Start with the layout
In a small bathroom, layout matters more than finishes. Keeping the toilet, vanity and shower on one wall shortens plumbing runs and leaves the rest of the room open. If the bathroom backs onto the kitchen, sharing a wet wall saves cost in an ADU.
- Swap a tub for a walk-in shower to gain floor space.
- Use a pocket or barn-style door if a swinging door blocks the room.
- Consider a wall-hung toilet or vanity to free up floor area visually.
Showers that make the room feel bigger
- A curbless or low-curb shower keeps the floor continuous and helps with accessibility.
- A fixed glass panel instead of a framed door keeps sightlines open.
- Large-format tile means fewer grout lines and a calmer look.
- A recessed niche stores bottles without a shelf sticking into the space.
Storage without clutter
- Recessed medicine cabinets in the wall cavity.
- Floating vanities with drawers instead of doors.
- Shelving above the toilet or inside a niche.
Light, ventilation and moisture
Small bathrooms trap moisture. A properly sized, quiet exhaust fan ducted to the outside is essential, and a humidity-sensing switch helps in rental units where tenants forget to run the fan. Layered lighting, with a ceiling light plus vanity lighting at face height, makes the room feel larger and more usable.
Behind the tile, a proper waterproofing system matters more than the tile you choose. It is the part you cannot see and the part that prevents water damage later.