Small bathroom ideas: how to create a heavenly haven

Design and create a sensuous sanctuary with Brandon's small bathroom ideas

Is 2023 the year you treat yourself to a new bathroom? Most of us dream of having a huge, luxury space all to ourselves, complete with stand-alone bath, a spacious walk-in shower, and plenty of practical storage. The reality, however, is often more compact. But bijou can still be beautiful, and size really isn’t everything when it comes to bathroom design.

In fact, there are plenty of ways to maximise your available space with bespoke design choices – and make it look bigger into the bargain. Savvy layouts, the colours you choose, and even the right accessories can all help to create the illusion of space. Read on to be inspired by my tried-and-tested small bathroom ideas:

Be clever with colour

Light and bright colours are a great way to make a small bathroom look bigger. So take time to choose your colour scheme. Dark colours can make a room seem smaller, as they absorb, as opposed to reflect, the available light. White, cream or beige are excellent shades to select to ‘open up’ any room. That said, don’t dismiss the magic of monochrome. Black and white is a timeless colour combination that works equally well in big or small spaces. If a white-focused palette really isn’t your style, subtle pastels are a great alternative. But try to keep your walls, ceiling and floor as pale and interesting as possible. And bear in mind that one of the most popular small bathroom ideas is to select just one single shade for the entire room, to create a seamless, airy look and feel.

Priced at £91.20 per sq m, our new Bert & May Skinny White Metro Tiles are ideal for bouncing light around a small bathroom. Pair with our new Bert & May’s Darkroom Black Split Shift Two Encaustic Tiles (£180 per sq m), for a modern monochrome effect

That sinking feeling

The best small bathroom ideas tend to showcase the most suitable sanitaryware for the space available. So think hard about what you really need, as opposed to what you really want. For example, removing a bath to create more space is often a possibility. Removing a basin however, is not – so select your model wisely. Slimline models are usually found in cloakrooms and en-suites, but their short projections mean they are well worth exploring for small bathrooms too.

Bijou bathrooms need to be practical, but the best small bathroom ideas include a dash of personality, too. Add some star quality to your space with our new Bert & May Luna Old Iron Porcelain tiles, developed in conjunction with Fired Earth. They are suitable for both interior and exterior walls and floors, and are priced at £79.75 per sq m

In the past, many small bathroom ideas featured vanity units. However, these can be bulky and angular and, in spite of the storage they incorporate, can often make your space feel more confined. In some cases, a petite pedestal basin or even a basin stand will help to open up your bathroom, and make it feel less cramped and cluttered.

Where small bathrooms are concerned, sometimes less is more. Using tiles for a splashback, as opposed to an entire wall, is less overpowering – and, if you’ve a strict budget to stick to, it’s a more cost-effective option too. We love how our new Bert & May Little Greene Purple Brown Glazed Rectangular Tiles (£106.80 per sq m) complement this neutral Kast Concrete Basin and Samuel Heath brassware

Small bathroom ideas play with pattern

Think all small bathroom ideas are plain and boring? Think again! Even smaller spaces offer scope for colour and pattern, if used intelligently. Pattern can be introduced via tiles, accessories or even wallpaper. For smaller bathrooms, perhaps restrict it to one area only, such as around the basin or the WC. And choose a pattern with just two or three light/bright colours.

Our new Bert & May Forest Green Santona Porcelain Tiles showcase exactly how to make a statement with pattern, even in a smaller space. They are suitable for interior and exterior walls and floors, and are priced at £79.80 per sq m

Maximise metallics

Metallics in interiors aren’t new – but they can play a big role within small bathroom ideas, as they are yet another way to reflect light and create the illusion of space. Chrome is a perennially popular choice for bathrooms, and always works well with an all-white palette. But more recently, brass, copper and even gold have grown in popularity, as has the trend for mixed metallics.

A gold basin is a great way to make a statement with metallics. Keep things classy by pairing with modern neutrals, such as our new Ca’ Pietra Long Island Marble Honed Bamboo Mosaic tiles – a classic white marble with grey veining that’s priced at £216.28 per sq m

Small bathroom ideas which double up

The best small bathroom ideas make the most of multitasking opportunities. When space is tight, what you have needs to work twice as hard. If you really can’t cope without a bath, choose a combination shower model. Replacing a separate shower with a bath plus shower attachment will free up significant amounts of space. The removal of a shower screen will also help to make your bathroom feel more open.

If space is tight, the trick is to distract the eye. Try a coloured bath, with matching tile accents. This deep green, roll-top tub with floor-mounted taps and shower attachment looks amazing set against a two-tone wall that combines our Ca’ Pietra new Tisbury Porcelain Tiles (£105.24 per 1.44sq m) and new Ca Pietra Akazu Porcelain Emerald Mosaic Tiles (£24.77 per sheet/11.87 sheets per sq m). Pair with a complementary floor tile, such as our Ca’ Pietra new Sequel Reformed Stone Leaf Green (£225 per sq m)

Artful accessories

No round-up of the best small bathroom ideas would be complete without mentioning accessories. While it’s true that too many can overwhelm a small space, the right choices will only enhance it. So think quality, not quantity. It sounds obvious, but coordinating accessories with your colour scheme always helps to create a seamless look. And make friends with mirrors. Thanks to their light-reflecting properties, they’re another way to make a space feel considerably bigger than it really is.

Sticking to the same shades throughout your bathroom colour scheme (think floor, walls, tiles, sanitaryware, mirrors and accessories) means you can be more adventurous in terms of patterns and textures, without overpowering a small space. We love this pretty pale pink/green combination, which features our Ca’ Pietra new East Java Marble Honed tiles, including our Hummingbird Marble Brick (£275 per sq m) and our Plumbe Mosaic Hummingbird (£438.70 per sq m). The striking floor tiles are our Ca’ Pietra Hummingbird Temple Mosaic (£301.50 per sq m) and the amazing taps are by Abi Interiors

Happy with your bathroom but ready for some New Year renovations elsewhere? Discover how to cosy up your home with engineering oak flooring.