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35 Charming Half Bath Ideas to Inspire Your Own Small Space
Small spaces are right-sized for trying out bold design ideas.
Your half bathroom is probably one of the smallest spaces in your house, but that doesn’t mean it’s the easiest room to decorate. Because it’s frequented by company, you want it to look as nice and inviting as the other not-so-common areas in you’re home, but if you’re unsure what to do and where to start, relax! We’ve rounded up dozens of our favorite half bathroom ideas to get you inspired.
Look at this small room as a design challenge—a compact space that can be the perfect testing ground for all those new design ideas you’ve been itching to try. The possibilities are endless! You can spruce up a uninspired space by painting the walls or trim with a bold pop of color, hanging a beautiful wallpaper (a smaller space means a smaller price tag!), or layering the room with creative art and vintage collections.
The good news is that even if you’re looking to overhaul your half bathroom from top to bottom (via fresh bathroom lighting or classic bathroom tile) the space is small, so the transformation doesn’t require a lot of patience. With a little love—and a lot of moxie—this small space may soon become your new favorite room in the house!
Here are even more ideas to freshen up your bathrooms, big and small:
Salvage What You Can
Country Living Editor-in-Chief, Rachel Hardage Barrett couldn’t part with this hunting dog-themed wallcovering that was original to her Mississippi farmhouse. It showed some wear and tear, so instead of replacing it, she freshened things up by painting the window trim and door in a corresponding green.
Get the Look:
Trim Paint Color: Oakmoss by Sherwin-Williams
RELATED: Are you into verdant hues? Then this list of the best green paint colors is for you!
Display a Collection
This half bathroom evokes an apothecary vibe with inky black walls and a gallery of shadowboxes displaying vintage shaving items.
Get the Look:
Wall Paint Color: Tricorn Black by Sherwin Williams
Don’t Be Afraid of Wallpaper
Covering this petite half bath with wallpaper and coordinating blue trim paint adds character to this new build in Sulphur Springs, Texas. Wallpaper is more durable than you think, so don’t shy away from it even in water-prone rooms. The only exception? The ceiling (remember, steam rises!).
Get the Look:
Trim Paint Color: Academy Gray by Valspar
RELATED: Up your bathroom’s style quotient with these charming wallpaper ideas.
Add a Breezy Cafe Curtain
This charming bathroom from designer Emily C. Butler values natural beauty with it’s bold forest-inspired wallpaper. The breezy cafe curtain creates privacy while still letting in the natural light and view of the outdoors.
Get the Look:
Wallpaper: Raphael in Green by Sandburg
Add Some Age
Designer Shannon Bowers created a beautiful base for antique finds with this soft and airy botanical wallpaper. The antique dresser-turned-marble-topped vanity brings a weathered warmth while the vintage mirror and crystal sconces add patina and personality.
Get the Look:
Wallpaper: “Beech” by Lewis & Wood
Vary Your Vanity
Here, a scallop-front vanity painted in a powder blue creates instant interest and playfulness. If you’re up for a little DIY, source scalloped trim and add to a store-bought vanity for a semi-custom look for less.
Urn Your Stripes
A floral-inspired powder room goes the extra mile by replacing a plain pedestal sink with a stone garden urn. The homeowners outfitted the urn with a standard bowl sink from Lowe’s.
RELATED: Tour more of this Maryland new-build (yes, really!) farmhouse.
Lean Into Asymmetry
No square wall? No problem. In this cottage’s moody bathroom, a pedestal sink tucks into the corner and is paired with a brass mirror and single pleated-shade sconce. Running the wallpaper up the slanted ceiling adds to the drama.
Get the Look:
Wall Paint Color: Pine Cone Brown by Benjamin Moore
Wallpaper: Forêt Noire by Nathalie Lété
RELATED: See more of this Virginia mountain cottage that is straight out of a storybook.
Play With Color
A small scale half bath is the perfect place to try a color you might not be ready to commit to for a bigger space? Here this cheerful yellow highlights the intricate paneling for a timeless but unexpected feel.
Get the Look:
Wall Paint Color: Lucent Yellow by Sherwin-Williams
RELATED: We promise you’ll love these sunny yellow paint colors.
Go Vertical
Designer Heidi Caillier kept this bathroom light and airy with a soft color palette and touches of warm wood and brass. The vertical paneling on the walls and cabinetry brings you eye upwards creating the appearance of a bigger space.
Get the Look:
Curtain Fabric: “Grace-Willow” from Michael S Smith Inc
Wave Goodbye to White
While bathroom designs might typically lean airy and spa-like, that doesn’t mean you should shy away from darker colors. In this half bath, a deep, almost aubergine, brown covers the walls and trim for a color-drenched design that feels just as spa-like.
Get the Look:
Wall Paint Color: London Clay by Farrow & Ball
Repurpose a Vintage Dresser
By repurposing an old dresser or table into a vanity, you’ll create a one-of-a-kind statement piece that adds instant warmth and charm. Just make sure you work with a carpenter and plumber to ensure proper installation.
Save Space With a Pedestal Sink
A vintage pedestal sink is the centerpiece of this petite half bath. Paired with a pair of vintage ship wheel sconces lined with fisherman’s rope, this humble bath shines with coastal charm.
Try Tone-on-Tone
In this tiny bathroom, tonal wainscoting painted in two complimentary green paint colors pairs perfectly with a floral skirted sink. The green-and-white trellis wallpaper adds another scale of pattern while staying in the same color family as the other cheerful greens.
Get the Look:
Wainscoting Paint Colors: Cooking Apple Green and Breakfast Room Green by Farrow & Ball
RELATED: See more of this converted schoolhouse that is filled to the brim with color.
Tell a Story on the Walls
In the home of Victoria and Marcus Ford, a gallery wall in the powder room shows off a happy assortment of the couple’s vintage finds, including a “Ford Road” sign spotted at the Raleigh Market, framed life vest, a signal flag, a portrait of opera singer Marian Anderson, and a giant bobby pin—just because.
RELATED: Tour more of Victoria and Marcus’ Makeover Takeover series.
Create Style with Symmetry
Plaid wallpaper lends a preppy punch to this powder room by architect Gil Schafer. Sleek light fixtures flank a black mirror, while symmetrical polished nickel hooks hold coordinating monogrammed towels.
Get Creative With Storage
Unsightly plumbing or cluttered cabinets creating an eyesore? With just a few yards of fabric you can create a skirted sink to keep the clutter at bay and add a little pattern while you’re at it. Just be sure to pick a performance fabric so it holds up to the water and wear.
Wall-Mount Your Faucet
If your bathroom lacks counter space (and you’re up for a little reno work), a wall-mounted faucet is a savvy way to save some precious inches. Recessed shelving adds to the counter space saving savvy in this California fixer-upper.
Embrace Contrasting Styles
Here, a vintage industrial sink is the perfect design foil to the more formal brass mirror. Green metal baskets provide needed towel storage and the perfect layer of quirk to tie it all together.
Add Unique Lighting
In this petite half bath, Louise Roe, the founder of homewares brand Sharland England, embraces her playful side with textiles and rich color. The quirky brass shell-shaped sconces make the powder bath a celebration of more-is-more.
Get the Look:
Wall Paint Color: Pompadour by Edward Bulmer Paint
Wallpaper: “Creeping Toadflax” by Living Quarters
Sconces: Scallop Wall Light by Jim Lawrence
RELATED: Check out these bright ideas for bathroom lighting.
Maribeth B Jones is the Design Director of Country Living where she creates seasonal content full of warmth and playfulness. When she’s not wrangling chickens for a cover shoot you can find her collecting vintage oil portraits or flipping pancakes in her sunny, yellow kitchen with her two chatty daughters.
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