Blog

“The best measure of a man’s honesty isn’t his income tax return. It’s the zero adjust on his bathroom scale.” –  Arthur C. Clarke

Every time you walk into your bathroom, you groan. The colors are off, the decor is outdated, the tile and grout look dingy, and the overall floorplan is awkward. All of this becomes more frustrating when you have a tiny bathroom that limits the space you have to work with.

Thankfully, you can make a lot of improvements yourself with DIY ideas. There are small changes you can make that will have a big impact on the overall appeal of your bathroom.

These DIY bathroom ideas will help you improve the look of your bathroom.

[view_toc]

1. Minimalist Bathroom Design

Just because you have an old bathroom doesn’t mean you can’t achieve a minimalist design. Focus on removing any clutter and unnecessary furniture.

The goal is to have the bare minimums and keep the space open and airy feeling. This works well for a small space where too many decorative elements and the bathroom will feel cramped and confined.

Check out white bathroom ideas because minimalist bathrooms tend to embrace a simple color palette. If you can’t avoid getting rid of items, then buy a cabinet to place everything in and hide it.

2. Set up a Mirror Above Vanity

When in doubt and not sure what to do, hang a mirror. This simple piece of wall decor can elevate your DIY bathroom design.

Mirrors are popular in small bathroom ideas because they reflect light and make a space feel bigger. They are also a simple decor piece so that they won’t take away from the rest of the bathroom fixtures and furniture.

Choose a mirror that’s a size proportioned with the available space. Then decide if you want a frame on it. If you decide you want a frame, its style should blend with the rest of the bathroom design.

See more bathroom mirror ideas here.

4. Display Art in Your Bathroom

Art doesn’t only have a place in the living room or bedroom. A well-decorated bathroom often features artwork that should reflect the overall style of the bathroom.

5. Consider Putting Plants to Your Bathroom

It’s time you brought some nature into your home. The easiest way to do this is by adding a plant to your bathroom. You don’t have to put any effort into this. Buy an air plant and put it in a decorative planter. The natural moisture in the air will be plenty for the air plant to thrive. If you want more greenery, consider the amount of light that comes into your bathroom.

Snake plants are good if you want a low-maintenance potted plant. A vine plant is good if you want a free-growing feel to your plant. Encourage the plant to grow around a shelving unit or around the shower.

See more bathroom paint ideas here.

6. Bathroom Storage and Organization Hacks

Due to the small nature of bathrooms, it seems like there’s never enough extra storage space. Create more storage in your bathroom by adding a small bathroom cabinet. This gives you hidden storage for holding personal items or extra bathroom supplies.

It’s also helpful to add extra storage to the vanity countertop. You can have mason jar bathroom storage if you have a rustic or farmhouse-themed bathroom. The glass jars are easy to clean and sanitize. Tie a ribbon or twine around the top to give them a decorative accent.

See more small bathroom storage ideas here.

8. Add a Decorative Tissue Holder

Where do you keep the toilet paper in your bathroom? Is it on a hook next to the toilet? Perhaps you just place it on the back of the toilet and call it a day. A decorative tissue holder can add to the decor of your bathroom. 

A freestanding holder is nice because you can move it around to where you need it. If you want to install a permanent holder, plan carefully when placing it. You need to be able to reach it when sitting down. A wood holder will look nice in a rustic theme. Black metal or iron holders can give your bathroom a vintage feel.

9. Install a Towel Holder

Say goodbye to your builder-grade towel bar and replace it with a rack that can hold several towels. Build a DIY towel rack that fits your space and holds the number of towels you need it to. 

Think beyond the towels currently in use and plan for it to hold clean towels also. Hooks or pegs are good for hanging wet used towels on. Then a shelf is suitable for holding clean towels. Space your hooks or pegs far enough apart so that there’s plenty of air circulation for the towels to dry.

10. Install Wallpaper in a Bathroom

Adding wallpaper to your bathroom is a simple and easy way of transforming the design. You could add wallpaper to all of the walls, but this isn’t necessary. You could add it to just the vanity wall or another accent wall. 

Because bathrooms are smaller spaces, you can splurge with a slightly more expensive wallpaper. To make a bolder statement, try using a wallpaper that has a 3D effect or texture to it. This will elevate the look of your bathroom. Don’t place the wallpaper in a high moisture area, like in the shower. This will cause it to peel off of the wall.

11. Wall Words and Decals

One of the most common DIY bathroom décor ideas is to add an inspiration phrase or sign to the walls. Changing up the wall art is a simple approach to a bathroom makeover. Buy a sign or piece of art that speaks to you. 

You could use vinyl stickers that you adhere directly to the wall. You could hang a sign made from reclaimed wood boards with a decorative design painted on it for a rustic look. If you want to create a luxurious or glamorous touch, try a piece of art that’s painted or printed and then set in an elegant frame.

“I noticed every time I spent a lot of time in the bathtub, I would just get fantastic realizations about myself, and they were so valuable and liberating.”– Leonard Orr

Say goodbye to that boring builder-grade drop-in bathtub. It’s small and ugly in that basic white. You can’t really do much with these tubs other than take them out and replace them with something better.

You could have a freestanding tub or another built-in that has tile surrounding it. Even if you add a freestanding tub, you need tile on the walls around it. Once you decide on your dream tub, your next step is to choose just the right tile.

These bathtub tile ideas will help you plan a bathroom remodel that features an upgraded tub.

[view_toc]

1. Color Coordination in Bathtub Tiles

You can’t go wrong with white tiles in your bathroom. White looks clean and bright. It’s also easy to tell if you got your bathroom clean or not. However, white can also look boring and sterile. Instead, consider another neutral color.

Beige or brown can look gross and inspired thoughts you don’t want to have associated with your bathroom. Try a shade of grey instead. This gives you a nice neutral backdrop that you can pair with a range of colors in your decor.

2. Contemporary Bathtub Tile Trends

Contemporary bathrooms embrace tiles that don’t look like tile. Tile the area around your bathtub with a tile that looks like wood. This gives you the visual warmth of wood but the durability of tile. It costs more than wood but will also last significantly longer in the wet environment of your bathroom.

Another popular contemporary tile is glass tile. It has a soothing blue-green color that will give your bathtub a spa-like feel. Choose a tile that has a modern shape and size to keep your bathroom feeling contemporary and not outdated.

3. Embracing Dark Tiles for Bathtubs

Dark tiles make a bold and sophisticated statement. They are perfect for surrounding a bathtub in a master bathroom. You could use black subway tile for a unique take on the vintage tile. Or you can use black marble or granite for a luxury take on dark tile.

If you have a small bathroom, the dark tile can actually make your bathroom feel bigger. Pair your dark tile with a metal tub for a beautiful and elegant balance between light and dark.

4. Marble Tile Elegance in Bathrooms

Using marble tile as a part of your bathroom tile ideas will elevate the look of your bathtub. This tile is typically used as shower tile or floor tile. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t also use it for your bathtub.

Large marble sheets look beautiful as they can feature the graining that’s prized in this type of stone. However, if your budget can’t support this, you can opt for smaller tiles. These are less likely to break or crack, making it easier to install them around your tub.

5. Modern Bathtub Tile Inspirations

Modern bathrooms feature large-scale tiles. You can do this in your bathroom when adding tile to the walls around your bathtub. Opt for thin grout lines that minimize their look, so they don’t break up the look of the tile.

Choose a tile that has a subtle pattern but nothing too bold. It should also be in a soothing white, grey, or beige. If you want a stronger statement, you could use a tile that’s charcoal grey. Then it’s dark and moody like black but not as harsh.

6. Neutral Tile Shades for Serenity

A popular small bathroom tile idea is to use neutral natural tiles. This brings an earthy feel to your bathroom tile designs. Instead of using crisp and pristine porcelain tile with a uniform color and shiny finish, neutral tile design features slight variations in color and finish.

These wall tiles are good to use when you want another area in your bathroom to be the focal point. Use these tiles around the bathtub to create a backdrop that doesn’t draw attention. They are subtle shades of white that will blend with a white tub.

7. Patterned Tiles

Patterned tile adds texture and dimension to your bathroom. You can create a pattern with your tile by using penny tile or mosaic tile. Penny tiles get their name because they are small, round tiles that resemble pennies. 

Mosaic tiles are typically square and have patterns on them. You then arrange them randomly or use the tile to create a larger picture. A modern take on penny tile is hexagon tile. These are small tiles that are a similar size to penny tile but are a hexagon shape instead of round.

8. Rustic Bathtub Tiles

Rustic bathroom tile design uses tiles that are made out of stone or are handmade. Covering your bathroom wall in natural stone brings nature into your home. Use tiles that are imperfect. You can then finish your rustic design with handmade bathroom decor.

Using river rocks gives your bathroom a built-in foot or body massager. Line the bottom of your tub and feel the stones gently massage your body as you relax in hot water. Using rocks or boulders to build out around your tub gives the illusion that your tub was built out of the stone or even carved out from them.

9. Stone Tile Designs for Bathrooms

Natural stone tile brings nature and warmth into your bathroom. Instead of using rustic stones, use refined tiles that are cut from high-end stones. These are the stones that are smooth and uniform enough to use on the bathroom floor.

The stone material doesn’t have to be rustic either. Elevate your bathroom design by using tile that’s made from travertine, marble, slate, granite, limestone, basalt, or quartzite.

Check out shower tile ideas to get a feel for how each of these stones look. Then you can choose the stone that will fit the interior design style you want to achieve.

10. Subway Tile Classics for Bathtubs

It doesn’t matter if you call them subway or metro tile. These white tiles have been used in design for over a hundred years. While tile trends come and go, subway tiles never seem to go out of style. 

These ceramic tiles have a clean design that complements a variety of interior design themes and home architectural styles. You can use them in your bathroom tile idea to surround your bathtub. Extend them beyond the tub area to cover the shower walls and the rest of the bathroom.

11. Artful Bathtub Surround Tile Concepts

The tub surround is the wall immediately around the tub. You need to tile this area because the wall gets splashed while you are in the tub. If it were just backer board or drywall, it would absorb the water and eventually rot or grow mold. 

Look at bathroom ideas to find a style or design that you like. You could use one large tile to cover the entire area. You could add a board or edge that’s the same tile but cut smaller. Or you can get fancy and use an accent tile that’s a different size, color, and shape.

12. Textured Tiles for Bathtub Appeal

Textured tile is the tile trend of the future. You will see it is commonly used as wall tile, but depending on the texture, it can also work well in bathroom floor tile ideas. A textured tile will be safer to walk on when it’s wet because you can gain traction that prevents you from slipping.

If you don’t want your entire bathroom to have texture tile, you can use it on your shower floor. A 3D tile won’t be comfortable to walk on but can look beautiful around your bathtub. There are design ideas that will show you how to use the texture to your advantage to elevate the look of your bathroom.

Color is an integral part of interior design, whether you plan to go big and bold or keep things simple.

You can spend hours curating the perfect vanity setup and plumbing fixtures. But if your bathroom walls aren’t painted to match your vision, all of that hard work could end up feeling like a waste!

Keep reading for the best bathroom paint ideas that will help give your own color scheme a professional touch.

[view_toc]

1. Beige

Beige paint is gaining traction in contemporary design as a warm alternative to white or light gray. It works particularly in a space like a bathroom, which can sometimes feel cold and sterile.

With the right complementary finishes, beige paint can also feel fresh and modern. Pair your new bathroom paint color with lush greenery and natural wood for a slightly Bohemian-inspired design.

See more bathroom beige ideas here.

2. Blue

Blue is an incredibly versatile color. You could even consider it an honorary neutral. So it’s the perfect choice for any bathroom in need of a fresh coat of paint.

When selecting a blue bathroom paint, the most important thing to remember is that this color takes on countless forms. A soft vintage blue will have a much different effect than a lush peacock blue.

Contrast your blue walls with white bathroom fixtures, trim, and tile for maximum impact.

3. Dark

Dark paint colors can be intimidating for even the most experienced DIYer. But a small space like a bathroom is the ideal place to test the waters of these more dramatic shades.

To many, “dark” automatically calls to mind straight black. Don’t limit your bathroom color scheme to this one option! Dark paint comes in every color of the rainbow, and each shade offers its own unique aesthetic.

4. Green

After years of the go-to bathroom aesthetic being sleek and minimalist, organic-inspired decor is taking over the trends. No bathroom paint color goes better with this style than luscious green.

Green is simultaneously soft and modern. Muted sage green is particularly popular right now (and, if you ask us, for good reason!). It’s a great way to give your bathroom space a bit of vintage intrigue without looking outdated.

5. Gray

Contemporary design may be moving toward more colorful palettes overall. But there’s still plenty of room for clean neutrals like the color gray.

Personally, we find that gray walls look their best when contrasted against white surfaces. There’s tons of opportunity to create this effect in your own bathroom using tile, wall decor, or a sleek white vanity.

Be sure to keep an open mind when shopping for paint. No two shades of gray are exactly alike, and each will offer a unique appearance when applied to your bathroom walls.

6. Light Colors

One of the most common concerns homeowners have about repainting a bathroom is how to make the space appear larger. After all, color is a big part of how our eyes perceive the walls around us!

While a white bathroom is always a safe choice, opting for a slightly saturated paint color can create a more elevated look and feel. Pale shades of yellow, blue, green, and pink can all be used to great effect.

7. Neutral

Having trouble committing to a vibrant color for your bathroom walls? With the right perspective, neutral shades offer a rainbow all their own.

Neutral wall paint is ideal if your bathroom includes architectural materials that you don’t want overpowered. It pairs beautifully with elements like natural stone tile, brick, and exposed hardwood.

You can get the most out of your muted bathroom color palette by including a few areas of bright white in your design.

8. Orange

Orange is one of the last bathroom paint colors most homeowners would ever reach for. But you could be missing out on a ton of gorgeous design potential by doing so!

The bathroom is a great place to test out more daring paint colors. If the thought of covering the entire room in orange paint is still too hard to swallow, consider creating an accent wall. Or shrink the area to be painted by installing wainscoting on the wall’s lower half.

9. Purple

As children, many of us had bedrooms painted various shades of purple. Unfortunately, interior design for adults rarely incorporates such colors.

You may not be able to commit to painting your kitchen or living room a vibrant shade of lilac — if so, more power to you! But nothing is stopping you from giving your bathroom a much-needed upgrade with this fun and feminine color palette.

Still unsure? Start with a pale purple with blue or gray undertones. From there, you can decide if more purple is in your home’s future!

10. Red

As far as bold and bright paint colors go, red is by far one of the most popular. Yet it can still be hard to find inspiration for use in your own bathroom design.

Crimson red is a quick and easy way to make a big decor statement. For a more subdued take on this bathroom color trend, consider using a dark, muted cranberry red instead. These shades are particularly stunning against white accents.

11. Teal

Teal may be little more than a mix of green and blue. But this color is so effective in interior design that it deserves accolades all its own.

Despite the impact teal has as a paint color, it blends in seamlessly with all kinds of decor styles. You can easily pair teal walls with vintage fixtures and elegant details. Or incorporate rough-hewn, organic elements for a rustic aesthetic.

12. White

The decision to paint your bathroom walls white might seem like a no-brainer. But selecting paint for a white bathroom requires just as much care and attention as any other color.

As with any other color, white paint can have a variety of undertones. Whether or not a warm- or cool-toned white will look best in your bathroom depends on factors like lighting and the rest of the decor.

(And white walls can make a small bathroom appear almost magically larger!)

13. Yellow

What better way to start and end your days on a sunny note than with a bathroom draped in yellow?

Although yellow bathroom paint requires a discerning eye to pull off, you won’t find another color that offers the same degree of warmth and positivity.

Depending on the exact shade of yellow, it works great alongside farmhouse and modern decor. So be sure to take full advantage of this bathroom paint idea’s retro edge!