If you’ve ever found yourself trying to squeeze past the toilet to get to the shower, or if the phrase ”room to breathe” feels more like a fantasy than a reality in your current setup, you’re in good hands!
Narrow bathrooms are the notorious problem children of home design!
They’re the spaces where even a modest towel rack feels like it’s taking up space and where turning around without knocking over a toothbrush holder is a daily test of agility!
But don’t let the slim dimensions discourage you! A narrow bathroom might seem like a challenge, but with the right approach, it’s a playground for creativity
From genius storage solutions to optical illusions that stretch space, we’ve rounded up 20 clever ways to make the tightest bathrooms feel open, airy, and chic!
1. Half Wall Shower
Even though we consider walls as these big things that make a space smaller, they also serve as great dividers when you want to separate a space!
Half walls still give you that openness we crave, but it will also help separate the shower and the rest of your narrow bathroom!
2. Galley Bathroom
We’re used to seeing this layout in kitchens, but why not apply it to bathrooms as well?
One side of your bathroom is reserved for the sink and toilet, while the other is reserved for the shower!
3. Create a Wet Room
A wet room is the perfect candidate for a narrow bathroom!
This will help keep all your bathing activities in one space, while you have the first part of your narrow bathroom reserved for dry activities!
4. Add a Bench
A bench in the shower comes with lots of perks! It can serve as storage space for your shampoos and lotions, as well as seating!
It will also add interest and depth to the bathroom!
5. Have an Accent Wall
An accent wall can help change the appearance of the room, especially if the space is small or narrow!
Depending on the wall you opt for, you can make your bathroom appear longer, bigger, or smaller!
6. Darker Floor
Create a high contrast by opting for darker floors and lighter walls! The light walls will make the room look much bigger and less narrow!
Darker floors are also easier to maintain than lighter flooring!
7. Reflective Tiles
Opting for reflective tiles will make the space look bigger than it really is! The reflective tiles will bounce off the light and shapes of your narrow bathroom!
These dark subway tiles also create a great contrast against the lighter flooring, so you don’t even notice that the bathroom is narrow!
8. Opt for a Glass Partition
Choosing a glass partition between your shower and the rest of your bathroom will make it seem more open and airy!
Glass is easy to take care of and it looks sleek and modern!
9. Prioritize Natural Light
Even though we all definitely need privacy in the bathroom, don’t let natural light suffer! Especially if your bathroom is narrow!
You need to let in as much natural light as possible, plus big windows create the illusion of openness!
10. Install a Floating Sink
Don’t use up precious floor space just to install a regular boring sink! Opt for a modern design and go for a floating sink that will still give you storage, but save up on space!
In narrow bathrooms, it’s important to have floor space, so a floating sink is a great choice!
11. Vintage Design
If you’d like to embrace the narrow layout, vintage style, and furnishings will fit right in! We mostly associate the Victorians with tall narrow houses, narrow hallways and narrow rooms in general!
A narrow bathroom and vintage design just go hand in hand!
12. Small Narrow Sink
If your bathroom is small and narrow, your furniture needs to be small and narrow as well! Opt for a narrow sink to save up space and make your bathroom walkable!
If you opt for a smaller sink, you automatically get more wall space for more storage as well!
13. Opt for a Bathtub
In small and narrow bathrooms it can be really hard to make space for a shower, especially if the roof is slanted as well!
In that case, opt for a bathtub that will still deal with all your showering needs!
14. Mirrors to the Rescue!
Mirrors are like reflective tiles, only better! The bigger the mirror, the bigger your space will feel!
The mirror will reflect the room beautifully, making the space look bigger and more open!
15. Modern Minimalist Design
A narrow bathroom can feel cluttered and overcrowded, but with this modern minimalist design, you would never believe it stores regular bathroom necessities!
Opt for sleek, modern cabinets that operate on a push basis, along with a sleek skinny mirror with lighting that will elongate your bathroom!
16. Use Tiles to Your Advantage
Tiles are great when you want to create an illusion or movement in your space! Think about your design and let it come to life!
This space didn’t push the tiles all the way to the ceiling, making the room look shorter and wider, which is what we want!
17. Use that Awkward Niche
Lots of rooms have weird corners and niches that aren’t practical, but that’s not the end of the road!
Thankfully, we’re all creative and filled with ideas, so turn on that light above your head and get to thinking about how you can use that space efficiently!
18. Hidden Lighting
If you don’t have the luxury of a big industrial window in your bathroom, we’ll need to get creative with lighting!
Opt for invisible LED lights around your mirror and above your bathtub!
19. Rustic Design with a Skylight
This stunning bathroom features many rustic details, like stone floors, wooden cabinetry, and copper hardware!
The skylight illuminates this narrow bathroom with enough light to keep it light and airy! Goes to show that you can fit any style into a narrow space if you put your mind to it!
20. Pack In Pattern
Just because your space is small and narrow, doesn’t mean that it should be boring and monochrome! Don’t shy away from bold colors and patterns!
They will distract guests from the fact that they have to squeeze past the toilet to get to the sink!