While I do design modern bathrooms, I usually have small space challenge. A compact contemporary bathroom design concept is similar to larger ones, however there are more details/tips you should be careful to get the best outcome of the design.
Here, I will give my list of 44 design ideas for decorating small and modern bathrooms:
- Incorporate slim stylish wall cabinets
- Use wall hanging bathroom furniture
- Select slim and sophisticated basin taps
- Balance with soft colours
- Use mosaic tiles
- Go with wall moisture resistant wall paint
- Create a monochrome white look
- Create your small bathroom as wet room
- Use same material and tiles for the floor and walls
- Place a free standing bathroom at the corner of your bedroom
- Apply led lights around the mirror
- Put ladder shelves that are portable and space saver
- Select minimalist furniture with no handles nor fancy trims
- Create a focal point on one wall, in shower or pop up a furniture
- Implement shower screen without a metal frame/ pick just glass option
- Prefer shower curtains
- Work with a theme of color, such as blue sky, turquoise sea, clean white.
- Choose a plain radiator
- Place your shower on top of the bath tub
- Elevate large bathroom panels
- Take the advantage of shinny mirrors to enlarge the space
- Pick small countertop wash basins
- Place carpet to break the whiteness
- Fit underfloor heating to save the radiator space
- Incorporate functional and sturdy furniture
- Go with the minimalist lighting options
- Hang hooks to tidy up the towels
- Go with the space saving window treatments
- Take advantage of the shiny metallic
- Use vertical orientation for the tile
- Go all glossy or mat
- Use deep soaking Japanese bath tubs
- Create homogeneous surfaces- plain walls and floors
- Give priority to multipurpose basins and furniture
- Try bright coloured surfaces
- Use dark or black as alternative to the banal of the white/ be bold to use black
- Think of a chequer tile on the floor
- Place small plants
- Select small and portable accessories
- Pick irregular forms in furniture, it doesn’t need to be rectangle or square
- Use false walls as shelves
- Create décor-period tiles on the floor
- Use side tables as storage or shelf in your small bathroom
- Think wall lights as decor and lighting of the bathroom
1- Incorporate slim minimalist cabinets
2-Use wall hanging bathroom furniture
Space is a huge consideration for you when you have a small bathroom. If you go with the hang-wall type that you can see more often in modern style, you will save the space tips such as free room under the vanity that makes the bathroom look the bathroom more spacious. Even you can place little accessories and plants with ease.
3-Select slim and sophisticated basin taps
4- Balance with soft colours
If you create a soft color palette with as a whole with the tiles, sanitary furniture and the lights, you achieve a feeling of larger bathroom than actual size. The soft tones also bring space a feeling of warmth. The travertine tiles, light cream taupe walls and warm mirror lights introduces a monolith space that looks comfortable.
5- Use mosaic tiles
Mosaic tiles are effective in small modern bathrooms in two ways. First you can fit any area no matter how small it is. Second you can create a focal point with many color that you can choose. For the mosaic of a small shower unit, I suggest you select light hues and more homogeneous designs. If you mix primary, bright and dark color too much, you will feel be overwhelmed in that small shower after a while.
6- Go with wall moisture resistant wall paint
If you have a country cottage of simple bungalow, the natural look of these styles in your interiors will be advantage while designing your bathroom. Inside the painted space, a simple wooden shelf to put the wash basin is all you need. You can use rattan baskets and bamboo accessories, since they are eco friendly and bring warmth to the interior. You should select the damp and moisture resistance paint for the walls.
7- Create a monochrome white look
White is the color of hygiene, purity and illumination. If you like to create a traditional or classic taste, then you can use white paint, tiles and sanitary appliances. since white reflects light, you can even place ornaments that will not disturb you in your small heaven.
8- Create your small bathroom as wet room
A wet room is just more stable and minimal version of shower tray. Though there are low height shower trays, it is set up within the floor joist and under the floor tiles. The wet room is good for water moisture since it drains away the water fast. The surface is at the same level with the rest of the bathroom tiles. Uncluttered and continuous floor is easy to walk in and clean.
9- Use same material and tiles for the floor and walls
In small bathroom the choice of the wall and floor tiles are as important as the ones for a large bathroom. If you use the tile for walls and floor, you will save money and finish the decor of your bathroom in an affordable budget. Small area means less cost compared to big bathroom, but you may have more half or broken tiles while placing them. If you use same material for all surfaces, you will get more discount for the total price.
10- Place a free standing bathroom at the corner of your bedroom
The bath is the most important item for a bathroom. If you place a freestanding one, the bath becomes the master centrepiece of the bathroom. However; unless you have a large space, it is impossible to put it in a small bathroom. I suggest another perspective that you can create a bath corner in your bedroom and place your bath there.
11- Apply led lights around the mirror
12- Put ladder shelves that are portable and space saver
Again, this goes back to making it as easy as possible to cover minimum space in the bathroom. Get a ladder shelf or make your own DIY ladder shelf and lean on to the wall. If you place this next to your wash basin, you will both reach you towels quicker.
13- Select minimalist furniture with no handles nor fancy trims
Minimalist style furniture has variety of options. This is about ultra minimal idea that all the maker eliminates the unnecessary and nonfunctional ornament from the design concept that the furniture reaches to its pure form. In the end it will become a modern sculpture sitting modern in the middle of your bathroom.
14- Create a focal point on one wall, in shower or pop up a furniture
Even in a small bathroom, you can create a focal point by choosing different color of tiles.
15- Implement shower screen without a metal frame, pick just glass option
Not just for modern look, glass screen for shower units creates a slender view for the narrow corners.
16- Prefer shower curtains
Even you don’t have a space for a shower screen, you can use curtains instead.
17- Work with a theme of color, such as blue sky, turquoise sea, clean white
A Mediterranean or sea theme is a perfect modern theme that refreshes the ambiance of the bathroom interior. If you circle use mosaic tiles, you mimic the sea waves that it is an extra bonus.
18- Choose a plain radiator
The similar rule functions here again. If you select plain and slim model for a towel radiator, you can have the freedom to place it on tiny areas without any disturbance.
19- Place your shower on top of the bath tub
It is always a luxury comfort to have both a shower and a bath tub. If you have a small bathroom you have only one place for it. However, you don’t have to sacrifice your luxury. As most of us have, I recommend to combine your shower and bath tub. There are many options ranging from electric to more luxury models.
20- Elevate large bathroom panels
If you have a small room, you can use the panels that your whole bathroom will turn into a shower unit. You can create a contrast with the dark coloured panel and white vanity units, or go with a homogeneous color.
21- Take the advantage of shinny mirrors to enlarge the space
If you place mirror panels on the wall, you will feel the small bathroom is larger than its usual dimensions.
22- Pick small countertop wash basins
The small diameter on a slim furniture will create a warm modern aura to a tiny bathroom.
23- Place carpet to break the whiteness
White is the most popular color for modest bathrooms. However, If you need some color in your bathroom, you can place a carpet in red tones no matter how small your bathroom is.
24- Fit underfloor heating to save the radiator space
In a small bathroom, you don’t need a radiator. TheIf you have a moderate size of bathroom, you can think of underfloor heater to save space. I suggest getting an electric underheat mat that’s small enough that fit away from the shower and wet zones and make you save space.
25-Incorporate functional and sturdy furniture
Sometimes suppliers use thin MDF for modular modern furniture to reduce the price. However, when you us solid bathroom furniture sets, it will last almost forever. It is unavoidable that your bathroom will look as modern and functional.
26- Go with the minimalist lighting options
The minimalist neat and slim details give ultra modern look in your bathroom. Besides, not only they comprise minimum space in limited areas but also give a relaxing mood.
27- Hang hooks to tidy up the towels
We all know that there won’t be always any place for large storage in small bathrooms. We struggle to find the narrow one to fit in our bathroom. For an easy and practical solution, I recommend getting a nice hanger on the empty corner of your bathroom wall. Use wood for more country styles and metal for contemporary modern interiors.
28- Go with the space saving window treatments
If the privacy while you are in the bathroom is an issue, you have to think of opaque window blinds or shutters in the conventional way. However, more convenient it is not use them on the window, the more you will find creative solutions, such as replacing the existing translucent glass with glass wall blocks.
29- Take advantage of the shiny metallic
Again the same rule with the mirrors. The more polished surfaces, the more perception of a larger room.
30- Use vertical orientation for the tile
If you use the vertical orientation for the tiles- instead of horizontal, you will create sense that the wall is larger than its actual length. Besides, the more you go with the vertical layout, the more you get a modern aesthetic.
31- Go all glossy or mat
Keeping bathroom walls and cupboard surfaces glossy reflective surfaces can help make a small space feel spacious. But when you combine glossy and mat surfaces, you get a minified overall effect. So keep either all glossy or mat.
32- Use deep soaking Japanese bath tubs
Having a nice bath is luxury and comfort in the bathroom. However if you don’t place it in the corner of your bedroom, I suggest soaking Japanese bath tubs. They start as minimum as 120cm and go a large size that you can fit in as comfortable as standard baths.
33- Create homogeneous surfaces- plain walls and floors
34- Give priority to multipurpose basins and furniture
35- Try bright colored surfaces
Though pale and soft color are preferable tones in small bathrooms, bright primary color is a design characteristics o the opposite spectrum. You can place bright red tiles on the walls and floor that you will enjoy a different aesthetic.
36- Be bold to use dark or black
Again, this concept is to make the opposite of what you heard about small bathrooms. You can go with dark and black color, if you like to create a modern style. And if you use the tiles and color in homogenous way, you will not feel crushed inside the bath.
37- Think of a chequer tile on the floor
If you like to bring some fun to the dark atmosphere that I explained in the previous item, you can try chequer tile on the floor.
38- Place small plants
The more you think outside the box, the more you will be creative. If you place little plants or succulents, you will bring warmth, joy and fun to your bathroom.
39- Select small and portable accessories
If you are brave enough to have plants in your soft bathroom, then you can move on to the next step. On your shelf, window sill and vanity unit, place some little contemporary accessories. Otherwise your bathroom will look like a caravan bathroom.
40- Pick irregular forms in furniture, it doesn’t need to be rectangle or square
If you place organic and irregular shapes in the bath, you will create
41- Prefer shelves
The shelves have plenty of storage to prevent clutter. The more you go with the shelves, the more you have space storage and room for extra items underneath of them.
42- Create décor-period tiles on the floor
Period tiles have variety of color that you can create a calm, neutral scheme by choosing soft tones. The geometric neutral tile is matched with the white metro tile.
43- Use side tables as storage or shelf in your small bathroom
If you are short of space for a storage cupboard, then you can create your minimal storage by repurposing a side table as a storage shelf.
44- Think wall lights as decor and lighting of the bathroom
The wall light is a task light in a bathroom. Ambient lighting is not important in a small bathroom, since the wall lights illuminate the room. If you want to add decorative element to your bathroom, you can choose a glamorous option in your wall light.
