New This Week: 5 Stylish Bathrooms Under 75 Square Feet
See how design professionals used new tile, vanities, fixtures and lighting to create big style in these small spaces
A little design effort goes a long way in a relatively small bathroom. That’s because simple materials and fixtures get a chance to really stand out. The right tile used on all four walls, a bold vanity color or an interesting vessel sink can have a more important and impactful style role in a small space than in a large one, where a feature might get lost. Here, five bathrooms that are 72 square feet or less show various ways to create big style.
2. Bold Blue Vanity
Designer: Paul Moon Design (architectural design)
General contractor: David Elwell of DME Construction
Location: Madison Park, Washington
Size: 70 square feet (6.5 square meters)
Homeowners’ request. Update the bathroom with new finishes. “The homeowners loved the patterns and unconventional finishes in their bedrooms, kids’ rooms and playroom, but they wanted to keep this bathroom a bit more simple,” general contractor David Elwell says.
Main feature. Navy blue vanity. “With such a simple design and many light-colored finishes — tile, countertops, paint, fixtures — the cabinet color selection was a crucial design element,” Elwell says.
Other special features. Dark grout lines make the simple white subway tile and white hex floor tile stand out.
Designer tip. “The bright colors and finishes, along with bright lighting, contribute to making this space feel bigger than it actually is,” Elwell says.
Designer: Paul Moon Design (architectural design)
General contractor: David Elwell of DME Construction
Location: Madison Park, Washington
Size: 70 square feet (6.5 square meters)
Homeowners’ request. Update the bathroom with new finishes. “The homeowners loved the patterns and unconventional finishes in their bedrooms, kids’ rooms and playroom, but they wanted to keep this bathroom a bit more simple,” general contractor David Elwell says.
Main feature. Navy blue vanity. “With such a simple design and many light-colored finishes — tile, countertops, paint, fixtures — the cabinet color selection was a crucial design element,” Elwell says.
Other special features. Dark grout lines make the simple white subway tile and white hex floor tile stand out.
Designer tip. “The bright colors and finishes, along with bright lighting, contribute to making this space feel bigger than it actually is,” Elwell says.
3. Marvelous Marble
Designer: Mary-Beth Oliver of Karen Berkemeyer Home
Location: Rowayton, Connecticut
Size: 64 square feet (5.9 square meters); 5 feet, 4 inches by 11 feet, 8 inches
Homeowners’ request. Create a brighter, updated transitional space without relocating the plumbing or moving walls. “The existing vanity console was sitting on a raised platform to hide a plumbing pipe that protruded from the vanity wall,” designer Mary-Beth Oliver says. “This platform needed to be eliminated and the console replaced with a cabinet to create better storage. The homeowner wanted to use white marble in place of the existing ceramic tile to achieve a more master-bath aesthetic, but we needed to be reasonable with the cost.”
Main feature. “The sloped ceiling created a very tall wall with a sharp peak along one side of the space, and a large skylight over the shower area,” Oliver says. “My instinct was to feature the long wall of the shower with a dynamic marble mosaic that has a polished and honed mixed finish for extra sparkle. The skylight provided an enormous amount of light, and the back wall was the perfect backdrop. With so many angles in this space, the challenge was to keep the eye on the feature by allowing the other materials in the room to be quiet. By eliminating the tub, I was able to achieve a larger shower area and a more dramatic focal point.”
Other special features. Marble-look porcelain tile, 12 by 24 inches, in a matte finish covers the floor; the walls are clad in the same tile but in a glossy finish. The shower floor is the same matte-finish porcelain floor tile but in 2-by-8-inch pieces. The vanity top and shower curb are Artemis White marble remnants in a honed finish.
Designer tip. “Always use quality installers — respect the trade,” Oliver says. “It may cost a bit more upfront, but in the end, it is worth every penny. You can choose the best material, but if installed incorrectly or without care to detail, the greatest of designs can be lost.”
“Uh-oh” moment. “I call these unforeseen circumstances, and I always manage to turn them into ‘happy accidents.’ On this job it was a small one, but I learned from my installer that the marble liner that was specified for the mirror surround would not work with the angled ceiling and wall line. The ceiling line was not level and too visible with a narrow liner. We decided to switch to a wood frame with a profile to match the vanity door style. In the end, it was a happy accident because it worked out much nicer than the stone liner selected.”
Designer: Mary-Beth Oliver of Karen Berkemeyer Home
Location: Rowayton, Connecticut
Size: 64 square feet (5.9 square meters); 5 feet, 4 inches by 11 feet, 8 inches
Homeowners’ request. Create a brighter, updated transitional space without relocating the plumbing or moving walls. “The existing vanity console was sitting on a raised platform to hide a plumbing pipe that protruded from the vanity wall,” designer Mary-Beth Oliver says. “This platform needed to be eliminated and the console replaced with a cabinet to create better storage. The homeowner wanted to use white marble in place of the existing ceramic tile to achieve a more master-bath aesthetic, but we needed to be reasonable with the cost.”
Main feature. “The sloped ceiling created a very tall wall with a sharp peak along one side of the space, and a large skylight over the shower area,” Oliver says. “My instinct was to feature the long wall of the shower with a dynamic marble mosaic that has a polished and honed mixed finish for extra sparkle. The skylight provided an enormous amount of light, and the back wall was the perfect backdrop. With so many angles in this space, the challenge was to keep the eye on the feature by allowing the other materials in the room to be quiet. By eliminating the tub, I was able to achieve a larger shower area and a more dramatic focal point.”
Other special features. Marble-look porcelain tile, 12 by 24 inches, in a matte finish covers the floor; the walls are clad in the same tile but in a glossy finish. The shower floor is the same matte-finish porcelain floor tile but in 2-by-8-inch pieces. The vanity top and shower curb are Artemis White marble remnants in a honed finish.
Designer tip. “Always use quality installers — respect the trade,” Oliver says. “It may cost a bit more upfront, but in the end, it is worth every penny. You can choose the best material, but if installed incorrectly or without care to detail, the greatest of designs can be lost.”
“Uh-oh” moment. “I call these unforeseen circumstances, and I always manage to turn them into ‘happy accidents.’ On this job it was a small one, but I learned from my installer that the marble liner that was specified for the mirror surround would not work with the angled ceiling and wall line. The ceiling line was not level and too visible with a narrow liner. We decided to switch to a wood frame with a profile to match the vanity door style. In the end, it was a happy accident because it worked out much nicer than the stone liner selected.”
4. Cool Contrast
Designer: Rhonda Dunlevie of Interior Consultants
Location: Laguna Beach, California
Size: 72 square feet (6.7 square meters); 8 by 9 feet
Homeowners’ request. “The original bathroom was very dark in color, with natural slate on the shower walls and floor,” designer Rhonda Dunlevie says. “The client wanted a light, open and airy bathroom with more contemporary finishes and high contrast.”
Main feature. “The most significant design detail in this room was the pendants hanging from the ceiling and getting the location centered within the sink and meeting code requirements for the space between shower drain, sink and toilet drain,” Dunlevie says.
Other special features. Porcelain wall and floor tile in a matte finish with black grout. Wall-mounted faucet (Skylar by Newport Brass). Built-in medicine cabinet. Custom vanity cabinet in a high-gloss car finish so if it gets scratched, “you can wax or buff it out,” Dunlevie says.
“Uh-oh” moment. “What pushed this bathroom to the limit was the installation of the pendant lights,” Dunlevie says. “We had to get them just right, and we did after two tries.”
Designer: Rhonda Dunlevie of Interior Consultants
Location: Laguna Beach, California
Size: 72 square feet (6.7 square meters); 8 by 9 feet
Homeowners’ request. “The original bathroom was very dark in color, with natural slate on the shower walls and floor,” designer Rhonda Dunlevie says. “The client wanted a light, open and airy bathroom with more contemporary finishes and high contrast.”
Main feature. “The most significant design detail in this room was the pendants hanging from the ceiling and getting the location centered within the sink and meeting code requirements for the space between shower drain, sink and toilet drain,” Dunlevie says.
Other special features. Porcelain wall and floor tile in a matte finish with black grout. Wall-mounted faucet (Skylar by Newport Brass). Built-in medicine cabinet. Custom vanity cabinet in a high-gloss car finish so if it gets scratched, “you can wax or buff it out,” Dunlevie says.
“Uh-oh” moment. “What pushed this bathroom to the limit was the installation of the pendant lights,” Dunlevie says. “We had to get them just right, and we did after two tries.”
5. Buttoned-Up Blue-Gray Vanity
Designer: Denise Morrison Interiors
General contractor: Darin Gruber of Gruber Home Improvement
Location: Newport Beach, California
Size: 70 square feet (6.5 square meters); 7 by 10 feet
Homeowners’ request. Give a country-style bathroom a more contemporary look while incorporating an adjacent closet to increase its size.
Main feature. Custom-designed Shaker-style vanity with custom lacquer finish color-matched to Soft Pumice by Dunn-Edwards Paints.
Other special features. Marble-look quartz vanity countertop. Subway tile shower surround in contrasting patterns, with additional inlays on the shower-controls wall. Flat black fixtures. Custom wood-frame mirror. Twelve-by-24-inch porcelain floor tile. Charcoal-colored mosaic shower floor tile laid in a chevron pattern.
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Designer: Denise Morrison Interiors
General contractor: Darin Gruber of Gruber Home Improvement
Location: Newport Beach, California
Size: 70 square feet (6.5 square meters); 7 by 10 feet
Homeowners’ request. Give a country-style bathroom a more contemporary look while incorporating an adjacent closet to increase its size.
Main feature. Custom-designed Shaker-style vanity with custom lacquer finish color-matched to Soft Pumice by Dunn-Edwards Paints.
Other special features. Marble-look quartz vanity countertop. Subway tile shower surround in contrasting patterns, with additional inlays on the shower-controls wall. Flat black fixtures. Custom wood-frame mirror. Twelve-by-24-inch porcelain floor tile. Charcoal-colored mosaic shower floor tile laid in a chevron pattern.
More on Houzz
34 Trends That Will Define Home Design in 2020
Get bathroom design ideas
Find home design and building professionals near you
Shop for home products
Designer: Aleksandra Ottenbreit of PO Design Creation
Location: New York City
Size: 45 square feet (4.2 square meters); 5 by 9 feet
Homeowners’ request. Create a clean, beautiful bathroom with as much storage as possible.
Main feature. Brass fixtures and accents that pop against white tile walls and a white vanity.
Other special features. Designer Aleksandra Ottenbreit customized the vanity to maximize storage. “Usually the first drawer works as a fake front,” Ottenbreit says. “But we were able to utilize the space to create a small drawer for little items like makeup.” There’s also a recessed shower niche opposite the shower fixtures for extra storage. The 4-by-12-inch wall tiles and tub apron tiles are textured. The flooring is concrete-look tile.
Designer tip. “In small spaces, try to work with light colors,” Ottenbreit says.
“Uh-oh” moment. “After we opened up the window wall to get an extra 6 inches of space in the bathroom, we discovered a steam riser pipe that would have prevented us from reclaiming the space,” Ottenbreit says. “We managed to relocate the riser into the shower body wall.”
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