master bathroom: big ideas for a smaller space

When Olivia and her husband wrote in for a few ideas for their master bathroom, we were more than happy to put our heads together for a few solutions to help. They’d had a bit of a situation in the leak department, {hello… been there} and viewed it as a sweet opportunity for a bit of a remodel.

They want their bathroom to be a getaway for them, and feel more like a personal, fun retreat. Throwing in some updated charm with practical solutions for storage is what the inspiration for this space is all about.

We hope that more than anything they’re happy with what we’ve chosen for their space, and that it suits their needs! As always, we’re offering some alternatives to some ideas, as well as their main board with sources, diagrams for placement, and some inspiration to continue in this direction of creating a beautiful space, just for the two of them.

So without further ado, a little inspiration:

Clockwise from top to bottom original image sources: 1/2/3

And here’s what we cooked up:

7. Tile

Going totally out of order as always, we thought this was a great place to start. We love the cool, neutral tones of this subway tile, paired with this gorgeous marble penny tile. We think this combo in beautiful, natural neutral tones will last for years to come. It’s a dash of modern mixed with classic.

We’d love to see the subway tile on the walls of the shower, and the ceiling. If their budget allows, wrapped around the room on the walls, too. And the penny tile, on the floor of the bathroom, as well as the floor of the shower.

If they like a little versatility, the top of the seating bench, and the pocket shelf, too. More on that below.

We’d love to see the subway tile on the shower walls and ceiling, as well as wrapped around the room just above the vanity height {as seen in the inspiration photo above} to bring major character to the space. They have a smaller bathroom, so it may be a splurge to add more tile to the space, but hopefully it’s not something that will absolutely ruin their budget. It may be worth getting a quote {from their tile person labor-wise, as well as the website for a difference in amounts} Two ways: One for {just} the shower area, and then taking it to the walls, as well.

Placement of the penny tile on the floor of the entire bathroom, as well as the floor of the shower and on the top of the bench seat. If marble is too much for them as far as cleaning and maintenance, we totally understand. We’re still quite torn about it actually. So I included another penny tile for them to check out, as well.

She mentioned her husband was interested in having a bench seat, so we drew up a quick diagram of what that would look like so they can check it out. As well as inspiration above for some quick photo references. We know those are laid out differently than their actual bathroom, but it should give them an idea as to what the shower would actually look like. The standard bench height in a shower is 20 inches.

These elements would bring in some amazing, timeless character.

We’ve worked personally with both tile companies, and think they have excellent customer service with great lead time on all their samples. We can’t recommend enough getting their hands on those samples.

15. Wall Ladder

A wall ladder, built to size by you guys and mounted on the wall. {Quick mockup above} – it would be a process of putting pieces of pipe together, with this tool and assorted pieces from their local hardware store. This would be a pretty basic project if they felt like taking it on, and totally worth it because you could have it to their own custom size. Just a few ideas to get them started!

8. Paint

Neutral all the way with pops of color, this tile {a light, earthy grey} would be light and airy paired with a crisp white to really open up that bathroom. It really quiets the backdrop for a great, blank canvas.

Shower Glass

Whoever you work with on your bathroom locally, should be able to recommend a good glass company. You can do a little sleuthing yourself and find a great, source for this. It’s always a little more to do frameless showers. If they have room in their budget, frameless glass like the photos above are absolutely gorgeous and honestly, much easier to clean. We’d love to see them take it all the way up to the ceiling to meet that tile at the top. It’s all in those extra details.

12. Shower Vent

We can’t tell from the photos they sent, but it’s all in the details, and they may really need a shower vent update in that space. Since it’s a total overhaul anyway, this could really benefit them down the line in terms of moisture build up. And if it’s a shower vent, why not make it a wireless speaker, too? Just a suggestion for a clever little addition if they’re anything like us and enjoy music in the shower. {And maybe belting them out every now and then … shhhh} ;} We’re actually doing two in our new bathroom because the spaces are smaller and moisture can become a real issue. They may want to discuss this with the person who takes on their remodel.

9. Rain Shower Head

We thought this was a great option for the rainhead request. While still keeping those faucets in the same place. Classic lines for a fun effect.

4. Mirrors and Sconces

This mirror brings in a gorgeous copper finish to build off of for the rest of the space. Available through us, here. {We chose the large size for their space} paired with these sconces.

5. Vanity

We adore the natural feel of this vanity for a unique look with lots of storage. We think it’s just gorgeous, and adore the mixed metals in bronze and copper for the bathroom, as well.

3. Toilet

Just in case it’s on their radar, we love these handsome, clean lines.

Accessories

Because we’re all about the adorable little accents that bring in some major character…

1. Rug

We adore this soft rug under foot for a nice, practical worker {especially that it’s reversible} It would work in grey or seaglass

2. Soap dish

From here – and check out this adorable soap dish we carry, here.

13. Trinket Dish

For a handy catch all – because we’re all about the accessories

6. Hook

We were thinking they could use a little more storage on the back of their door, in the form of a hook with character that functions nicely and allows the door to open fully when needed.

10. Art

On the wall upon entry to the left of their main door and vanity, we’d love to see some fun vintage art like this to bring in more punches of color.

11. + 14. Towels

We love the combo of these colors to tie it all together.

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Obligatory Dislaimer

Please note, out of respect for our paying clients we can no longer share all of our sources here, with the exception of an independent artist or small business {because we love supporting small businesses!} Or something from our own site. To share all the sources here, would be unfair to our clients who have paid for these services. We do share all of our own sources for our own home, along with any additional sources that we possibly can. That adds up to a lot of sources.

We share the boards here with the permission of the client, because we do hope this still inspires our readers to create from your own ideas, and to discuss the space along with our design services. So thank you in advance for your understanding.

If you’re interested in design solutions and sources for your very own space, we’re more than happy to help. Read more about our e-services here, or if you live locally in Nashville, our in-person services, here.