Uncramp Your Small Bathroom

brunettebohemian says:

This tiny bath stole 3 feet from the end of a long narrow room. The shower is in the former closet. The fixtures, tile, and cabinets were purchased separately all on sale. The wall covering is budget friendly burlap coated with water base polyurethane. The only splurge was the glass shower enclosure. It makes the space feel much larger. The toilet and sink are at opposite ends of the narrow room which frees up floor space in front of the shower.

Tricia Rose says:

Such fun to see my loo paper storage on a shelf above the door living on! I think I copied the idea from Peri Wolfman, and it means we never run out, which can only be a good thing~

Pangaea Interior Design, Portland, OR says:

brunettebohemian: Looks like you did a great job on a tiny space! Interesting idea with the burlap too! Thanks for sharing the photos.

Tricia Rose: Well, I always say it is better to copy genius than to create mediocrity! It's a great idea and one that I'm sure will be used by many.

pvtrailrunner says:

Curb less shower

lessalt says:

brunettebohemian - Thanks for sharing brilliant burlap idea

jlwms123 says:

Great ideabook - well thought-out and written.

dancingfish says:

Love the TP over the door!

feyfurfox says:

We have a manufactured home with rather inelegant and unaesthetic bathrooms. We did our own renovation of a 5 x 8 ft bathroom. To make it easy on ourselves, we left the bath/shower, and concentrated on changing the vanity and lighting. I used 4 stock Ikea bath cabinets, sink and faucet, plus matching beech panels from their 'as-is' department for the countertop and extra paneling of the self-designed vanity. With only a small area for the backsplash, a local tile store's remnant department was a perfect source.
Total cost (inc. paint, two lighting fixtures, all plumbing hookups) was just under $730 and about 6 days leisurely labor. [Cost includes approx $120 for a water-saving toilet; this was an extra that was not essential part of the renovation.] We ended up with a unique bathroom, that has a lot more light, more storage space, and has much higher quality components in it.
I have attached before and after photos to show the difference a NOT-substantial investment of time and money can make. We are very pleased with the results.

Woven Decor says:

First picture is of a tiny joining bath between two bedrooms. Remington Construction (see Professionals) created a hanging vanity to accompany the small cobalt Kohler sink I had purchased. Adding glass block in lieu of a traditional window allowed for extra light. We removed the tub and added just a shower with a fold down teak bench. A chrome etagere over the stool allows for towel storage.

Second picture is my basement bathroom. Wanting to create a unique space involved using fossils, various rock tile and an open shower concept. I also added a sandstone sink and a small dresser which I distressed to look old. Though not deep, the top drawers were adapted to be functional and are just about the right size for toothbrushes and a few amenities.

Kimberly Arnold Fletcher says:

This bathroom was not only small and handicapped for space, but it is also the master bathroom, used daily. Removing a wall, re-locating the entry, bringing in natural light and placing a strong focus on accessibility and function has made it the client's dream bath.

Amy's Affordable Interiors says:

My advice for small bathrooms; opt for an extremely nice shower stall instead of a tub, plan the vanity carefully, opt for a furniture piece instead of a traditional closet, and consider windows and/or doors to let in light to keep the bathroom from feeling dark and cramped.

We only have one small bathroom to service the entire first floor of our 3,360 sq. ft. home, so we had to plan it carefully. It's only 8.5' deep, by 7' wide. We got rid of the tub, opting for a custom-designed shower stall and shower panel with individually operated jets, rain shower head, and diverter. It's also completely enclosed and doubles as a sauna/steam shower. There is a sitting ledge, and large, built-in wall shelf to keep everything you need out of the way.

Vessel sinks maximize vanity space under the sink. Consider a custom countertop. We were able to have the left side of the vanity made 2" wider than the right. You couldn't tell to look at it, but that extra counter space is very helpful for setting hair styling tools and make-up on!

A traditional closet in an 8.5' x 7' bathroom didn't make sense. Our carpenter custom-built a furniture piece to match the vanity it sits across from. It goes floor to ceiling in height, but is only 19.5" wide and a mere 13" deep. The bottom is 2' tall to store things like plungers, while the rest of the shelving is approximately spaced every 13" and is more than enough room for our towels, toiletries and cleaning products.

This bathroom also services the pool area. We had a glass door installed, but had the glass glazed. Light is easily let in, but no one can see through the glaze. It keeps this small space feeling lighter, brighter, and larger.

Pangaea Interior Design, Portland, OR says:

Oh, I'm so delighted to see all the photos and descriptions of your projects and unique solutions coming in! Thank you so much for your contributions! One thing you've just gotta love about a small bathroom is that the splurges don't end up having to run that much since everything is small. It also really brings out people's creativity. Keep those ideas & photos coming in!

smallen says:

The powder room is one of my favorite rooms, in our remodeled 1970's home. My inspiration came from a lot of special things I inherit from my Grandmother's era. I purchased an antique washboard dresser from an antique store and ordered the copper sink online. I found a remnant granite slab and had it cut to fit the top of the dresser, then decorated it with my Grandmother's 1920's hats, purses and pictures. Simply beautiful and oh so special.

Omelo Mirrors says:

Getting the most from a small space is always a design challenge...have you ever thought about convex mirrors? They are really effective at opening up a space.

Pangaea Interior Design, Portland, OR says:

Well the convex mirror is an interesting idea. Definitely hadn't thought of that one for making a space appear bigger. I suppose the downside of that is being in the bathroom and having it make ME look bigger too! :-O

L Holmen says:

This may very well be the world's smallest 4 piece bath! - orinally a half bath at 3' w x 8 feet long, I was only able to increase the width to 5'. I'm disabled so needed to change it to a main floor ensuite bathroom. The walk in tub was the smallest I could find anywhere . (There was a larger full size bath on the second floor but those darn stairs!)

Pangaea Interior Design, Portland, OR says:

L Holmen -- you did a nice job! Actually the 5' x 8' you ended up with is a foot longer than the standard 5' x 7' "builder bath" in many homes. You'll have many readers envious of that extra foot!

sueros says:

What toilet did u use in photo by luxe studio?

Beth Fazzio says:

Really love the comment about under the sink cabinets being a sink hole for stuff and switching to drawers for better use of space! Thanks!

Mona says:

This is my favorite post because we had the same problem. We had not drawer space in the cabinet, so my hubby went into the wall by 5" and now he has loads of space inside the cabinet. He also widened the countertop over the toilet roll. So now there is enough space to put a makeup bag! We just loved It.

Pangaea Interior Design, Portland, OR says:

sueros -- you would need to pose your question to Luxe Studios.

Mona -- sometimes just tiny little thing make all the difference, don't they?

lebecr says:

These examples are not that small. I find the areas spacious in comparison to the typical small NY City bathroom.

Pangaea Interior Design, Portland, OR says:

lebecr -- Yes, many of these photos are of large bathrooms, but they are chock full of great ideas that can be applied to a small bathroom -- even in a tiny NYC apartment. I often find ideas in places quite different from the place where I intend to use that idea. If you go through and read the captions it explains what specific idea is taken from each bathroom and what it will do for the small bathroom.