Standing in my friend’s powder room a few weeks ago, I smiled. Pure magic — and I am not exaggerating. Sarah had transformed a three foot by five foot glorified closet into a space that truly felt luxurious. There was no clutter, no visual chaos — just pure perfection in miniature.
Sarah’s powder room experience inspired a moment of reflection about my own bathroom journey. Those moments we all have, when you glance in the mirror and think “This space looks awful?” That was me, each and every morning for roughly the past six months since moving into my current flat. The bathroom wasn’t simply small; it was aggressively beige, with a medicine cabinet that shouted “1987!” and a shower curtain that had seen better decades.
However, I’ve come to realize that small does not equate to settling. Not even remotely.
First things first, I addressed scale. To be honest, I see many tiny bathrooms packed full of oversized accessories all the time. It’s similar to seeing someone try to fit into jeans two sizes too tight. Everything appears strained and uncomfortable. Therefore, I began looking for products that were scaled appropriately for the space. My towel bar is eighteen inches instead of the typical twenty-four. My mirror is round and twenty inches across, instead of the large rectangular mirror I initially wanted. I also downsized my toilet paper holder.
There was an instant change. All of a sudden, everything appeared intentional rather than unintentional.
Next, I experienced the mirror revelation and this one genuinely caught me off guard. I had always believed that one mirror would be sufficient, however I was extremely mistaken. I added a second, small mirror on the opposite side of the wall, positioned at an angle to capture light from the window. The visual illusion created by this mirror is quite impressive; the room appears twice as wide. At times, I’ll find myself performing a double take as I’ll forget how small the actual space is.
My neighbor Emma attempted this technique after viewing mine and sent me a text message three days later: “Claire, I swear my bathroom doubled in size overnight.” While physics states no, perception says absolutely yes.
After that, lighting became my primary concern. The initial overhead fixture was providing little assistance to anyone — harsh, unforgiving, and creating shadows in the worst possible locations. I substituted it with a small pendant that casts soft light upwards (reflects off the white ceiling for that all-encompassing, gentle glow) and I also added battery-powered LED strips underneath the floating shelf I installed. No need for an electrician, simply some careful measurements and a borrowed spirit level from my father that I still have yet to return.
Selecting the color scheme required some confidence. The majority of the information available stated “light colors for small rooms,” which directly translated to “beige, another shade of beige, or maybe cream if you dare to venture outside your comfort zone.” However, Sarah’s powder room was a beautiful deep blue-green and for some reason, it provided a cozy feeling in contrast to being confined in the small space.
I painted three test color samples on my bathroom wall and allowed them to stay there for two weeks. I desired to see how they would appear during both morning and evening light as well as artificial light. How would they appear while I was brushing my teeth at 7 AM and not merely how they would photograph for Instagram. The winner? A soft sage green that alters with varying light conditions but always appears soothing.
Incidentally, painting a small bathroom is relatively fast. Two coats, completed in a single afternoon. Although, I did manage to get paint in my hair two separate times, which speaks to my level of expertise.
Storage nearly caused me to break. I wanted the space to feel uncluttered, however where can you place items in a space devoid of floor space and having very little wall space? The creative solutions I developed along with a weekend excursion to three various stores resulted in my finding a narrow cabinet that fits in the six-inch gap next to the toilet. The cabinet resembles a custom unit but cost £40 from a discount furniture store. Above the door, I installed a small floating shelf to hold additional toiletries out-of-sight but accessible.
The true game changer was using reduced sizes for everything. Instead of large pump bottles of shampoo lining the shower shelf, I used travel-sized bottles. I utilized a compact soap dispenser. Even my toothbrush holder was downsized. Although it may seem insignificant, the visual difference was enormous.
When working with a limited color palette, texture became essential. The white subway tiles I selected possess a slight handmade irregularity that reflects light exceptionally well. My bath mat features a subtle raised pattern. The hand towels are waffle-weave instead of flat cotton. The small variations create richness without producing visual weight.
Plants were more difficult than I envisioned. My first attempt at utilizing a medium-sized peace lily produced a jungle effect in the space of a dollhouse. Far too dramatic, far too overwhelming. Currently, I have two small plants: a trailing pothos on the floating shelf and a small snake plant adjacent to the sink. The plants provide life to the space without overpowering it.
The finishing touches were accomplished over several months and I vacillated more times than I care to admit. The hardware — cabinet pulls, towel hooks, light switch covers — all received replacement with brushed brass versions that feel warm against the green walls. I added one item of artwork: a small framed botanical print I located at a car boot sale for £3.
The largest error I committed? Initially attempting to stuff too much personality into the space at once. Colorful wallpaper, colored towels, decorative containers, scented candles — it was a sensory overload in a space that was too small to accommodate it. Scaling back was frightening at first, like I was making it dull, however the exact opposite occurred. With fewer elements of visual noise, each element could finally be appreciated.
The end product feels spacious, purposeful and enjoyable to utilize. Friends frequently compliment it, and I continue to be surprised. It’s simply a small bathroom, after all. However, I believe that is the entire point — there is no “just” about it when you get the small details correct.
