Ways to design and decorate a small bathroom.

Features of the arrangement

Before starting the renovation, create a design project: correctly measure the parameters of the room, marking the doorway and piping. Carefully think over the layout and color palette of the interior, decide on the location of furniture, plumbing and sockets. This data will come in handy more than once, regardless of whether you will hire workers or update the bathroom with your own hands.

In a tiny bathroom, you need to use every free centimeter, organizing storage so as not to clutter the already cramped space. Think about whether you are ready to increase the area due to the shower cabin instead of the bathtub and whether you can refuse a full-fledged sink.

There are also nuances in the decoration of the bathroom: it cannot be faced with one material from floor to ceiling, and also use several formats and shades of tiles at once. It is equally important to decide on the interior style.

What color schemes are best to use?

Experts are right to talk about the importance of color in the interior – and indeed, light walls add air and space, while dark ones, on the contrary, muffle it and narrow it. The easiest way to visually expand a room is to use white tiles and light paint, decorating the interior in Scandinavian style.

Colored accents in the form of floor tiles, unusual furniture or bright accessories will help to revive it.

Installing built-in white furniture against a background of snow-white tiles will allow it to “dissolve” in the space bathroom.

But if this option seems boring and even “hospital”, introduce another shade into the decor. This can be a contrasting combination (for example, white and emerald, beige and brown, gray and deep blue) or two muted pastel colors. Light colors are great for classic style, contemporary and Provence.

Combining the ceiling and wall with one color allows you to visually increase the area of a small bathroom. For the same purpose, you can use the same tiles on the floor and wall – the optical illusion works great to expand the space.

Recommendations from professionals will help you avoid making a mistake in choosing a color palette:

• Exclude collections with large patterns: with them, the bathroom will seem even smaller, and without full visual coverage, it will be difficult to appreciate the large-scale panel.
• Don’t lay the floor with light, single-color tiles: every speck of dust will be visible on it, and white grout will quickly turn gray.
• Don’t use bright colors to decorate a small bathroom – they don’t help to increase the area, but quickly become irritating.

Use active, as well as dark tiles or mosaics partially – in the shower stall or on the wall where the sink is. A win-win option is colorful tiles on the floor. It will distract attention from the size of the room.

Recommendations for zoning and planning

Despite the modest size of the bathroom, many demands are often made on it: here people maintain personal hygiene, rest and relax, bathe children, wash pets, do laundry, apply makeup, and cabinets and shelves are used to store cleaning products.

The functionality of a small bathroom can be increased with the help of a good layout. Sometimes this requires moving the bathtub, shower stall or toilet, and with them the utilities, to a more convenient location. If the room is rectangular, it makes sense to place the bathtub near the short wall, rather than along the long one.

In a combined bathroom, the toilet can be turned at an angle of 45 degrees – sometimes this technique allows you to gain a few centimeters, thereby increasing the comfort of use. The distance from the toilet to the bathtub should be at least 50 cm.

There are not as many techniques for zoning a small bathroom as for a large one, but they are successfully used in design projects:

• Zoning with architectural elements. There is not enough space for a full-fledged dividing structure in a small bathroom, but a low partition can play its role. It is appropriate if you want to visually fence off the toilet: this is important for a bathroom combined with a toilet.
• Finishing materials. Ceramic tiles of a different format, decorative plaster or waterproof paint are suitable for zoning.
• Color. Visually, two zones can be separated using color. This is a popular technique that will allow you to highlight the area where the bathtub is located or the shower is located. The desired effect is achieved by using tiles of a different shade – as in the photo below.

Recommendations for finishing

Stretch fabric, plasterboard or plastic panels are suitable for decorating the ceiling. The most economical option is to level and paint the surface with a special composition for wet rooms. But it is better to avoid multi-level structures in a compact bathroom, so as not to weigh down the interior.

Ceramic tiles have long been recognized as the best material for finishing walls and floors – in a small bathroom, only they can withstand high humidity, temperature changes and aggressive cleaning agents for years.

To save money and achieve a more aesthetic design, we recommend combining tiles with moisture-resistant paint or decorative plaster.

If you want to create an interior that will not go out of fashion for a long time, choose tiles that imitate natural materials. The development of printing technologies allows us to convincingly imitate wood or stone, making the bathroom look expensive and stylish.

A design imitating light marble serves as a wonderful background for expensive plumbing fixtures and is perfect for both modern and classic styles.

To make the room seem more spacious, use glossy, mirror or glass tiles. Smooth surfaces reflect light better and add depth to the room. If you use rectangular tiles, lay them vertically: this technique will add height to the ceilings.

To combine several tile formats in a small room, use white as the main background. But if you are not confident in your design skills, limit yourself to two types of tiles when decorating the bathroom interior. The ceilings will appear higher and the walls wider if the design is consistent.

How to choose and arrange furniture and plumbing?

To ergonomically arrange everything you need in a small bathroom, you need to start from the size and shape of the room, as well as its design features (you should take into account niches, boxes, bevels). The preferred option is to make custom-made furniture to save a few centimeters.

Many modern manufacturers take into account the needs of those who live in small apartments, so it is worth looking for furniture and plumbing of non-standard shapes and sizes, for example, a beveled or corner sink, a narrow bathtub, a compact washing machine.

You can’t go wrong if you choose a hanging cabinet for your bathroom and a toilet, which have important advantages:

• “Floating” furniture and plumbing do not take up space on the floor, making the bathroom seem less cluttered, and therefore more spacious.
• Models of laconic form look more attractive and modern than usual.
• Cleaning the bathroom will become much easier.
• Suitable for any style: modern, classic, Provence.

Look at examples of bathroom design without a bathtub.

When renovating a bathroom, we recommend hiding all communications in plasterboard boxes, leaving an inspection hatch for access – this way the small room looks neater, without unnecessary elements. Use the resulting niches to create shelves or built-in cabinets.

A large mirror will help to optically increase the area and the amount of light. It can be placed horizontally from wall to wall, adding lighting: this way, a tiny bathtub will seem much more spacious.

How to organize proper storage?

A general cleaning will help improve the appearance of a small bathroom, during which you should get rid of all unnecessary items. Feel free to throw away washed-out towels, empty jars, old cosmetics and mini-bottles from travels.

To make the bathroom look neat, it is necessary to put bottles and tubes in closed cabinets, thereby reducing visual noise. That is why cabinets with facades in a small bathroom are much preferable to open shelves and racks.

Don’t leave children’s toys in plain sight: a variety of colors will not add charm to the interior. Put them in a specially designated place (for example, a closed cabinet) or store them in the children’s room.

It is better to put all the necessary little things in fabric or wicker baskets – they look more impressive than separate packages of shampoos and conditioners. Place bottles with household chemicals in a container – it will disguise the colored labels.

Look for non-standard solutions for a typical bathroom: order a narrow column cabinet up to the ceiling to fit everything you need – from cleaning supplies to hygiene products. For convenient storage, a pull-out drawer with shelves, as in the photo below, is suitable.

What style is best for decoration?

There are no strict restrictions in choosing a style solution for decorating a small bathroom. You can safely use any style, but it is important to maintain balance and clearly understand the sense of proportion. Below we will analyze the main directions and tell you about the features of each style, which will play a plus for our small area.

Eternal classics will be appropriate even for a tiny bathroom. Accent details of plumbing, for example, bathtub legs or faucets, will help to emphasize the style direction. Choose models for precious metals (gold or bronze).

And for finishing the walls and floor, marble tiles are suitable. A large mirror will be a good solution for expanding the space. Decorate one of the walls with mirror tiles and the room will be filled with light and will visually become larger.

If you prefer lightness and ease combined with coziness, then take a closer look at Provence. Light finishes in a small bathroom will only play a plus, and a floral print will add sophistication to the interior. For storage, cabinets and shelves in pastel colors are suitable. The facades can be decorated using decoupage technique.

The Scandinavian style does not lose its popularity, so it is best suited for a small bathroom. The main characteristics of the style are light decoration, functionality and the use of only the most necessary interior items.

Use simple white tiles for wall decoration and light wood on the floor. White glossy surfaces with wooden details are suitable for furniture fronts. Textiles and plumbing elements can be used as accents. This solution will visually increase a small area and will not look dull.

Another example of a style for decorating small spaces is minimalism. When arranging a bathroom, use only the most necessary furniture and decor with the simplest forms. For finishing, you can use white and gray tones.

Dark colors are also acceptable, but they are not always appropriate for a small area, but if you really want to, you can use them in details – faucets, door handles, etc. Clear straight lines in furniture and decoration will help to increase the space, and a minimum of decorative elements will not overload the decor.

How and what is the best way to decorate?

Few people think about decorating a small bathroom – and really, why decorate a room that already has a lot of things? But if you carefully thought out the storage and interior design, then not many items are left in sight, and the decoration looks laconic. In this case, you can decorate a shelf or cabinet with an artificial plant, and hang a picture on the free wall.

The decor can be functional – for example, a framed poster will cover an unsightly inspection hatch in the wall, and a picturesque wicker laundry basket will serve as a decoration for the bathroom.

Textiles can also play a decorative role – a stylish shower A curtain made of expensive material and single-color towels, beautifully laid out on open shelves, will add coziness to the atmosphere. The items will enliven the bathroom interior and serve as accents against the background of light shades.

If there are a lot of items in the bathroom, and the ceramic tiles have too active a pattern, it is better to refuse additional decor. Let the interior be decorated with a luxurious set of accessories for washing (dispenser and glass for toothbrushes); an elegant rug for the feet; mirror of unusual shape in a modern style.

How to organize the lighting?

The lighting scenario must be thought out at the initial stage of the renovation. For a small bathroom, one chandelier is not enough, especially if the design includes dark tones. Good lighting can increase the area no worse than mirrors, if only visually:

• A ceiling with lighting around the perimeter of the bathroom “lifts” it, stretching the room vertically.
• The light above the shower stall divides the small bathroom into two zones.
• The lighting, reflecting off the mirror surfaces, expands the space optically.

Installing wall sconces above the vanity unit with a sink will add the function of a makeup room to the bathroom. This area should be illuminated with soft light to avoid harsh shadows on the face.

Lighting with a cold white shade will make a small bathroom uncomfortable, so we recommend using lamps with a color temperature of 2600–3500K (warm white light or neutral white).

How to save money area?

If you don’t plan to increase the area of a small bathroom by adding a toilet or hallway, consider other ways to save space.

Installing a bath screen will provide you with additional storage space for cleaning products. Screens are made from various materials – wood, plastic, glass. By fitting wooden shelves into the free niches under the bathtub, you will double the usable area.

What to do if there is not enough space for a washing machine? Use the space under the sink. Move all the hygiene products stored below to a wall cabinet with a mirrored door – access to them will become easier. Place a narrow washing machine under the countertop and place an overhead sink with a special siphon on top, the spout of which can be adjusted.

To gain some more space, a standard bathtub can be replaced with a corner or smaller model, or a shower stall can be installed. This solution has both pros and cons, so each option should be considered individually.

A shower cabin is suitable for a person without children and animals, and also indifferent to spa treatments. Modern floor-length models with laconic glass doors seem to dissolve in space, thereby taking up almost no space in a tiny bathroom. But it is more convenient to relax, bathe a child and wash pets in a bathtub than in a cabin.

A small bathroom is not an obstacle for designers who want to make the room as functional as possible. You can organize a mini-laundry room in it by placing a dryer on top of the washing machine. If the room is 3-4 meters, instead of a bathtub you will have to install a shower cabin with a low tray and a partition so that the machines are “hidden” in a convenient niche.

Make maximum use of the space under the bathroom ceiling to use the space more rationally. Close the cabinet with transparent or wooden louvered doors to make the structure easier to perceive.

Examples of finished projects

Theory is good, of course, but it’s better to see once. Therefore, let’s look at examples of bathroom arrangements in real life, where designers tried to make everything stylish and convenient even in small areas.

Designer Elzbieta Chegarova decided to combine a toilet and a compact bathroom, thereby obtaining a significant increase in area – 3.4 square meters. In the new design, they decided to abandon the bathtub and installed a compact shower cabin. The storage system was placed above the washing machine, and mirrored facades were chosen for the cabinets above the sink.

You can see the full project here.

Another stylish transformation of a bathroom in a small Khrushchevka. Designer Marina Merenkova created a functional and cozy interior in light colors. To save space, the washing machine was placed under the sink, and a white cabinet was hung above the toilet for convenient storage.

In this bathroom, the designers from Buro Brainstorm did without remodeling, but the small area allowed them to fit everything they needed. For finishing, they used combined light tiles.

As storage systems, they decided to make many useful niches where it is convenient to store necessary items. To save space, the owners bought a small wall-mounted washing machine and hung it above the toilet. They decided to make the mirror large to visually increase the area.

Take a closer look at the project.

The smaller the bathroom, the more thoughtful its design should be: finishing materials should be wear-resistant, lighting should be sufficient, furniture should be comfortable and ergonomic. A small bathroom, including one in a Khrushchev-era building, can be stylish and meet the needs of every family member.