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It’s not always about size

When it comes to bathrooms, big isn’t always better. As much as I love an oversized luxury bathroom, we are typically faced with a smaller, not thought about properly, bathroom when buying an house. A lackluster space with a normal bath, toilet, vanity and shower layout.
Old school tiles of brown, off white and sometimes maroon was favoured when building houses in the early years. Much like a kitchen is the last design thought when doing a restaurant, bathrooms tend to take a back seat and almost becomes an afterthought when designing an home. Allocating the least possible space and forcing the necessities into it, these days favouring a shower unit and a bath tub became a luxury.

 Minimalism does not mean cold & boring

Big bathrooms with a big budget are simple and easy to style and you can do whatever you want to fill the space. But how do you create an oasis in small bathroom spaces? Creating is the easy part but doing it on a budget sometimes feel like an impossible job. With cleaver design, perfect accents and a little bit of “out of the box” thinking you can create that Pinterest bathroom and immerse yourself in luxury and enjoy the scents of a hotel worthy bathroom at home, all within a budget.

The best design when it comes to a small bathroom is minimalism. It creates an intentional, well-curated space where clutter is kept to a minimum. And that is crucial in small spaces, not just small bathrooms. 2023 is all about classic design and mixing that with modern trends, mixing design styles never go out of style. That does not mean you have to forego your own style and flair. Minimalist design can be as bold – or understated – as you like.

I’ve rounded up a few ideas for inspiration on how to create a streamlined space where you can soak up the stress of life and relax with a little pampering of your own:

Make Bold statements

Wow them with understated elegance

Add hotel inspired amenities
Adding budget friendly and luxurious amenities gives any bathroom an edge. Schoonhuid offers 2 luxurious handmade bath and body collections for that hotel-inspired finish. Check out the collections here!
Styling is everything and a countertop rarely need more than a hand wash & hand lotion, a soap dish with an artisan soap and maybe a handmade cotton cloth. Less is more and there’s no need to clutter the space to much.
Want to be extra? Style a wooden foot stool in your shower with a candle, a bowl of shower steamers, a jar of body scrub and a diffuser. Add a shower caddy on the wall with hooks and reserve that for a body wash, shampoo & conditioner bar and a natural loofah and bamboo back brush.
 
Use matching linens
Invest in good quality Bath Sheet towels, a couple of hand towels and a few face cloths (a bath sheet towel is not a 3 in 1!!!). Fluffy white “hotel” towels give an ultra-luxury feel, if white is not your vibe, any colour that fits your theme, but stick to a solid colour scheme to give a uniform and tidy look.
 

Luxury with rich textures
Mix as many shades and textures as you wish to create warmth. There’s no such thing as too many materials but focus on the essentials. Create dimension and depth with a symphony of textures while still maintaining a clean and sleek aesthetic. Use carpets, curtains, bath mats and if you are lucky enough to have any architectural elements like wooden beams etc use that as part of the design. The idea is to make each piece look intentional – quality over quantity. A textured painting above the toilet styled with a room spray and diffuser is a quick way to add texture and a pop of colour to any bathroom or space.
 
Go green
Adding a couple of bathroom-friendly plants will help break up a monochromatic aesthetic while also purifying the air. Think snake plant, fern, or spider plant. Hang it from the ceiling, re-plant in a decorative bowl for on the vanity or a couple of eucalyptus leaves tide together around the shower head immediately lifts an otherwise dull shower. Green, leafy plants add a stylized natural element that doubles as décor.