7 Minimalist Small Bathroom Ideas For Simple Living
Bathroom Progress & Minimalist Small Bathroom Ideas
I will share with you my 7 minimalist small bathroom ideas for simple living – last week I had some extra minutes to experiment with the layout, including bathroom, now I collected my thoughts. I am an architect and currently we are renovating a tiny studio apartment, and we are at the stage of demolition – if you are interested, here is the “main hub” for our studio apartment renovation!
Last week I was experimenting with the layout, and I shared my ideas about the main room. As this week there was nothing much to do with our hands, I had time also for research for the bathroom. I would like to share some minimalist small bathroom ideas, that can be implemented in any bathroom.
Mini Recap Of My Studio Apartment Renovation
If you’ve been following along, you know the past few weeks were all about dust, noise, and a lot of plaster-chipping — we were deep in bathroom demolition mode. That inspired my post for this week, as I have immersed myself in the world of small bathrooms and would like to share my experiences and observations.
Here is the “main hub” for our studio apartment renovation journey.
Layout design was already a topic a few times:
- Here is my post about how to design a functional layout for small apartments
- And last week’s post about studio apartments layout ideas.
And this week’s post will be about minimalist small bathroom ideas.
One reflection from this week: in a small bathroom, minimalism isn’t just a style choice — it’s a survival strategy. When space is tight, everything has to pull its weight. That’s what led me to pull together a set of go-to design principles I’m calling…
7 Minimalist Small Bathroom Ideas for Simple Living
Let’s dive into the design side of things — seven ideas that make even the tiniest bathrooms feel lighter, smarter, and calmer.
7 Minimalist Small Bathroom Ideas for Simple Living
Small bathrooms challenge everything — layout, storage, aesthetics, hygiene. But when you think minimalist, not boring — it gets exciting. These 7 minimalist small bathroom ideas are not only beautiful, but actually doable, especially if you’re designing from scratch.
1. Materials for a Minimalist Bathroom
So you have a very small bathroom – it means you have a little amount of surfaces you can use. Less square foots and few square meters means, you can choose a quality material which is more expensive – the total cost won’t be so much more compared to a large bathroom renovation.
When choosing materials, try to aim for a seamless and luxurious effect, which means:
- Large tiles – less grout.
In a small bathroom, the large tiles will fit on the surfaces, which will be good when cleaning, and also looking much more luxurious. - Natural materials.
I would recommend simple surfaces, that are less characteristic – like a beige stone, concrete, simple white marble tile, or real wood for furniture. - Small, homogenous patterns.
The shade and the pattern define the space. Minimalism also means to avoid fake luxury. I mean by that, if you choose a stone-pattern textured large tile – emphasized and contrasted marble-like ceramics will look a bit “off”. While lighter, more homogeneous patterns will work as a beautiful background for your space and furniture. - Add textures!
A vowen basket, a fluffy bathtub mat, or a wooden frame of the mirror – all feels real and luxurious in the same time. If most of them have the same tone or brightness, textures can add an extra experience to our senses.
2. Lights
Did you know, the average person spends about 2 years in the bathroom during their lifetime, of which about 300 days are spent on the toilet? Showering also accounts for a significant portion of bathroom time, which can be estimated at about 30,000 times. You use your bathroom for many many situations – which need a proper light most of the time.
- Combination of ambient, task, and accent lighting is key.
A central lamp can serve many moments, but you will also need a good mirror light. Think of theater dressing room mirrors – they serve you the best. - Night lights
Another good idea is to choose a light source for night visits – something that is easy to turn on and off, and not as bright as your main light. Also a good solution, if the brightness of the main light is adjustable. - Light as decoration
An extra can be the “deco lighting” – when you use lights as art, just to highlight beauties in your bathroom, or to set a divine atmoshpere. - If you have a window and daylight
If you have a window – you are a winner! Daylight is the most simple light to add brightness to your minimalistic bathroom. - Color harmony of lights
Like everywhere, it is true also for the bathroom – choose light colors that go with each other. A lamp of between 2700-3500 Kelvin is classed as warm white light, an LED of between 6000-7000 K is described as cool white light, and the higher end of the spectrum has the color of daylight. When choosing different light sources, choose if you will use warm lights or cool lights – using both in the same time will be distracting and not natural. - Colorful LEDs
Using colorful LEDs for creating a certain atmosphere can be a good idea – but still keep in mind, less is more. - No need to rewire
If you dont have the space or just dont want to rewire your entire bathroom – there are small light sources that are battery operated or are rechargeable. A nice light decoration can be placed on many surfaces.
3. Colors
Speaking about the color harmony of lights, there is much more in colors. I mentioned earlier to choose light colors and simple patterns. Natural colors have more benefits than just the effect of luxury and reflecting light better.
- Soft, light colors and muted tones
If used on all the walls and pavements, light and natural colors create visual expansion. It is easier to choose a white, beige or even greyish tone – it creates airiness without sterile vibes. - If you need some character in your bathroom
You can always add a statement sink or colorful towels and furniture. Of, if you are more experimental, go for a different colored grout, like I plan to do it. - Monochromatic look
Simple white feels always minimalistic – and functional.
4. Mirrors
I think there is no need to emphasize the benefit of a mirror – it doubles the space. When choosing the perfect one, keep in mind the following thoughts
- Go for a size
You can place a big mirror, as big as just fits into the bathroom. But also think about it, what will be reflected in it – best is the window, or a beautiful part of your bathroom, and the least desirable are the clutter, or washing machines. - Reflective surfaces on furniture
You can add mirrors on the doors of your bathroom cabinets. I would not go for shiny or high-gloss materials – less is more is true also in this case. If everything is reflecting something, the calmness and the simplicity will be gone – this will feel like fake luxury. - Combined with artificial light
Mirrors can add depth to your bathroom. A tall mirror and a nicely chosen light source can enlarge the whole bathroom. Or create the atmosphere of a dramatic moovie.
5. Storages
By the way, I have collected in the design phase plenty of easy and functional bathroom storage ideas for small spaces, in that article you will find storage ideas for every surface and possibility, that I find elegant and hygenic in a small bathroom.
My favorit idea is, as always: hide everything, even the storages.
- Hide the clutter
You will need much more space as storage, than you would think in the beginning. Less things or even no visible objects and equipments in the small bathroom will enlarge the space as well. Also a more minimalistic, hygienic look will be achieved – not to mention, it is easier to clean up, if everything has its place. - Hide the storages
Built in furniture and floating cabinets are the best type of storage places in a very small bathroom. If there is no open shelves, no clutter can be collected (or at least won’t be visible). Narrow cabinets hidden behind a mirror, or a built-in cabinet just above the toilet, looking like a wall – these are my favorites. - Multifunctional storages
In small rooms multifunctional storages are always a good option. Although it is less obvious in a bathroom, think about the items you will need there – a chair combined with drawers can huge many things, or an open shelf combined with hidden hooks count as multifunctional too.
6. Floating Fixtures and Furniture
You will need some furniture or vanity in your bathroom – like cabinets, sink, toilet…. Go for the wall-mounted options for a floating effect! Floating furniture is my all-time favorite for small spaces, especially when speaking about minimalist small bathroom ideas. An easy reason for that:
More visible floor = feels more spacious.
- Wall-hung toilet
Wall-hung toilets with hidden toilet tank seems to occupy more “useful” space of the bathroom, but the opposite is true in this case. The least beautiful elements are hidden (toilet tank and pipes), and the toilet occupies zero square meter of the floor. Easier to clean under and behind it. - Wall-hung sink
Wall-hung sink with drawers – same reason. All the pipes are hidden, and you have an extra space for standing anywhere next to it. - Wall-hung accessories
Wall-hung everything – choose a wall-mounted mini trash can, a wall-mounted toilet brush, or if you need more cabinets – hang them. Then the bathroom will look well put-together and smartly equipped. It is also the best tip for easy cleaning and visual lightness.
7. Shower
Very small bathrooms usually do not have a space for a bathtub. The more important is to have a functional shower, which usually means an extra wall or curtain in the middle of the small room. To avoid that, I have some advices for you:
- Built shower trays
It is much cheaper and more sophisticated to use the bathroom floor covering as the base of the shower (of course, if you have ceramic or gres floor tiles). The bathroom floor will thus be completely open to the room, while if you choose a shower tray, you will see a giant white (or other colored) rectangle covering a fairly large part of the room – which would make the already small space seem much smaller. - Simple glass panels for the spacious shower
Forget about curtains! Not easy to clean, will have more wrinkles than desired – and will have the effect of a visual barrier, when not stored next to the wall. Instead, choose a glass wall with sliding or opening glass doors. The best option would be the walk-in option without a door – but in a small bathroom you may not have the proper dimension for it, and without a door the whole bathroom would be wet.
So, these were my minimalist small Bathroom ideas for simple living – with the focus on functionality, comfort and simplicity. Which of these 7 minimalist bathroom ideas would you actually use?
My Takeaways & What is your biggest challenge?
So after all the ideas… what did we actually decide?
Here are the minimalist small bathroom ideas we’re really using in our renovation:
- White on white – We chose a clean, monochrome tile to visually expand the space. It’s not bold, but it works.
- Thoughtful lighting – A basic ambient lighting, super functional lights for grooming (yes, like a theater dressing room), plus softer mood lighting to add a sense of calm.
- Classic subway tile – Despite my own advice earlier, we couldn’t resist. The timeless look, the clean grid — we’re playing with grout direction to visually stretch the space.
- Floating everything – Toilet, sink, and even details like the toilet roll holder are off the floor. It helps the room feel more open, less cluttered, easier to clean.
- Seamless shower – We’re skipping the shower tray completely. The ame floor tiles continue into the shower zone, with a clean water-clear glass panel to keep it open.
Just as a reminder, here is the story of our tiny apartment renovation.
Seeing the bathroom completely stripped down didn’t bring surprises — I had designed it, after all — but it did bring a sense of relief. With the old layers gone and the space opened up, it finally felt ready to begin the next phase. Now we can shift from demolition to creation.
The tiler is scheduled in 2 weeks, and I’m hopeful that soon I’ll be able to show you the finished result — and you can decide for yourself if the design lives up to the vision.
Now your turn:
What’s your biggest bathroom design challenge right now?
Tiny layout? No storage? Lighting problems? Share it in the comments — I’d love to hear, and who knows… maybe your challenge will inspire next week’s post.Bonus idea: Sketch your current bathroom.
Even a quick doodle can help. Mark what feels cramped, what could float, and where you’d add or subtract. Sometimes, one small shift is all it takes. If there is no budget for a small bathroom remodel, decluttering counts as well!
Last thoughts about minimalist small bathroom ideas
Whether you’re renovating, renting, or just collecting inspiration for “someday,” I hope these minimalist small bathroom ideas sparked a fresh perspective — or at least a few good daydreams.
The beauty of small spaces is how a few thoughtful changes can completely shift how they feel and function. And trust me, once the dust settles (literally), it’s so rewarding to see your own ideas take shape.
Save your favorite tip, send it to a friend who’s overwhelmed by bathroom clutter, and let it simmer.
The images I used are from pexels.com or AI created for illustration.
