The Small Bathroom Decorating Mistakes a Designer Wants You to Avoid (2024)

Baylee Floyd is the founder of Baylee Deyon Design, an interior design firm based in Palm Beach, Florida. She's also been named one of Decorist's elite designers.

Use Light, Bright, Neutral Paint Colors

When it comes to painting a small bathroom, Floyd recommends sticking to light, neutral shades. "I find that there is often not much natural light, or [a window] at all in a tight bathroom space, so I like to stick with whites and neutral grays to make the space feel as bright and airy as possible," the designer explains.

See Through the Shower

Your shower takes up the most space in the bathroom, so why close it off with a curtain? We love how this designer opened up the entire room with the simple choice of clear shower doors. With the window tucked inside, there's a clear line of sight to the back wall and plenty of natural light from the moment you enter the room.

Decorate With Plants

"Plants are a must in the bathroom," Floyd says. "There is just something about that small touch of greenery that really brings the space together and invites you in." If you don't have room for a potted statement plant, opt for hanging plants that float in the corner. "It also adds a very calming and serene feel for a spa-like bathroom vibe."

Take Storage to the Ceiling

This modern statement is also functional. Design built-in storage from the floor to the ceiling in your space to utilize every inch without making your bathroom feel cluttered. We love the small open shelf in the center that breaks up the cabinetry and makes room for décor.

Utilize Mirrors

The right mirrors can work wonders to make a small bathroom feel spacious. "Not only do they reflect more light around the space, but they also make it feel bigger overall," Floyd explains. Large mirrors reflect light to create the illusion of more space in a cramped bathroom.

Work With Length

Narrow rooms are tough to design: We get it. But with the right décor and furnishings, your bathroom can still feel like a suite. Slim cabinetry, wall hooks, and the creative use of a standalone tub with an overhanging showerhead all use negative space to an advantage in this room to leave plenty of walking area.

Upgrade Your Medicine Cabinet

According to Floyd, the rightmedicine cabinetcan be "a life-saver." The trick is finding one that doesn't feel dated. Floyd suggests seeking out a piece that you'd never guess was a medicine cabinet, thanks to its contemporary design. Hiding storage behind your bathroom mirror keeps the space feeling sleek and open.

Find Space for a Soaker Tub

This design works best in square-shaped rooms. If your main bedroom doesn't have the luxurious en-suite bathroom you hoped for, make the space feel more open by arranging plumbing and cabinetry around the outsides of the room. Here, a small soaker tub carefully placed next to the shower barely fits—but the result is just right.

Don't Skimp on Drawers

A small bathroom doesn't mean you should opt for a pedestal sink instead of something with drawers and hidden storage. "With a small bathroom space, you want to maximize your storage options," Floyd suggests. Even a simple 18-inch vanity with a few built-in drawers can make all the difference.

Go All-White

While we love to work with light, neutral colors in a tiny bathroom design, the best way to make it feel as open as possible is to go all-white. The variety in texture in this room, from the tilework to the matte walls and plush hand towels, helps break up space in a sleek design.

Blend Spaces Together

The floor tile in this bathroom seamlessly blends the shower into the rest of the room. It's not a fully open bathroom, which still leaves space to keep the main area dry after you've showered. But thanks to clear glass doors, this room feels united as one.

Experiment With Wallpaper

On the opposite end of neutral colors, Floyd isn't opposed to using wallpaper in a small bathroom. "I find that wallpaper is a great solution to updating small space bathrooms in rentals. It gives the whole space a facelift while being removable and affordable," she adds.

Play Up the Windows

Natural light has a wonderful way of making rooms feel clean, open, and airy. Play up the windows in your bathroom to put the focus on the outside—even if you're working with limited square footage, it'll draw attention to the scenery rather than cramped walking areas.

Opt for Floating Vanities

Opt for afloating vanityto place beneath a modern mirror that doubles as extra storage space. "You wouldn't believe what a difference it makes not having legs on your vanities or a built-in cabinet-type vanity," Floyd notes. "When you get the vanity off the floor, you'll be surprised how much bigger it makes the space feel."

Embrace Your Room's Height

When you can't make the room feel wider, make it feel taller. We love the small chandelier in this bathroom that draws the eye up to the ceiling for an open design. Its matte, light paint color complements the room's tilework, and blends into the space while adding a pop of texture.

Think About the Hardware

Even if your bathroom is small, making it feel intentional and put together can create a more modern vibe. We'd love to get ready each morning in this space: Sleek gold hardware ties the design together to contrast patterned gray wallpaper and add an elegant finish.

Keep Accessories Off the Shelves

With limited storage space on shelves and in bathroom cabinets, it's especially helpful to find efficient ways to stow towels and other accessories. It seems like an obvious solution, but in addition to towel hooks, you can also hang small baskets and jewelry to save space in your main storage areas.

Pay Attention to Layout

We love how the first thing you see when you walk into this bathroom is the modern vanity and décor. All-white walls get a touch of texture with shiplap, and thanks to the bright design, the small space still feels open and airy.

Install Wall Shelves

Another key space saver?Wall-mounted shelvesabove the toilet. "Most toilets are beside the shower or the tub in small bathrooms, so I love to put floating shelves above with rolled-up towels for linen storage and easy access from the shower," Floyd says.

Use Every Inch

When you're lacking storage, it can be hard to find room for larger items like towels. In this bathroom design, a woven basket is cleverly tucked underneath the vanity to stow them in style (and save valuable cabinet and shelf space).

Try a Pedestal Sink in Guest Rooms

If you're not redesigning your most-used space, opt for a pedestal sink in guest bathrooms. This style saves the most room on the floor to comfortably walk around. We're also fans of bold wallpaper and unique light fixtures in guest bath spaces, as they add a burst of personality to small rooms.

Mix Different Textures

There's nothing like a white design to make a small room feel larger. To keep an all-white space feeling dynamic, mix in different textures. We love how the marble counters and tile stand out from the matte walls in this room.

Choose a Smaller Vanity

While you still need the valuable drawer and counter space, opting for a smaller vanity can keep things functional while preventing the room from feeling cramped. We love the dark blue design in this bathroom that creates modern vibes with gold hardware. Since it's tucked into the corner, it doesn't take away from the walking room.

Choose Smaller Tile

When you have limited floor space, it's important to make it look as large as possible. By using smaller tiles, your intricate patterns will have more room to repeat several times and create the illusion of a longer design. We love the minimalistic black tile in this bathroom that complements black hardware and contrasts white walls.

Tuck in the Vanity

There's a good chance that your vanity is taking up most of the open space in your bathroom. If your home's layout allows, take space from a spare bedroom or hall closet to tuck the vanity into the wall. Work with a contractor to determine the most efficient way to move the wall further back.

Tile It Up

Create the look of cohesion in your bathroom by tiling not just the shower and floors, but the walls as well. An oversized showerhead plays with scale in this bathroom, and small built-in shower shelving has just enough space to store the necessities. We also love the wooden stool that adds a functional element to the walk-in shower.

Add a Bathtub Caddy

Along with using it as a shelf for books when you relax in the tub, a bathtub caddy can store soaps and sponges. It's a tiny detail, but it makes a big difference when you're working with limited storage space for necessities in a small shower.

Make the Most of Your Space

In this bathroom design, the vanity is creatively tucked in next to the shower. By installing shower doors that swing open rather than sliding, the designer was able to use the extra space for cabinetry and storage. A sleek round mirror helps bounce light across the room and tie the décor together.

Embrace Unconventional Layouts

Many of us would be stumped by how to design an angular room (especially a bathroom), but this designer has mastered the art of layout. Rather than using the straight wall for a vanity, they made space for a soaker tub by putting the cabinets along the angular wall. A step-in shower is cleverly tucked into the corner.

Try an Open Vanity

This unconventional bathroom design extends the space effortlessly. With open shelving, the vanity creates a clear view to the back wall for an open vibe. Storage is easily accessible, so you'll never find yourself rummaging in the back of the cabinet for items that are hard to see.

Leave Walking Space Open

When you're planning your bathroom's layout, be sure to leave any walking space directly in front of the door open. We've all stepped into a bathroom that directly meets us with a toilet—and this designer avoided that awkward layout by moving it off to the side to keep a clean, spacious area in front of the vanity.

Design an Open Bathroom

We love an open bathroom. When there aren't doors to fully close the shower, the entire room functions as one space. The tile work in this design extends from the shower into the rest of the room, making it especially simple to step right into the shower and keep the small space feeling open.

Make a Statement

The right décor can make even the smallest of bathrooms feel inviting, vibrant, and unique. We love the densely patterned wallpaper that covers the walls in this space, paired with a thick-framed black mirror that plays on the pattern's round shapes. A pop of color on the vanity makes the design look eclectic and visually interesting—so no one's focused on the room's size.

Don't Be Afraid to Go Dark

Dark walls may seem counterproductive in a small space, but sometimes, making a statement is key. We love how the deep, rich blue paint in this room adds contrast to white ceilings and floors. Natural décor helps the modern space feel inviting.

Let the Light In

Without the skylight, this small bathroom could feel dark and closed off. If your room is short on windows (or doesn't have any at all), let the light in by installing a skylight. Bright, natural light pours into this space and makes the room's white walls feel airy and open.