Lanie Brown My husband & I recently remodeled a second bath where his goal was to open up a cramped room. Space creating solutions were: floating glass vanity + vessel sinks; pocket door on one side; door opening out into the adjoining bedroom on the other side; medicine cabinet built into the wall; sparkly glass tile back splash and a huge mirror.

simps214 Just lovely all of them! Sometimes a large bathroom can't compare with a small, well designed one! With our 100 year old home I used to envy the large bathrooms friends have in the suburbs but I then realize a lot of people-including me-don't spend large amounts of time there and it'd be wasted space to clean.

midmodfan I always smile when on House Hunters people (mostly women) peep into a decent sized bathroom and say: oh, that's kinda small! And I think: so what are you DOING in a bathroom - dance the polka? *g*

In our previous home we had a rather large master bathroom with a tub we only used for washing the cat's litter box. Now we live in a 1970s bungalow with two tiny baths (33 and 52 sq.ft.) that are even too small to take good photos. We have wall hanging toilets and vanities, large showers with frameless glass doors to 'maximize' the visual space, plus plenty of light.

When space is an issue, I'd much rather have small bathrooms than a small living area.

Madison Modern Home A great way to add impact to a small bath is with a high personality tile color or pattern, as in this case, with a blue-green, small mosaic glass tile that extends from the ceiling to the floor.

Meredith Ericksen Great ideabook,..love that you highlight smaller spaces! A well designed small bathroom can be very functional...actually I think more functional than the huge-what-are-we-going-to-do-with-all-this-wasted=space bathrooms!

Attached are a couple of photos from a small bathroom I designed this year...with a new layout we were able to add a storage hutch :)

Cheers - Meredith at Tuscan Blue Design

Transforming Rooms Nice! To add a unique touch to a tiny powder room - you can also paint the ceiling (see photo) or add a niche', or a chandelier.

For many more before and after photos & interior designer tips, click on these links

http://www.transformingrooms.com

Http://www.interiordesigngreensboro.com

vrnuta Mine is a 5 x 7 hall bathroom. I don't have before photos, but trust me, it was ugly--grey vinyl flooring, square white 80's tile.... I needed storage and therefore a vanity, but I thought that if I suspended it, it would seem less bulky, and I was right. I wanted a deep soaking tub in a modern style and it was hard to find a 60 x 30 but I did. The decking took up a few additional inches but I made up for it by a small Aquia Toto toilet. Large 12 x 24 tile was chosen to try to "push out" the 5 foot walls, a wall-to-wall mirror was chosen for the same reason, and lights installed on it. A lot of you probably have the same problem as i do, which is that the bathroom is at the top of the stairs. To be honest, I love seeing my pretty Acquia toilet when heading upstairs, it is so sculptural, so I included a picture.

Liza Anne Our tiny bathroom was completely gutted and redone this past June - for a small space, it's just lovely!! Ceiling and wall color matching makes a big difference, as well as using a pedestal sink to maximize floor space. And believe it or not, it's a pleasure to clean! (Please click the photos to see the full image!!)

Sauveteur A little over a decade ago I moved to France. Now I am Texan, born and bred. I am use to what I now consider a large bathroom. So when I moved to France I had a bit of a problem acclimating to a bathroom not much larger than the tub I left behind in Texas. But I have become accustomed and as a matter of fact I like the idea that the toilet is in a small water closet all by itself. Well with a little sink for handwashing. The sink is a bit smaller than the average dinner plate. The bathroom has a shower that is very narrow and another sink just a wee bit larger than the first. Up stairs we have a much larger bathroom but still the toilet is not part of that room. Now I wouldn't have it anyother way.

Mercy Me What wonderful, accessible designs. After growing up with wee baths, then NYC apartment living, and now in suburban Texas where the bathrooms are as big as the great outdoors, I can honestly say I long for the smaller baths of yore, for many of the reasons cited here.

That's why we are looking with great anticipation to moving back east this year and downsizing our living quarters. That doesn't mean I'll put up with a dingy old bath. I can't wait to get my hands on it and create a veritable jewel box of a tiny bath, where I can splurge on materials without breaking the bank.

riconsd Thx, I no longer have to apologize for the 60 sqft baths in The Lodges.

shellymagee My family lives in a 1940's era house that has 2 really tiny bathrooms. One big problem is that there is absolutely no storage and no way to add any storage. And the bathrooms had a bathtub each but no shower. Now, you might think just add a shower head but that involved literally taking the sheetrock down and putting in greenboard and our plumbing was galvanized and had to be completely redone. And, the bathrooms had no ventilation except a window so to add ventilation fans we had to add electrical. The electrical was really handy because our bathrooms had no electrical outlets at all only an overhead light. Now to top it off we have showers now, ventilation and electrical outlets but still no storage. But we did get to keep the old, original toilets that actually flush what they're supposed to and still work beautifully. But I must say most houses built at this time had only 1 bathroom so we're lucky we get 2. But everybody's first comment when they see the bathrooms is how small they are and that we don't have separate tubs and showers.

jokercat While these are certainly pretty rooms, I can't help but ask, "Where do you put/keep the grooming stuff?" So often, small baths have oversized style savvy sinks, at the loss of flat surfaces. I have a tiny bathroom, and when re-designing it, the #1 consideration was to have some counter space. Even 6"-8" goes a long way when using make-up and grooming products. Sometimes, practicality requires preference over style...

einportlandor Shelly, I have the opposite problem. The builder of my 1928 one bathroom house was obviously trying to squeeze in every possible inch of storage into the tiny (9 X 5 with 8 ft. ceiling) bathroom. There is a ceiling-mounted cabinet over the entire tub/shower that no one over 6 ft tall could stand under. You have to stand on the edge of the bathtub to see what's in the cabinet, and you risk a concussion trying to pull an object out of it. There are TWO built in medicine cabinets, a laundry shute (love) and . . . A BUILT IN DRESSER. You practically have to enter the room sideways -- there is only 19" between the wall-mounted sink and the dresser. I've come to the conclusion that only very small people have lived in this house for the past 85 years. Of course in an old house storage is always at a premium but . . . this is ridiculous.

P.S. The only place to set make-up or a hairdryer down is on the closed toilet seat.

shellymagee I completely agree with you. These photo's are charming but there is no place to put anything, not only cosmetics, but medicine, towels, toilet paper, cleaning supplies. Everybody says to use baskets, but do you really want baskets sitting around on the little amount of floor space there is? One designer told us to put high shelves but the only person who could reach anything was my husband. In our baths we couldn't really put cabinets or shelves because we would hit our heads. A small space doesn't just mean small floor space it means small wall space too.

shellymagee einportlandor,
I don't know if I envy you or not now! I must say I don't feel all the huge bathrooms I see on tv today are necessary or that I'd even want one but I would like to have a place to put all the things a family seems to need in a bathroom. Old houses themselves host a myriad of problems such as no ventilation in the kitchen or bathrooms, etc, but I don't know that I'd want a new home the way they are constructed today either.

Liza Anne Shelley - see my bathroom pics above for reference.
I personally despise having grooming products and implements (including and especially tooth brushes) out on the open. Everything gets put away after it's used. In our very tiny bathroom we have one medicine cabinet over the sink that holds contact lens stuff and dental care items, some nail files, and small lotions. The cabinet over the potty has washcloths and another person's dental supplies, and some make up. Inside the shower there is an Oxo shower tower (the best one I could find, and we LOVE it!!) for soap/shampoo/razors for three people.

We have only one cabinet inside the bathroom that holds everything else, and it hardly takes up any room. It is almost floor to ceiling (about 6ft tall), with multiple shelves that are about 18x20 inches. This is where I keep towels, hair clippers, shaving supplies, medications, etc.

One towel bar behind the door, and a small rack next to the sink to hold bath towels. A chrome holder on the floor holds four rolls of tissue.

So with only one tall cabinet, and some well placed pieces on the wall, we have been very successful in keeping a ton of stuff in our tiny bath, yet tucked away so it always looks tidy.

einportlandor I agree, Shelly, I have no desire for a huge spa bathroom. If nothing else, I don't want to clean it. That said, even though they are original to the house, I will probably eventually tear out the over-the-tub cabinet and the dresser just so that I can turn around in there without bruising myself. I'll figure out a way to add some sort of flat, horizontal surface near the sink and a second towel rack. The hairdryer, straightener, etc. will have to go in the linen closet in the hallway, I guess. Or maybe just do without, which might be the best option. Another project for another year.

shellymagee Liza Ann, We don't have a medicine cabinet and cannot install one because our walls are constructed differently than they do walls today. We had a contractor come in and just to get a medicine cabinet in we'd have to take the entire wall down and start over. We don't have a cabinet over the toilet because when an adult got off the toilet they'd hit their head, We can't have the racks that fit on the doors because our doors are solid oak and were constucted in the 1940's and are about an inch thicker than doors are made now and those racks will not fit over the doors. I also hate to screw racks into solid oak doors just to hang towels. Also, the way the doors open into the room the doors would hit anything that stick out at all. But! I'm happy to say the tile in the bathrooms is white not pink or salem green or those other pastel colors that were so popular when this house was built.

Liza Anne Ugh!!! That really sounds like a challenge for sure!! We totally gutted this bathroom, so we were able to do what we wanted, and that really helped.

The towel bar is not one of those over the door things (I really hate those) - it's on the wall behind the door (see pic).

But as you said, at least you do have white tile!! My old (plastic) tile was pearlized pepto-pink - and it was in horrible shape!! It could always be worse I guess!! :-)

shellymagee einportlandor

I don't want to sound cruel but I can just see someone standing on the edge of a bathtub trying to get into a cabinet! I can also see me falling while trying to do something similar! My husband and I have for years been mulling different layouts for our bathrooms to maximize use and storage. As small as they are sometimes are our entire family and 3 dogs will all be in the bathroom at one time. We've managed to make the rest of the house more usable more we've been really stumped by the bathrooms. It's not enough to make them pretty which is what everybody seems to think is the most important and the onlty function. These are not just powder rooms for guests these are the only bathrooms we have and they need to function for a family. I understand the hair dryer issue, I have to plug mine ino the wall plug in the hall with an extension cord to use it in the bathroom. What usually happens is I carry it into the living room with a hand mirror.

einportlandor Shelly -- Gee, I hadn't thought of the extension cord, hand mirror ideas. Hmmmm. Oh wait, I don't have an electrical outlet in the hallway. And you're right, the bathtub cabinet scenario is a disaster waiting to happen . . . which is why there is no longer anything stored there.

A husband, kids AND dogs in the bathroom???? Oh, my. It drives me crazy when the cat comes in. Thanks for the laugh.

patscats2 I made that mistake, went from a teeny tiny bath to a huge, oversized one and I couldn't be more sorry,. Be careful what you wish for.

katie32123 We've had very small baths, including one that we had to sidle sideways into. It was too narrow for my husband's shoulders, had a bitty little sink, a shower for banging your elbows in and a toilet under the eaves. Not much fun. Though I do think smaller is better as I personally wouldn't want to be responsible for maintaining a big "spa" one. I find all that hard surface very cold too.

All the pictured baths are very attractive but I wouldn't ever want to have a free-standing/claw foot tub again. If you are the person responsible for getting down on your hands and knees and cleaning under and behind it you wouldn't either. I could say more about claw foot tubs but I'll leave it there. :-)

astraea Great article; I grew up in a house where there were 5 BRs & only 1 full bathroom & powder room. It's time for everyone to stop apologize for having a fully functional, well-laid out, but small bathroom! When I bought my last house, the master bath was only about 38 sq ft, with horrible wood paneling & a stall shower. By moving one wall 2 ft, I was able to create a nitch for the vanity, add a standard size tub, tile the whole thing & add a skylight .. in only 43 sq ft! If anyone commented that it was "small", I just raised an eyebrow!

riconsd Katie I'm going to go back to a claw foot, but coved battleship lino on the floor and a Mint robo-duster, will hopefully help hold off the regret.

soozryan We renovated the 6x9 main bathroom in our 19th-century cottage-like home in Cambridge this year. To maximize the space, we added a second skylight directly over the shower and did away with a bathtub and curtain so we could have glass shower doors. The shower itself is quite large -- 3x6 -- so that length of glass really opens things up. In addition, we put in wainscoting, which draws the eye up the wall, and used a very light, neutral color palette to give the room an airy feel. Then we added vintage-style fixtures to jazz things up a little. It is truly a delight to be in that space, which feels much larger than it did before, even though we put in a bigger vanity!

reader7545 Finally an article that is truly about small bathrooms. The ideas,pictures and comments are inspiring.

miekeh When my husband and I bought our 1950 home, it had only the usual one bathroom. We renovated the whole lower floor, and then redid the 6'X7' upper bath, shown here. There was an unfortunate gap in timing, as this bath was demolished somewhat before the new downstairs bath was in service.......There are over 900 pieces of tile in here...I know because I put every single one of them up myself! It is so similar to some of the other rooms shown..we love the way it turned out.

johnfarr Great topic. Common problem. Our bathroom is a 5x7.5 foot creation. Floating cork floor, tile walls, plus recessed candle / stained glass / mirror feature. Space saving features: linear pattern large tile expands space. Wall mounted sink saves floor space. Large window and mirror. Simple 4 inch crown mould (unseen in photo) extends ceiling height. Shallow floating oak cabinet above loo.

Debbie I too re-modeled a very small bathroom (in a 1910 Craftsman). I tore out the big 'ole window, and threw (out the hole) the cast iron tub, the cast iron sink, and the toilet. Reframed the wall, w/new electricity for an efficient fan, and a jetted tub. After taking out the unused chimney, I had room to set the toilet back 30 inches (so knees would not be in doorway). Painted walls and ceiling pepto bismol pink, then sponged white, pale pink, a lil'silver, and a lil' turquoise....added the Rose crown moulding. Put in a curved shower curtain rod....and a unique crown top "dresser" to hold linen (one bottom drawer for personal items). I used the leftover crown moulding for the window valance, upstairs in the BnB's main suite --the bathroom I created w/an "open" plan...This is my first try to add pics--hope it works!
If not: maybe go here? http://www.houzz.com/photos/users/debbie98569
BTW--my pet peeve is ugly electrical covers....this was replaced by a bright white safe plug-in!

Debbie *whoops---did'nt work! I have tried for over 3 hours today to figure out how to add photos to my comment....aarrgghhh!

CAROLE MEYER Very nice and fresh looking.

bubblyjock That first bathroom in particular: OUCH! I think by the time I'd cracked my hip (or worse) stepping out of the bath, that angular sink would be on its way out with a toe up its bahookey.

I'd prefer a wall-mounted curvaceous basin with a little bit of storage underneath in such a cramped little bathroom.

vrnuta Some space-savers in my 5 x 7 hall bath (photos above): My walls had only 3 inch cavities and a medicine cabinet would have looked clunky, besides I just don't like them. I had a tray installed in a top drawer of the vanity which gives me, in effect, two shallow drawers that, with dividers, hold all kinds of small things. Towels are stored on a "train rack" above one end of the tub. There isn't enough floor space for anything but a wastebasket, but the scales slide in under the suspended vanity. The toilet paper roll is on the back of the bathroom door opposite the toilet seat, (Although I do wish I had had enough space to install a pocket door.) Also, I haven't figured out what do do with the hairdryer.

Shauna Olsen Over the toilet shelving for towels are great for small bathrooms in farmhouses that have very little storage space :)
The towel colors are consistent as well as any baskets.... on the shelving.
Also - pocket doors are fantastic!

FORMA Design Can't get any smaller than this, I bet!

necessaryevil91 FormaDesign, I just love those teeny tiny sinks that you can pop in almost any space!

Barcino Tile Design My husband is from Barcelona and loves modern lines. He added a shower into our half bath and was still able to make it spacious and fit to code. The large expanse of the tiles, and the hanging toilet and cabinet adds volume to the space while the stone in the showers and browns of the cabinet adds warmth. You can view more of his work at: barcinotiledesign.com

Cassia Wyner, CW Design 5 x 7 is the size of most of the bathrooms in old New England homes! It's always a fun puzzle. I try and find hidden storage in walls, niches, etc.

ammers2011 I have one of those "regular 80's track house" hall bathrooms. Rectangular with vanity, then toilet, then tub. It's the only tub in the house. Here's my issue: I am sitting in the tub and looking eye level at the toilet...does this bother anyone else? I have looked and cannot find clever ideas for at least partitioning off the toilet from my eye level view....not a calming view!

astraea @ammers2011 - Years ago that wasn't a problem, because tubs had showers, and either an opaque shower curtain, or frosted glass shower door. Then people decided they had to have clear glass on everything, to make bathrooms look larger .. and now you have a "view" problem!

Lanie Brown ammers, tension rod with pretty curtain all shoved to the toilet side?

Debbie @ammers: Check out this link: http://www.architecturalglass.com/
and: http://www.houzz.com/glass-partition

Peggy O'Rourke I had a bathroom in a 1939 house which had absolutely no storage. It was only 5'X8' and held a toilet, a cast iron bath tub (oh, the warm bubble baths!) and a pedestal sink. I did manage to add a victorian style medicine cabinet. This bathroom had to act as guest bath, master bath, and children's bath. To solve the storage problem, I got every family member a medium white plastic tote basket with a chrome handle to carry all their personal items to and from the bathroom. Each person's special soaps, razors, shampoos, etc., followed them into the bath, creating a "personal spa" environment for each of us. When finished, the items were carried back to their rooms and stored in their own closet for the next use.

almca Trick with making a claw foot bath easier to clean is to set it out from the wall a little, husbands idea and hotly debated as bathroom was small and every cm counted. But it worked! Just enough to get mop around and shower curtains hung behind to air. Still miss that tub. Our current 1938 home also has a little bathroom but sadly renovated 70's so no original tub here and still trying to work out how to fit one back in.

llucy I'm a "get 'er done" girl when it comes to spending time in the bathroom: the less time I have to linger in one, the better. Small bathrooms are great for people like me who feel cold after they get out of the shower. I would have to turn the heat up to 90 in a "spa experience" extravagantly large bathroom.

I also like to sit down when I do my hair and makeup so a desk in my bedroom where there is space, natural light, and no humidity from shower steam is perfect. Choose a desk with as many drawers as you have hair/makeup/medical/miscellaneous supplies. Add a mirror over desk. Bonus: you can take as long as you like primping without the annoyance of someone else wanting to use the bathroom.

Storage: shelves over toliet to hold extra towels (look cute rolled). Toliet paper containers that fit in the narrow space beside the toliet are an option. There is a pic here on Houzz where a shelf was installed over the bathroom door to hold all that Cosco toliet paper- brilliant. And could hold guest towels, etc. as well. Super spacesaving and green idea is the toliet tank top sink - google it and see what you think.

shellymagee llucy, I'm the same way. Get ready and get out. Who wants to spend al that time in the bathroom?

Sarah I moved into an apartment with a 8ft x 5ft 10 bathroom in Sydney, Australia. I don't think it had been changed since it was first build in 1968! (See 1st photo) After much thought on how to make this tiny bathroom seem bigger and include more storage we decided to 1. remove and NOT replace the bath, opting for a large frameless shower instead 2. install a floating vanity 3. use mirrors on facing walls of the room to visually increase the space 4. keep the colour light and use large tiles. I'm please with the result. What do you think?

caretia This was a horribly small bathroom with a tiny tub that made no sense. We tiled everything, including the ceiling and created a larger than normal shower out of the end wall. A small porcher vanity and a standard toilet were able to fit right in. There are several coves and floating shelves create an open feeling. The window faces east and has perfect views of the sunrising in Portland, OR. Anne Sacks tile was used on the floor and ceiling and Pratt and Larson seconds were used in a lovely blend along the walls. A reclaimed quartz slab was used for the ledges, sill and shelves.

creinhardt This bath is 5 x 10. We opted for a huge shower with clear glass. Installed the same limestone material to give the room a clear view thru the picture window. Also, the back wall is opera glass from Artistic Tile in a lovely sea blue/green. We love our nuheat toasty floors.

cinti I solved the personal grooming storage issue by using a dressing table in my bedroom. It has one center drawer and 2 drawers on either side. My husband installed an outlet in the back of one of the deep drawers where I keep my hair dryer and curling iron. I can sit at my table,everything is at my fingertips, I can see my TV in the mirror. Problem solved!

Krystal Kelley Great idea. I recently did a little work in my small bathroom. It amazes me how a few changes really change how I feel about my home. Attached is a before/after collage.

Fleming Ave. Inc. Liza Anne - I love your small bathroom and the wall color is exactly right with the white and black tile. Can you tell me the color/brand of paint? Thanks!

Delcia Karamoschon -

Curtis Conkey Some great ideas here. I have a small bathroom I will be remodeling this year. This gives me some great ideas.

Gary Presto Sweeet! Lovin' the styles and vibes here, especially in photos 2 and 5. ;j

Nip Tuck Remodeling Remodeling a small space is surely a challenge. This is a great idea book for gathering creative ideas for design, functionality and storage.

I've uploaded three examples that we have done recently. The bathroom with the waterfall shower is 5x7 at best while the bathroom with the vanilla painted cabinet was 7' wide x 4 'deep and the entrance was a pocket door directly in front of the vanity. We added storage by adding a drawer at the bottom of the vanity and installed a 24x30 recessed med cabinet with 5 shelves.

The last photo is a hall bath that was 3' wide at the vanity area and on the opposite side of the 8' space was a standard 5' tub hiding behind the door. The bathroom needed to serve as the powder room (so we dressed up the small vanity and made sure we had 3 operable drawers) and it needed to serve as the main shower for two teenage boys.

kathykeen I personally don't like clear glass on the shower. Sure, it does look good in the room from a design standpoint, but I I want my showering activities to be private!

roxanneroxanne Nip Tuck - what is the backsplash of that third bathroom? Looks like stainless mosaic, but I can't find my readers so am stumped. Help! ;)

ptmatthews In our small bathroom, we opted for a large shower but no tub, and haven't regretted it. We also were able to move the toilet away from the wall just enough to put a cabinet above the toilet without bumping into it. And although a pedestal sink looks nice in a small bathroom, a cabinet vanity is so much more practical. One problem that is often not thought of: where to put a wastebasket.

Nip Tuck Remodeling roxanneroxanne - That tile was a 12x24 by American Olean called Quadratini Metallica. We installed it without grout and finished it with Schluter Jolly brushed aluminum.

twhite876 ptmatthews - there are wastebaskets that can be hung in side the cabinet door. they are small, but functional. organizeit (dot) com.

kjltwin I love this app

shopper3377 I really need a new bathroom fan. We own a modular home, therefore no attic space or room above the ceiling, our current fan has the attachment out the top and almost every current fan vents out the side what would you recommended?

riconsd Panasonic FV-08WQ1 WhisperWall

Nip Tuck Remodeling Excellent fan!

Dora Kaye Small but beautiful because you can't go wrong with white

Dora Kaye All in budget

stepi Most Swiss bath rooms are this size. Look at ours! The four of us are using it daily... We are happy to have two more toilets in the house ;-)

Studio NOO Design Tiny, tiny !

Christine Bermeo Very relevant! My husband & I are currently undergoing house extension at the back of our house, for a guestroom/den and 2 bedrooms for our girls. We initially thought of a shared bathroom for the 2 girls, and put a tub. But heard that tubs aren't practical. So we decided for separate bathrooms with just showers. And I know we made the right decision, especially after reading this article and the comments of fellow houzzers. When the construction is done, I am looking forward to share the pictures.