What Can I Do With a Small Apartment Bathroom?
Is the bathroom in your apartment spatially challenged? If you’re suffering from tiny-bathroom-syndrome, it can be challenging to see the best way to decorate. After all, you only have so much wall and counter space in your mini-bathroom, so how are you supposed to show off your style and make sure there are actual necessities like soap, towels, and extra toilet paper?
Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. We’ve compiled this list of ten designer-approved tips for making the most out of your small apartment bathroom. We’ll help you make your small apartment bathroom stylish, clutter-free, and still functional enough to be used by you and all your guests regularly; all you need to do is follow this list of small apartment bathroom ideas!
So, here are ten great small apartment bathroom ideas for you to try now without further ado.
How to Maximize Space in a Small Apartment Bathroom?
1. Go Easy on Accessories
At McKinley Apartments, we know everyone loves showing off their style. And usually, that comes in the form of displaying all of our favorite knick-knacks, décor, and adorable little wall ornaments. But when it comes to your tiny apartment bathroom, trying to do too much with accessories can make things claustrophobic.
Clutter on the walls, countertops, and shelves can make a small space look even smaller. So while that adorable little corner stool might look cute in the store, try to imagine how it will look taking up one-third of your apartment bathroom’s floor space.
The more conservative you can be with accessories in your bathroom, the more spacious and manageable it will seem. And if you have décor you’re dying to display, you’ll be able to find a great spot for it somewhere else in the apartment.
Read our list on how to declutter your apartment.
2. Store Smarter
With a small apartment bathroom, packing in enough storage space for all the necessities can be difficult. But if you’re willing to get a little creative with your small bathroom decor, you can have all the storage you need.
Open shelving is a hot trend at the moment, and adding one or two shelves above the toilet or against a far wall can be a great (and easy) way to add some storage space without cluttering the floor. Once you have the shelving, we recommend some stylish but functional method of organizing your items.
Wire mesh baskets can be a stylish choice for storing extra soap or toilet paper. Just remember that the more you can move storage from the floor to the walls, the less cluttered the bathroom will feel.
3. Think Outside the Bathroom
If your bathroom is tiny, as in, so small that there’s hardly room to sit down, let alone add storage and décor, you’re not totally out of luck. Some small bathroom decorators think outside the box with their apartment bathroom ideas—literally. Take a look at the space just outside the bathroom to determine whether it might lend itself to a stylish little storage nook. Many apartments nestle bathrooms in the corners of houses and living areas, so there may be an opportunity for you to create a storage area with toilet paper, towels, and other items if there’s no room in the bathroom itself.
4. Lighten Up the Space
The best way to make a small space seem even smaller is to coat the walls with dark, heavy paint. We recommend light, neutral colors for your apartment bathroom decor that will make space feel more airy and open.
If you want to add a splash of contrast, choose a small wall in the bathroom as a feature color that will complement the lighter paint on the rest of the bathroom. This method can result in the space seem slightly larger.
Just remember—bathrooms have to handle a lot of moisture and steam. Choose quality paint that will hold up to the abuse over time. Going with a budget paint brand might seem like it saves money, but it will only cost you more in the long run when it gets damaged quickly and requires a re-coat.
5. Mirror, Mirror, On the Wall
It’s a trick as old as decorating itself. Mirrors visually extend any space to make it seem larger, more open, and less constricted. If your tiny bathroom comes with a small little mirror hanging precariously above the sink, consider swapping it out for a larger one. This will make the bathroom feel more open and airy and serve the functional purpose of giving guests (and you) the chance to check themselves out before heading back into the world.
6. Floating Shelves & Cabinets, Oh My!
We mentioned this briefly earlier on, but we can’t stress enough how important it is to keep storage off the floor in a small apartment bathroom. Floating shelves are a stylish way to do this, and you might even consider adding a small cabinet or too for private storage that’s clutter-free and out of the way.
If you do opt for shelves or cabinets, keep them as shallow as possible. While freeing up floor space is great, it won’t count for much if your cabinets extend a foot out into the bathroom. Choose the shallowest options you can that will still have enough space to hold all of your things.
7. Don’t Be a Square
In your tiny, itty-bitty bathroom, square edges may be your worst enemy. Square and rectangle-shaped décor and installations take up more space than is necessary. Try opting for rounded sinks, shelving, or other décor. Getting rid of these corners will open up the space’s visual look and provide a more usable area because there’s nothing worse than bumping your hip on a corner of the sink in a tight, tiny bathroom.
If your apartment rental doesn’t allow you to make these kinds of changes, counteract angular sinks or cabinets with softer décor to at least visually make the space seem less…pointy.
8. Hang Those Towels
Towels are big, bulky, and necessary in any bathroom. But even a neatly folded pile in the corner or on a small table surface can take up precious space in your bathroom. Order towels online for insanely cheap, and they’re relatively easy to install. They’ll also give your bathroom a finished, polished look.
9. Use Shower Power
If your little bathroom has a shower or bathtub, and you’re cutting that shower or bathtub off with an opaque curtain, you’re making your small bathroom space even smaller. If it’s an option, choose a glass shower door. If it’s not an option, give your bathtub a good solid clean and then leave that curtain wide open when not in use. Doing so will extend the visual space of your bathroom and make it feel less claustrophobic. We also recommend choosing a shower curtain pattern that’s light and textured rather than dark and bold. Heavy colors will only make the space feel smaller and closer.
10. Combine Form and Function
Let’s face it—your lil’ bathroom doesn’t have the space to suit every decorating dream you might have for it. But that doesn’t mean you have to compromise on style for substance or substance for style. There are plenty of stylish, awesome-looking pieces that also serve a purpose. Unique, rustic shelving, framed mirrors with tons of personality, and cabinets with their own distinctive style are all options. By choosing usable storage with character, you can create a bathroom space that’s not over-cluttered but still does everything you want it to in terms of style and function.
Having a tiny bathroom sucks. There’s no getting around it. But by following these apartment bathroom ideas, we believe that even the most minuscule bathroom space can be stylish, functional, and enjoyable.
And if you want to make sure bathroom space is never an issue, check out our roomy apartments.
