20 Apartment Bathroom Decorating Ideas to Swoon Over
Just because you’re renting doesn’t mean you don’t want your bathroom to be every bit as luxurious and beautiful as one twice its size. To celebrate and inspire these small spaces, we rounded up 20 incredible apartment bathroom decorating ideas to help condo owners, apartment dwellers, and flat renters to zhuzh up their petite loos.
Fashioned with everything from boldly tiled floors to maximist mirrors, these beautiful bathrooms offer enough design inspo to jumpstart a year’s worth of DIYs and remodels (or just tuck away in your “dream home” photo stash).
1. Step it Up
When you have small square footage you have to make even the most utilitarian items stand out — like a step stool for kids. This wooden step stool in a Brooklyn bathroom is hidden in plain site and acts almost like a decorative item in the blue-and-white classic space.
2. Ornate Artwork
There is so much to love about this Brooklyn Heights bathroom (the funky rug! the disco ball! the beautiful plant!), but it’s hard not to be drawn to the gold, ornate framed artwork hung on the walls.
3. Simple Reflection
When you’re short on space, sometimes it’s best to go simple, like the small-yet-stylish mirror in this tiny Spanish apartment bathroom.
4. Go Bold
There’s no better place to experiment with color than in a small bathroom. We just can’t get enough of this bold orange and white checkerboard flooring, which pairs perfectly with the orange waffle weave shower curtain and the vintage blue tub in this Philadelphia bathroom.
5. It’s a Vine
Sure, we don’t all have a luxurious clawfoot tub in our apartment bathroom, but we can still gain inspiration from the beautiful vine-y plants that are displayed in this Scandinavian studio.
6. Different Stripes
The vertical stripes in this Austin bathroom help elongate the walls and make the small space look even larger than it is.
7. Pop Art
This bathroom in D.C. is brought to life with this delightful trio of colorful paintings, which pack a punch to the all-white walls. We’re also loving the pink shelf that’s hung directly on the tile.
8. Wall of the Tiger
We love a good bold wallpaper in an apartment bathroom — especially if it’s temporary (a renter’s dream). The tiger wallpaper in this LA studio bathroom elevates what would otherwise be a very clean and blank space.
9. Frame-Worthy
In a rental, sometimes it’s best to go simple (and put as few holes in the wall as possible). We love how much color and spring-like vibes the poster brings to this UK bathroom.
10. Bird is the Word
Is there anything more delightful than this lilac bird wallpaper in this Minneapolis apartment? When it comes to decorating an apartment bathroom, quirky definitely works.
11. Color Drenching
The green wainscoting, the green door, the bold black fixtures, and the colorful wallpaper make this bathroom “after” completely unrecognizable (and completely gorgeous).
12. Bold Floor Tiles
Searching for a colorful way to liven up an awkwardly shaped bathroom? Brightly patterned floor tiles, like these from a London flat, bring the perfect amount of pizzazz.
13. Go All Out with Subway Tile
A little subway tile goes a long way in a small bathroom space. Case in point: this stunning DC bathroom, which boasts glossy white subway-tiled walls that make the cramped space feel more open and clean. The dark grout is a modern twist (and prevents dirt and grime from showing easily).
14. Plant Power
Searching for a natural way to play up a tiny white bathroom? Take a cue from this costume designer’s plant-filled Paris bathroom and hang up a few bathroom-friendly houseplants, like ivy (which grows better in humid environments), vertically.
15. B&W Bathrooms FTW
Whether with patterned floors or a fresh paint job, black-and-white bathrooms create a bold backdrop for colorful artwork and textiles.
16. Mural Minded
Searching for a humidity-friendly way to display art in your bathroom? Take a cue from this UK townhouse and forge a mural made of wall tiles inside your bathroom or shower.
17. Brighten Up
Brightly patterned walls, like the lime green ones in this apartment bathroom in Burbank, CA, pack a lot of punch into an oddly shaped bathroom.
18. Naturally Chic
Sometimes the most serene bathrooms are the ones that are most pared down. Case in point: this industrial-style bathroom, which employs exposed wood floors and a raw-edged wood counter for a naturally stylish bathroom scene.
19. Go Big on Boho Luxe
Too much of a good thing can be wonderful, even if it’s bathroom decor. Take a cue from this maximalist-style sink set up, and use a small sink area to flair out with over-the-top bathroom accessories.
20. Mixed Patterns
Hoping to mix a medley of prints in your bathroom? Stick to patterns in the same color scheme—like the blue palm-printed wallpaper and window treatments in this eclectic London flat’s bathroom—without overwhelming the space.