The total square footage for our historic carriage house rebuild is small – just over 500 square feet – and every door had to count. As we were designing the property, we knew we wanted a full bath but otherwise wanted the footprint to be as small as possible. 

We want the decor of the carriage house to be appropriately stylized for our historic property, while not tying ourselves strictly to 1910’s decor. We’re opting for lots of classic white tile, antique brass fixtures, and muted blue hues throughout, and the bathroom is no exception.

Pinterest, as expected, is full of amazing small bathroom inspiration.

We’re planning to install this bold patterned tile to add personality to the small bathroom.  There’s a gorgeous IKEA vanity in the light grey we want so the plan is to head into a store soon to check on the quality. We also love this one and this one, both grey as well but more than 2x the price of the IKEA option. Regardless of which option we choose, I want to swap out the hardware with oil-rubbed bronze.

Our builder has advised us to install a tub in the bathroom because we want to host grandparents and great grandparents, and because it saves thousands over a tiled shower.  We’ve already put this affordable tub on order (our contractor said it’s the most common tub they install) and plan to use this oil-rubbed bronze shower/faucet combo.

Lastly, I have a few little DIY projects in mind post-construction, like this rustic towel hanger and some heavy shelves to add storage to the space. 

What do you think? Any design tips for a small bathroom? 

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View our full carriage house inspiration board here on Pinterest