All the very best design ideas for small bathrooms from the House & Garden archive to prove that size doesn't matter

The bathroom may be the smallest room in the house, but there's no reason why it can't make a decorative splash. From country bathrooms and traditional iterations, via the modern, marble-clad, wild and wonderful, these small spaces prove the power the decoration has in elevating a room to new heights. Whether you are thinking of decorating your downstairs loo or your en-suite, take a look at our collection of small bathroom designs.

 

 

Flora Soames' woodland cottage may have a small bathroom, but it's certainly a beautiful one. The freestanding bath frames the window, and clever decorative touches have been added by a set of wooden shelves, blue stool and wooden console. It's an utterly lovely example of a country bathroom.

 

SIMON UPTON

 

In a small bathroom in Angelica Squire's London house, the shower is lined with deep blue zellige tiles. These help reflect the light and bounce it around the room, creating a sense of a bigger space.

 

OWEN GALE

 

A minimal pendant lights hang from the ceiling of the bathroom in this small, modern one room flat belonging to Edo Mapelli Mozzi, CEO Banda Property. The scheme is bright, white and minimal, with accents of slate grey.

 

SIMON BROWN

Symmetrical Mirrors | Bathroom Ideas

SYMMETRICAL MIRRORS | BATHROOM IDEAS

Around the corner from the bathtub in a compact west London flat designed by Nicholas Spencer & Sophie von Wedekind, a pair of mirrors creates symmetry above the basin. The black mirror frames and brass fittings add decorative touches to the light-filled space.

 

SARAH HOGAN

 

'If you don't have good storage, your life is a mess. It is expensive, and people don't like to put it into their budgets, but it's crucial,' says Rita. When asked how she did it all in her own London flat, she reels off a long list, which includes losing 12cm off the length of the sitting area to make room for the full-length bath in the bathroom.

 

PAUL MASSEY

 

The en-suite bathroom in Tara Craig's tiny London flat has Balineum wall tiles and brass fittings from Catchpole & Rye. The bath is over the shower to save space in this small room.

 

DAVIDE LOVATTI

 

Honed white marble, Farrow & Ball’s ‘Oval Room Blue’ paint on the basin unit and bath panel, and a green linen blind work together to create a calm environment in this bathroom by Beata Heuman. The curves of the marble splashback mimic the flow of water.

 

 

In this small bathroom at Cadland House, geometric wallpaper and tiled floors tie together these three individual spaces.

 

 

The colour palette used throughout Caroline O'Donnell's London flat is pared back, but with a few well-placed hits of bold colour - the most dramatic of which are the wet-room tiles. 'I loved the idea of Caroline waking up to this rich blue, which is offset perfectly by the glamourous gold fixtures and fittings,' explains designer Harriet Anstruther. The electric blue Bisazza tiles make an ensuite that is tiny but stand-out.

 

PAUL MASSEY

 

A small room doesn't necessarily need small fixtures and fittings. The owners of this Notting Hill bathroom wanted a large basin that could double up as a utility sink, so architects Maxwell & Company installed a Belfast sink with built-in oak-veneer panelling incorporating a cabinet. Try Victorian Plumbing for Belfast sinks, from around £150.

 

 

A butler sink is an unusual choice for a bathroom, but it works beautifully with the wooden surround here. The brass taps are original to the house at Carskiey in Scotland. For similar, try Catchpole & Rye's 'English Basin Pillar Tap' in aged brass (from £300 a tap).

 

DAVIDE LOVATTI

 

A small bathroom with panelled walls in the home of designer Robert Moore has a feeling of warm, understated glamour.

 

 

Interior designer Amanda Hornby has used 'Vermicule' wallpaper from Pierre Frey in the bathroom, which contrasts with the marble bath surround and swooping curved splashback, sourced from a quarry that was reopened 20 years ago when the marble in the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles was being restored, 'I love its funky psychedelic orange and red veins,' says Amanda.

 

ALEXANDER JAMES

 

This small wood panelled bathroom suite on the house boat of Plain English founder Katie Fontana is a dream. Dark wood decorates the walls, which are inset with art. A big white bath is a lovely contrast to the dark wood.

 

LUCAS ALLEN

 

The vertical lines of the panelling in this Welsh farmhouse by Hackett Holland add height to the awkwardly shaped bathroom, while the window gives bathers a view of the sky. A sink curtain emphasises the country feel of the scheme and hides any unsightly pipes.

 

SIMON UPTON

 

Why not make a small bathroom the place where you experiment with the bold colour you're slightly afraid to put elsewhere. Take this tiny windowless room designed by Suzy Hoodless. Adhering to the time-honoured rule that if a room is already dark there is no off-white on earth that will change it, seductive black walls have been combined with good lighting, plenty of mirror and chic, unfussy fittings. The scheme is anchored by monochrome cement tiles from Popham Design.

 

SHARYN CAIRNS

 

Max Rollitt has used his antiques expertise and taken inspiration from the flat's former appearance to create interiors with a feeling of permanence in a Victorian hospital building. No tour of the flat would be complete without a visit to the cloakroom opposite the kitchen. Here there is a show-stopping example of architectural salvage to complement the encaustic floor tiles - a late-nineteenth-century pair of stained-glass windows that Max found in France. The colours are gorgeous: amber, scarlet, turquoise and pink. But what makes these panels so fascinating is that they have been designed to hold a series of photographic slides. Some of these have decayed into abstract clouds, but in others people and buildings can still be deciphered. Character and charm triumphantly re-established.

 

SIMON BROWN

 

Wondering how to fit a bath and a shower in to a small, sloped attic space? Take inspiration from this design by Todhunter Earle for a chalet in Chamonix. The space is enlivened with iridescent tiles by French company Emery & Cie.

 

PAUL MASSEY

 

Vintage industrial tiles, imported from the US, line the children's shower room in restaurant owner Keith McNally's Notting Hill home.

 

SIMON UPTON

 

If you don't have much floor space, utilise your walls. Space has been maximised in this tiny bathroom with built-in shelves.

 

 

Small guest room with no space for an en-suite? There is something undeniably charming about the tiny little free-standing bath designer Ilse Crawford has used in this room of Stockholm's Ett Hem hotel.

 

PAUL MASSEY

 

This bathroom in Butter Wakefield's London home is truly a bathroom with charisma. Flowers in a vase freshen up the small space while the decor perfectly balances quaint with chic, avoiding clutter. Shelves of frames and stacked books make the space feel detailed and intimate as opposed to cramped.

 

SIMON BROWN

 

This small bathroom benefits from a built-in bath, which saves space and adds interest with a marble top. The scheme also features a patterned blind and matching curtains, which instantly add cosiness - as does the rug, typical of English country house style.

 

The owner of this house, architect Ptolemy Dean wanted to do something different than the traditional Sussex barn conversion, so instead opted for a new build that complements the older farm buildings perfectly.

 

SIMON BROWN

 

The bathroom in this California family home has been fitted with a two-tone, herringbone tiled floor. If you have a long, narrow bathroom, let the choice of free standing bath by Waterworks inspire you - it fills the space perfectly without dominating it. A pretty pendant light and a wall mounted towel rail are neat final flourishes that are discreet enough to keep this small bathroom looking airy and light. The blinds are in a fabric by O Ecotextiles, from M M Design.

 

NGOC MINH NGO

 

Johnny Holland has chosen an unusual blue-black for the bathroom of his Richmond mansion flat. The dark, slightly glossy paint reflects the natural light from the window beautifully. The is Carrara-marble-clad and is fitted with contrasting brass fixtures from Barber Wilsons.

 

PAUL MASSEY

 

Despite having limited space this small bathroom still has an elegant and spacious feel. Interior designer Tara Craig has used classical overtones provided by Catchpole & Rye and metro-style tiles to give the room a crisp and airy finish.

 

NATALIE DINHAM

 

Charming wallpaper makes this small bathroom in Edward Bulmer's Queen Anne house a festive space.

 

LUCAS ALLEN

Sunny side up

SUNNY SIDE UP

Bright yellow paint works as a perfect foil to white industrial tiles and gold accessories in this London bathroom.

 

Taken from the May 2014 issue of House & Garden

 

Like this? Then you'll love Stylish ideas for bathrooms

 

ALEXANDER JAMES

 

The design of this small attic bathroom by Todhunter Earle for a chalet in Chamonix, is practically perfect (see the rest of the room here). A panel of mirror-glass that works with the shape of the room, makes the sloped ceiling feel higher and the room bigger.

 

PAUL MASSEY

 

Never feel like a bathroom has to have wall-to-wall tiles. There is something so charming about the combination of painted tongue-and-groove boards, wallpaper and marble in the home of designer Diana Sieff. The pattern - 'Adams Eden' by Lewis & Wood - works beautifully with a windowsill full of red geraniums. Installing cupboards with mirror doors saves space, provides storage and makes the room feel larger and lighter.

 

 

In the bathroom of her North London home the designer Bridie Hall has used a dark grey paint as a base for an eclectic collection of mirrors and objects. A smart matchboard unit conceals all the plumbing for the loo and the sink.

 

SIMON BROWN

 

Sweet nautical accessories, and bright blue matchboard panelling make up this charming bathroom in the home of Georgie Fordham.

 

From the July 2014 issue of House & Garden

 

SIMON BROWN

Perfectly formed

PERFECTLY FORMED

'I feel the same way about bathrooms as I do bedrooms,' says designer William Yeoward of this one in his guest cottage. 'I use pictures, ceramics, or whatever it takes to make the room feel loved and hospitable. In this bathroom, I have used Designers Guild wallpaper and surrounded the bath with stoneware "cidre" bottles from Normandy. They date from around 1860; I love their colour.'

 

 

A malachite topped sink paired with bottle-green walls and black and white photographs is a winning combination in this house by designer and architect Robert Hardwick.

 

SIMON BROWN

 

Charcoal walls provide a dramatic backdrop for idiosyncratic paintings of volcanoes, and wall-mounted plinths topped with coral, in designer Bridie Hall's bathroom.

 

SIMON BROWN

 

In the designer Hugh Leslie's London flat, Artemide 'Dioscuri' lights float on the surface of the mirror like bubbles in a bath. The motif is echoed in the handles of the teal cabinets, which were designed by Hugh for the space.

 

LUCAS ALLEN

 

The pink and green bathroom in designer Nicky Haslam's eighteenth-century folly is pure romance. Furniture from his range for Oka, is combined with a wall of mirror behind the bath, which opens up the tiny room and bounces around the light.

 

 

Naturally the home of gallerist Rebecca Hossack is packed with beautiful pieces by the artists that she represents. In the bathroom, surrounding the bath, are numerous pieces by the potter Ann Stokes, whose work, as well as exhibiting in the gallery, is also displayed at the V&A. Glass shelves run in front of the windows filled with a selection of delicate glassware in tonal blues; an easy and clever trick which brings a luminous punch of colour to the room.

 

Effectively encasing the bath in a tongue and groove box brings the texture and character of panelling to the room, while also creating surfaces on which to give the space a decorative flourish.

 

 

Colefax designer Emma Burns added to the owner's collection of sailors' valentines that hang in the bathroom; all of them were found a The Lacquer Chest in Kensington. 'It's about finding those bits and pieces that make things charming,' she says.

 

Taken from the April 2014 issue of House & Garden. Additional text: Hatta Byng.

 

 

Designer Hugh Leslie has installed a playful bubble-like mosaic by Mesguich Mosaik in this London bathroom.

 

Taken from the May 2012 issue of House & Garden. Additional text: Lisa Freedman.

 

JEFFERSON SMITH

 

Colour is used to unify this West London home by interior designer Ebba Thott, with a soft, natural palette of taupe, aqua, stone and earth. Pattern is also a consistent theme. In the downstairs cloakroom is a collage of handmade 'Blueware' tiles by Tim Simpson and Sarah van Gameren at Glithero, made by pressing weeds from London pavements between glass plates to develop photograms in an intense Prussian blue.

 

PAUL MASSEY

 

A built-in shelf is perfect for keeping bathroom knick-knacks to hand and creating a pretty display at the same time. The use of colour and galvanised metal furniture in this bathroom keeps it spring garden fresh.

 

French Empire Bath from Catchpole & Rye

 

 

Designer Ann Boyd's tiny London pied a terre is packed with useful ideas. In the bathroom she has installed a short-projection loo, and wall-hung basin - both from Bathstore - to free up space. These have been used in combination with a backdrop of mirror-glass panelling to cheat the room's compact proportions.

 

RACHEL SMITH

 

Careful consideration of every socket, shelf and lighting source has transformed a poky bathroom in to an inviting space. The designer Juliette Byrne enlisted lighting designer Sally Storey of John Cullen for the job, installing hidden LED's to change the feel of the space. 'So often people consider these things after the carpentry has been done, but we were able to plan in advance which was a joy,' says Sally. 'We used lights on top of mirrors, and illuminated the dead space beneath the floating shelves and the vanity unit, with creates a feeling of depth: the bathroom appears so much bigger.'

 

Taken from the March 2013 issue of House & Garden

 

RACHAEL SMITH

 

In this wet room by Dublin firm Architecture Republic, the glazed ceiling floods the room with light, offering views of the sky while retaining privacy.

 

Taken from the February 2014 issue of House & Garden.

 

PAUL TIERNY

Petit washstand

PETIT WASHSTAND

Small bathroom? Opt for a petit washstand without a bulky base. The 'Hanbury' from Balineum comes with a built-in rail for your hand towel. Contrary to popular belief, bold wallpaper works well in a small space. If you're worried about how the wallpaper will withstand the humidity, coat it with Polyvine's Decorators Varnish (from £8.05 at polyvine.com).

 

Wallpaper, 'Alison Circles' (pink), £58 a metre at Bernard Thorp.

 

RACHEL WHITING

 

Mayfair's Albany apartments were designed as pieds-à-terre for gentlemen about town. 'The thing is', says designer Charles Jones, who has done the interior design for several sets in Albany, 'none of the rooms were designed as conventional homes in the first place'. Renovating the bathroom with a mix of granite and walnut added a modern touch to the room, coupled with the elegant furniture and discreet storage, which creates a sense of space and light. The corner basin and heated towel rail (mounted high on the wall) is another clever, space-saving touch.

 

PAUL MASSEY

 

This Victorian terrace was transformed by interior designer Penny Morrison to be a home for a bachelor, without the stereotypical furnishings. The bathroom painted in 'Shaded White' by Farrow & Ball, has a flat screen TV built in to the wall above the bath.

 

ALICIA TAYLOR

 

Designed by interior architect Paul Barnes this bathroom has a simple colour palette, which makes for a light and airy room. The large mirrors and tall towel rails create the illusion of space, and compliment the bathroom accessories.

 

PAUL MASSEY

 

Interior designer Sarah Chambers believes that, 'If I don't show a client something that surprises them, I'm not doing my job.' The tiles in her bathroom look, at first glance, like natural stone but they are in fact decorated with a flock design - a very pleasant surprise indeed!

 

 

The design features of this small bathroom are characterful and vibrant without being oppressive, which avoids making the small space feel even smaller.

 

A glass shower cubicle in the bathroom allows the de Gournay 'Fishes' wallpaper to become the main decorative feature of the room. Though neutral in colour, the paper's gilded lucky fish add heaps of personality to the space.

 

Hannah Cecil Gurney's west London flat is a feast of luxurious colour, texture and pattern - little surprise given that her father founded the handmade wallpaper company de Gournay.

 

SIMON BROWN

 

This iconic wallpaper is Scalamandré's 'Zebra' in masai red, famously used in Wes Anderson's film The Royal Tenenbaums. It creates an intimate feeling in this small bathroom, which was boldly designed by Beata Heuman.

 

RACHEL WHITING

 

Designer Martin Brudnizki's compact west London flat perfectly demonstrates the cleverly layered look of which he is a master. Best known for his work designing hotels such as Soho Beach House in Miami and The Beekman in New York, Martin Brudnizki's forte is creating 'homes from home', he wants his work to be grand and glamorous, but there is also a sense of intimacy and comfort. The bathroom, covered with small marble metro tiles, is the epitome of understated glamour, with brass accessories and industrial-style light fittings.

 

JAMES MCDONALD

 

Situated between Marrakesh and the Atlas Mountains, this elegant house, with its airy rooms, is decorated in a combination of English country-house style and traditional Moroccan elements. A bright red mirror brightens the bathroom and offers a focal point among the more natural shades.