattle
Size: 65 square feet (6 square meters); 5 by 13 feet
Homeowners’ request. The owners wanted the renovation of this children’s bathroom to result in a bright, clean space with classic finishes that would age well.
Space saver. “Using a ledge at the tub-shower enclosure allows for clean, architectural storage without relying on niches,” designer Andy Beers says.
Style point. “Adding a stained cabinet and mixing the metal finishes make the room feel fresh without feeling too childlike,” Beers says.
Other special features. Hexagonal 1-inch porcelain floor tiles. Wall, shower and tub surround tiles measuring 4 by 8 inches. The vanity is alder wood with a custom gray wash and a quartz countertop.
Designer tip. “Don’t be afraid to mix finishes in a bathroom,” Beers says. “The faucets, lighting and cabinet hardware are all different in this bath, but they each add something important to the room.”
Essence single-hole faucet in StarLight chrome: Grohe; French Canvas wall paint: Benjamin Moore
4. Pretty in Pink
Designer: Gina Muzio of Dixon Projects (interior and architectural design)
Location: Brooklyn, New York
Size: 38 square feet; (3.5 square meters); 5 feet by 7 feet, 8 inches
Homeowners’ request. Refresh the overall look of this bathroom with new materials and fixtures while keeping its existing layout and traditional feel.
Space savers. A pedestal sink helps the room feel more open, as does an updated D-ring shower curtain rod that allows ample light to stream in from the window, which also makes the room feel bright and airy. New recessed wall niches increase storage in the small space.
Style point. Coordinated chrome fixtures—faucet, towel bar, tub hardware and toilet paper holder—help “provide a more elegant look,” designer Gina Muzio says. “Subtle features like this work to really bring a room together.”
Other special features. Pink upper walls and ceiling (Pink Ground by Farrow & Ball). White hexagonal floor tile.
Designer tip. For a small bathroom, “build out niches in the walls where possible,” Muzio says. “These cubby-like spaces provide extra space for shower and bathroom necessities, particularly when space is limited. Anytime you can steal space from a wall cavity, you’re going to gain space in the room.”
“Uh-oh” moment. “With a three-month expected turnaround for the bathroom renovation [part of a larger renovation], timelines for fixtures and accessories, which were sourced from a variety of vendors, proved to be key,” Muzio says. “When the team was informed by a vendor that the selected shower head had gone out of stock and wouldn’t be available for another six months, the team had to think on their feet to find a solution that wouldn’t prolong the renovation timeline for the client. As a result, the team worked diligently with the vendor to acquire and install a comparable showroom display piece, so the shower could still function. Once the shower head model was again in stock, the team returned to the home and installed the replacement shower head free of cost.”
D-type shower rod in polished chrome: Kingston Brass
Helen Piteo Interiors, LLC
5. Black and Bold
Designer: Helen Piteo Interiors
Location: Beacon, New York
Size: 80 square feet (7.4 square meters)
Homeowners’ request. Create drama in a small footprint while enlarging the feel of the bathroom.
Space saver. A compact vanity provides storage.
Style point. Black porcelain tile that looks like dark-stained wood on the floor, vanity wall and shower walls creates drama while emphasizing height.
Other special features. Leather-finish Absolute Black granite countertop.
Designer tip. “Keeping the pops of green to a minimum makes them more impactful,” designer Helen Piteo says.
Tiffey mirror: Renwil; 3-light bath fixture: Studio 5 collection, Minka Aire; Chantilly Lace wall paint: Benjamin Moore
Jenny Martin Design
6. Open and Accessible
Designer: Jenny Martin and Michelle Poitras of Jenny Martin Design
Location: Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Size: 57 square feet (5.3 square meters); 5 feet, 6 inches by 10 feet, 5 inches
Homeowners’ request. A welcoming, casual, easy-to-clean guest bathroom with minimal transitions, allowing accessibility for an aging couple.
Space saver. An open shower with a single pane of glass rather than a door helps the space feel more open. Continuing the floor tile seamlessly into the shower also contributed to the illusion of more space.
Style point. Dark charcoal furniture-style custom vanity with stylized legs and an open bottom shelf. “This simple feature gives the space some thoughtful style while allowing the homeowner to customize the space by adding baskets below with items for their guests,” says designer Jenny Martin, who used this ideabook of Houzz images to help guide the design direction.
Other special features. Long horizontal wall tiles emulate shiplap paneling. “Slab cabinet door fronts, a quartz countertop and a simple, clean-lined faucet are all easy-to-clean surfaces,” Martin says.
Designer tip. “The floating wood shelves allow the homeowner to customize the space by adding decor items,” Martin says. “The wood accent adds warmth to the space. Also, adding a touch of greenery with plants is a nice feature in a washroom with natural light.”
Gray Mist wall paint: Benjamin Moore
Urban Pioneering Architecture
7. All Right in Black and White
Designer: Sarah Hill of Urban Pioneering Architecture
Location: Brooklyn, New York
Size: 47½ square feet (4.4 square meters); 5 feet, 6 inches by 8 feet, 8 inches
Homeowners’ request. Simple, clean, elegant lines, with high-contrast grout and fixtures to create a vibrant bathroom on a modest budget.
Space saver. “A shallow but wide vanity allows for ample storage while maintaining floor space,” designer Sarah Hill says.
Style point. Black hexagonal tile with white grout on the floor and in the niche creates a counterpoint to the white subway tile with dark grout.
Other special features. Tiled tub surround. Black wall sconces.
Designer tip. “Matching the wall niche tile to the floor tile creates an unexpected consistency, adding a layer of visual interest as the eye ties the two together,” Hill says.
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