Small bathroom upgrades — 5 stunning ideas that will make your space shine
Adding small bathroom upgrades to your home has to be one of the best ways to quickly make it feel like new. Just a few of these will make the space sparkle even more.
We’ve chatted with interior designers who are used to coming into small bathrooms and transforming them to find out tricks they use to make this room look more stylish. Vintage treasures and wonderful wallpapers are just some of their favorite decorations.
If you’re looking for small bathroom ideas to dramatically change up the appearance, these are all useful to have on your radar.
Small bathroom upgrades
Give your bathroom a beautiful glow-up with these tips, which include small bathroom storage ideas, decoration tips, and more.
Our designers have recommended specific products throughout, which we’ve found in case you want to start glowing up yours.
The prices below were correct at the time of publishing this article.
1. Add vintage trinkets
((Image credit: MBC Interior Design / Lauren Taylor Creative))
Going down the vintage route when decorating is a gorgeous way to add elegance to your bathroom in an inexpensive way.
“Sometimes it is tiny things that make your bathroom updated, whether you rent or own,” says Sarah Storms, interior designer and founder of Styled by Storms.
She continues, “I like to add a cool vintage vase, fancy bar soap, and French bath towels, as these small accessories are beautiful and functional without breaking the bank.”
Head to a thrift store or secondhand furniture store such as Goodwill and get your magpie eyes ready to find your newest (or oldest) treasure.
2. Bring in beautiful plants
((Image credit: Steph Everett))
You may not have thought about putting indoor plants in the bathroom before, but placing one or two on surfaces will quickly upgrade your small bathroom.
“Bathrooms are a great place to bring in color and organic materials to warm up cold tiles and finishes,” says Amanda Wiss, design expert and founder of Urban Staging and Urban Clarity.
For example, Amanda used eucalyptus in a golden vase (this Hubuish Gold Vase on Amazon is beautiful and budget-friendly) to bring a breath of richness and texture to this bathroom.
Other plants you could place in bathrooms include peace lilies which love moisture and pothos plants which are low-maintenance.
A green bouquet of lavender and eucalyptus
123 pcs
Nyidpsz Mixed Eucalyptus and Lavender Bouquet
Size (in.): H16.5 Made from: Natural materials Price: $15.58
A pothos in a black pot
Easy to grow
Costa Farms Tall Pothos
Size (in.): H10 x W9 x L9 Made from: Natural materials Price: $19.97
A peace lily plant in a terracotta pot
Ready to grow
Costa Farms Peace Lily Plant
Size (in.): H15 x W8 x L8
Made from: Natural material
Price: $23.99
3. Utilize vertical space
((Image credit: Styled by Storms / Brittany Ambridge))
For those working with limited square footage (we feel the pain), it’s time to look for small bathroom storage solutions which utilize vertical space.
Amanda explains, “Consider over the toilet shelves, cabinets, or wall-mounted towel bar, as these can be used to keep visual clutter to a minimum in your bathroom space.”
By keeping your floor as clear as possible, you’ll make your small bathroom appear bigger, which will upgrade how it looks.
A white bathroom cupboard with four drawers and a cabinet
Water-resistant
Costway Wooden Bathroom Storage Cupboard
Size (in.): H32 x W12 x L22
Made from: MDF
Price: $89.99
A gold metal towel bar
Holds towels and clothes
Hearth & Hand with Magnolia Towel Bar
Size (in.): H2.25 x W3.08 x L28
Made from: Metal
Price: $29.99
An over toilet storage unit with decor on it
Easy to install
Mainstays Over-the-Toilet Space Saver Cabinet
Size (in.): H67.25 x W23 x D7.38
Made from: Particleboard
Price: $49.97
4. Place wallpaper on the walls
((Image credit: MBC Interior Design / Ryan Garvin))
Using the best paint colors for small bathrooms can look great, but if you want to go for bold, unfurling a roll of wallpaper is the way to go
“One of our favorite ways to give a small bathroom personality is to add wallpaper,” says Mary Beth Christopher, principal designer and founder of MBC Interior Design.
She continues, “You won’t need very much, so for minimal investment, you get maximum impact.”
Mary says it can truly transform a space in a way almost nothing else can, and we completely agree
If you’re renting, you can still use peel-and-stick wallpaper to achieve the same effect without damaging your walls. We love this Roommates Snake Skin Peel and Stick Wallpaper from Target, which is so glam.
A black wallpaper square with gold cheetahs
Non-pasted application
The House of Scalamandre Leaping Cheetah Roll
Size (in.): W58 x L248
Made from: Paper
Price: $10.05 per sq. ft.
A peel-and-stick wallpaper square with green leaves and pink flowers
Easy to reposition
NuWallpaper Tropical Paradise Peel and Stick Wallpaper
Size (in.): W20.5 x L198
Made from: Vinyl
Price: $27.99
A white square with black confetti dots
Straight match
RoomMates Confetti Peel and Stick Wallpaper
Size (in.): W20.5 x L198
Made from: Vinyl
Price: $29.99
5. Choose a personalized solution
((Image credit: Stephanie Meyer / AVCO Design))
If smaller upgrades aren’t enough for your bathroom, you might want to think about customized solutions.
“In any room, we feel finding ways to incorporate personalized space for each user makes a world of difference,” says Stephanie Meyer, principal designer and owner of AVCO Design.
She continues, “Very detailed space planning and fixture selection is key in configuring a small bathroom to get the most out of it.”
In this primary ensuite, Stephanie modified a closet to allow for a toilet room, custom-built a vanity area to allow for two sinks, as well as bringing in a soaking bath.
You could do this yourself if you’re looking for a DIY bathroom renovation idea, or can always bring in the pros if you don’t fully trust yourself with a hammer.
Whether you want to go big on your small bathroom upgrades or add subtle touches, there are plenty of clever solutions out there.
No matter what you choose, be sure anything you bring in showcases your style, so you can feel completely happy when brightening up your small bathroom.