How to Love Your Tiny Rental Bathroom: Styling Ideas from 10 Real Homes

Many aspects of a rental home are transformable, yet the rental bathroom tends to be a ‘you-get-what-you-get-and-you-don’t-get-upset’ zone because there typically isn’t a lot of literal or metaphorical wiggle room. But even with less-than-ideal rental bathrooms, and even when living with roommates or significant others—we can still elevate the style and add functional beauty. Check out 10 rental bathrooms from our house tours that do this in spades.

This rental bathroom highlights the benefits of working with an inherited color scheme and not being put off by first impressions, as Alexis notes: “The kitchen and bathroom were in a sad state when we moved in. There were many deep cleanings before the paint went on the walls and the art went up.” As Alexis and Ian inherited a rental with bright pink and mint green tile, they incorporated art and decor that compliments the color scheme and plays up the vintage quality of the tile, which in turn reads as pretty and charming instead of outdated.

Three roommates + one tiny bathroom sounds chaotic, right? But Sam, Stephanie, and Lorena have created a pretty and organized bathroom corner simply by using colorful and unique storage tools.

Jynne and Louie’s rental bathroom shows the power of paint as a doable way for renters to update the look and feel of a bathroom (just remember to ask your landlord first). The additional plants and silver mirror help create a vibrant, modern bathroom. And remember, paint is temporary, so don’t be afraid to try something a bit bolder if you only have a little wall space—if it doesn’t work out, you can always repaint it white!

Tasha and Travis’ rental bathroom is another example of using paint to elevate the style of the room. In this case, a deep navy creates a classic, sophisticated color scheme when contrasted against the white and red wall and floor tiles and also highlights the 1940s-era elegance of their home. Also, how cute is that vanity?

What I love about this example is that it shows how being intentional in small decisions—such as choice of towels and towel hangers—can work to our benefit in a big way. Here, a rustic towel hanger and patterned towels create a visual far more intriguing than, say, a metal towel hanger and plain towels. Such a great reminder to enjoy the beauty in everyday objects.

This example is also taken from the Mascots’ house tour and I like how it further illustrates how storing our belongings out in the open can double as showcasing them while adding texture and beauty to a rental bathroom. A robe (or towels) and jewelry hung up simply on a bathroom wall can add color, visual interest and functionality—it’s all in the presentation.

Eryn and Jared’s mod acrylic shelf adds such a hip twist and personal style to the look of their rental bathroom. So think outside of the box when it comes to shelving, towel racks, and storage units—the items we bring into a rental bathroom can help shape the style of the room just as much as the aspects we inherit as renters.

Christina and General (and their two kids) share one very small rental bathroom, but it still looks amazing because they’ve pulled together a color scheme, added a fun pattern via the shower curtain, and utilized all available wall space to maximize function and add moments of beauty.

For her small rental bathroom in West Hollywood, Simram wasn’t given much to work with, but it was all the little choices she made—her mix of materials, patterns and non-traditional bathroom storage containers—that helped to create an overall elegant looking space. It just goes to show a little imagination goes a long way!

Kelsea and James’ rental bathroom is proof that sometimes keeping it simple is the fastest route to a big aesthetic improvement. Here, the use of a good quality white shower curtain, simple and elegant gray and white towels, and a graphic bath mat have done wonders to turn a dated-looking rental bathroom into a crisp, clean and cool looking bathroom.