These 13 tips on how to make a small bathroom feel luxurious will be the perfect guide for any bathroom renovation!
One of the first rooms I posted about when I moved in nearly two years ago now was my master ensuite. Compared to my previous master bathroom, this one is very small but I still wanted it to feel luxurious. I’m excited to share these tips with you on what to keep in mind when renovating a small bathroom and still make it feel luxurious!
1. Add a Walk-In Shower
Unfortunately (fortunately) this old tub was leaking and needed to be replaced so this entire bathroom was gutted!
I love a big soaking tub but a shower was more practical. A walk-in shower the size of a tub space is luxurious!
2. Use ‘Faux’ Marble, Not Real
You’re probably saying, what?! That’s right, this is porcelain tile! The tiles are so large and look so real there is no need to buy the real deal here. Also, cleaning is way easier and you can use those savings for the rest of this list 😉
3. Add a Bench and Wall Niche to the Shower
If you are going to be gutting your bathroom, make sure to put some forethought into the design and add a bench to one side (a must for shaving legs, in my opinion) and a wall niche for products!
4. Add a Glass Wall with Door with Custom Touches
See how this glass wall sits on the bench in the shower? Love this detail from my contractor! It makes this bathroom truly custom.
5. Have the Tile from the Shower Go All Along the Wall Behind the Toilet & Sink
Here’s another custom feature from my contractor. The tile in the shower is laid in stacked/blocked pattern and it goes seamlessly from the shower to behind the toilet and becomes part of the backsplash behind the vanity.
6. Mix it Up with Another Tile on the Shower Floor
I love penny tile and it feels good on your feet. To add more texture in this white on white bathroom, adding another tile makes the design look luxurious.
7. Use Tile as a Baseboard
Using the same tile as used on the floor instead of wood for the baseboards creates cohesion with the rest of the room, and when combined with the schluter edge (that metal edging you see) it creates a very high end luxurious feel. Its also very practical for the wet area.
8. Add Hooks for Towels
Instead of a typical towel bar, add some fancy hooks for multiple towels.
9. Add a Luxurious Medicine Cabinet
Medicine cabinets seem like something you might add to this previous 80s bathroom but when short on space, there are some gorgeous ones out there to elevate your space while still being practical.
I found this one from Restoration Hardware in polished nickel. Most are made to install recessed (sit flush in the wall) but they also can come in a top mount so if you don’t want to (or can’t) cut open your drywall, make sure whichever one you choose looks good sitting on top of the wall. Unfortunately, all the important wiring was in this one wall in the bathroom so on top of the wall it went. Because this vanity is tiny, a medicine cabinet was a must, recessed or not!
10. Match all the hardware with the Same Style and Metal
And while we’re talking about polished nickel, I love a bathroom where all the fixtures match. I’m all about mixing it up in the kitchen but in a tiny room, when all the fixtures match, it makes the space seem more luxurious. It wouldn’t be the same if this faucet was a polished chrome against the nickel mirror.
And there’s absolutely nothing wrong with chrome! But just make sure everything is the same from the shower head, to the towel hooks down to the toilet paper holder!
11. Add a Unique Vanity
I found this vanity at a Restoration Hardware Outlet and fell in love with it instantly. Even though it’s a bathroom vanity, I lost one of the drawers as it had to be modified to fit the piping in the back but it was worth it.
I love that it looks like a piece of furniture and I can hide my bathroom scale underneath it 😉
12. Add Custom Window Coverings
The one thing that didn’t get replaced in this bathroom was this 80s window. I had custom linen blinds put on all the windows in my house and it’s a luxury for this small bathroom. It hides most of the window while still letting most of the light in and adds a custom touch.
13. Heated Floors
Now this is the ultimate luxury, but if you’re going to have a luxurious bathroom covered in tile, wouldn’t it be nice to have heated floors?!
There’s nothing worse than walking into your beautiful bathroom only to feel cold tile under your feet. Because this space is so tiny, the heating for the floors was not too expensive. It’s the only room in the house with heated floors and it’s a nice treat.
I’ve listed all the sources for the bathroom below. Later this month I’ll be sharing with you some different sources for tile and vanities so you have more to choose from!
Sources:
- Porcelain tile – Tierra Sol Gani Collection – 24 x 24 tiles on the floor laid in staggered brick pattern
12 x 24 tiles on the shower walls and behind the toile laid in block pattern - Penny tile
- Vanity – Restoration Hardware, Empire Rosette
- Medicine cabinet/mirror – Restoration Hardware, Astoria small
- Bathroom faucet – Delta faucet Cassidy in polished nickel
- Shower head – Delta faucet Cassidy in polished nickel
- Light fixture – Pottery Barn Mercer
- Countertop – Vicostone quartz BQ8220 Carrara polished
- Towel hooks, toilet paper holder & towel ring – Delta Cassidy in polished nickel
- Toilet – American Standard VorMax Estate, elongated
- Wall paint – Simply White, Benjamin Moore
What great advice – Thanks!!! Very helpful for those of us who have not done (and survived) a remodel
Thanks Donna!
Hugs, Jamie
So beautiful Jamie!!! A remarkable transformation….great tips!
Thanks Shirley!
Hugs, Jamie
hey girl- love your bathroom! so pretty!
Thanks Shawnna!
Hugs, Jamie
The bathroom looks very classy, elegant and so pretty….stunning makeover and great tips! Thanks so much!
Thank you so much, Leigh!
Hugs, Jamie
I have a small master bath like this that i need to update, thanks for all the ideas, they will really help.
Thanks Marlene!
Hugs, Jamie
Your bathroom looks so pretty – very luxurious. Could you tell me which toilet you have? I have to replace a toilet and love the lines of the tank.
Hi Sheila,
I just found the source for my toilet, I’ve left the link above. It’s direct to the American Standard website.
Hope that helps!
Hugs, Jamie
You did a great job on this remodel! Thank you for sharing at Totally Terrific Tuesday and congrats on being the most loved feature this week 🙂 You deserve it!
Thanks so much, Jess!
Hugs, Jamie
This is gorgeous! I love the faux marble tile.
Thanks so much, Meghan!
Hugs, Jamie
Your small bath re-do is lovely, all the tones of white expands the bath and is so fresh looking. (White baths and kitchens are time less and classic). The faux marble tile in your shower and on the wall is a beautiful touch and a durable, easy upkeep option. I too prefer a large, tub sized shower and the seat you added is a nice touch. You certainly showed how creativity and careful planning can transform a small bath into a true gem. I enjoyed seeing all the wonderful things you are doing with your current home and eagerly look forward to seeing future posts.
Thank you so much for your lovely comment, Jill. It’s really amazing what one can do in such a small space! Thanks for being here.
Hugs, Jamie
Thanks for posting and for the detail! I hope you don’t mind that I’m going to copy your bathroom almost exactly. I am designing a bathroom in our 1880’s house with the same layout as yours (vanity, toilet under the window, tub/shower), and had already decided on faux marble porcelain tile, heated floors, a medicine cabinet (mine will be more farmhouse style) and I even pinned the Cassidy fixtures to my idea board! But I thought I wanted black or oil rubbed bronze fixtures until I saw your post. Now I know that I want chrome. And I had been debating about a solid surface tub surround (Koehler or Corian) until I realized I need the wall niches (thank you for that). Now I’m going to go look at that vanity.
Hi Michelle,
I’m so glad my post has helped you with your renovation! It’s sometimes so hard to decide on fixtures until you see an actual photo somewhere. Your bathroom and home sounds lovely. I’m sure you’ll be just as happy with the faux marble porcelain tile as I am.
Hugs, Jamie
I really want to remodel my bathroom, but I really don’t know how to make it feel better. Thank you for all the tips on what I can do. I really like your tip about adding more texture by adding different tiles. That would be really fun to do.
Thanks Deb! I love neutrals but too much of the same thing can get boring so switching things up in the same color family is a great way to add more texture and not look boring. Good luck on your remodel.
Hugs, Jamie
Love your bathroom redo! I love the porcelain instead of the costs of marble. I am planning on a bathroom reno, and you’ve provided great ideas and design. Oh, heated floors are definitely on my list after i walked into a friends reno’d bath and immediately felt the difference! Thank you for sharing your beautiful rooms!
Thanks for your comment, Angela. Heated floors in the bathroom are soooo nice! Especially in my tiny space, it wasn’t a huge increase in the budget. Now I’m wishing I put them in the laundry room! I’m so happy with my porcelain tile. It looks good and it’s so easy to clean.
Hugs, Jamie
These renovation tips for small bathrooms are beautiful and it is totally looking like a fancy bathroom. I am bookmarking this for my future renovation with our bathroom. Thanks for this, Jamie!
My wife and I want to remodel our bathroom this summer, so thanks for sharing these tips. I like your point about using tile behind the sink and toilet. We might need to try this look so it becomes part of the backsplash.
Thanks Derek. I’m glad this is helpful to you!
Hugs, Jamie
I like that you mention how your contractor was about to have the glass wall sit on the shower bench to create a custom bathroom design. Having a custom design could ensure you’re able to get a unique and beautiful look for your bathroom remodeling. In order to get the best outcome, you’d probably want to research the local contractors to find one that can work with what you currently have to create the best look.
Very nice! I just finished with our bathroom remodel (almost..still painting), but I have the same glass and bench as yours. I like what you did with the little window. I love the light that comes in also. We installed blinds with a valance, but I like the pretty linen you have too. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks Nan! You must be loving your new bathroom now.
Hugs, Jamie
You have shared such a great tips to renovate when you have a small budget and have less space ,through this post.I am really glad that I came across such great article.You have shared such a great tips which can be so helpful to renovate the bathroom. Bathroom remodeling is a tough job but I will definitely go for this after reading your article.
Hi Jamie,
As a contractor myself, I have to say that your tips are spot on. We suggest them to our clients, because we always want to bring the best results.