Small bathrooms are everywhere in Sydney. Apartments in Bondi and Neutral Bay, terraces in Newtown and Surry Hills, and ensuites squeezed into family homes from the 1970s onwards. The good news is that a small bathroom can be one of the most satisfying rooms to renovate, because good design makes such a visible difference.
Here are the ideas we use most often to make small bathrooms feel bigger, brighter and easier to live with.
1. Swap the shower over bath for a walk in shower
If you don't need a bath, removing it and creating a generous walk in shower is the single biggest change you can make. With a frameless glass panel instead of a full enclosure, the floor reads as one continuous surface and the room instantly feels larger.
2. Choose frameless glass
Framed shower screens add visual clutter and are harder to clean. A single fixed frameless panel, or a frameless door, keeps sightlines open.
3. Go wall hung
Wall hung vanities and toilets with in-wall cisterns show more floor, which makes the room feel bigger. They also make cleaning the floor much easier. Plan these at the design stage because they need wall framing and plumbing in the right places.
4. Use recessed niches
A shower niche built into the wall gives you somewhere for shampoo and soap without bulky caddies or shelves. Niches can also be built above the toilet or beside the vanity. They need careful waterproofing, which is part of every bathroom renovation we do.
5. Add a shaving cabinet
A recessed or surface mounted shaving cabinet with a mirrored front doubles as storage and a mirror. Some include lighting and a power point for toothbrushes.
6. Think about tiles carefully
- Larger tiles mean fewer grout lines, which makes walls and floors feel calmer.
- Floor to ceiling tiling draws the eye up and makes the room feel taller.
- Same tile on floor and walls creates a seamless, spacious look.
- A light palette reflects light. If you love colour or a bold pattern, use it on one feature wall.
7. Get the lighting right
Small bathrooms often have one ceiling light and nothing else. Layered lighting changes everything: downlights or a ceiling fitting for general light, good lighting at the mirror for grooming and perhaps a strip light under a floating vanity for a soft night light.
8. Use mirrors generously
A large mirror across the vanity wall bounces light around and visually doubles the space.
9. Choose a sliding or pocket door
If the door swings into the room and blocks the vanity or toilet, a sliding or cavity door can free up valuable space.
10. Don't forget ventilation
Small bathrooms get steamy fast. A good exhaust fan, ducted to the outside, protects your paint, grout and ceilings from mould.
Renovating a small apartment bathroom
Apartment bathrooms come with an extra step: strata approval. In NSW, bathroom renovations that involve waterproofing usually need approval from the owners corporation before work starts. Building rules about work hours, noise and lift use also apply. Our guide to renovation approvals in NSW explains the process, and our guide to bathroom waterproofing explains why it matters so much in apartments.
How much does a small bathroom renovation cost?
Small doesn't always mean cheap, because the same trades are needed as in a larger bathroom. As a guide, small bathrooms and ensuites in Sydney typically cost around $18,000 to $28,000 when the layout stays the same. Read our full bathroom renovation cost guide.
Let's make your small bathroom work harder
We renovate small bathrooms, ensuites and apartment bathrooms across Sydney. Find out more about our bathroom renovations in Sydney or book a free consultation.
Frequently asked questions
How can I make my small bathroom look bigger?
Use a frameless glass screen instead of a shower curtain or framed screen, choose a wall hung vanity, keep the colour palette light and simple, use larger tiles and add a big mirror with good lighting.
Should I keep the bath in a small bathroom?
If it's your only bathroom and you have young children, a bath is often worth keeping. Otherwise, replacing a shower over bath with a generous walk in shower can make a small bathroom feel much bigger.
How much does a small bathroom renovation cost in Sydney?
A small bathroom or ensuite that keeps the same layout typically costs around $18,000 to $28,000 in Sydney. See our bathroom renovation cost guide for details.
