There's something very appealing about blue small bathroom ideas, perhaps because many of the hues are so calm-inducing — perfect for the one room in the house dedicated to restoration and relaxation.
This timeless color particularly looks fabulous in small bathrooms, opening them up and ushering in style without making it feel cramped. Our interior experts reveal their favorite shades and how to style versatile blue hues with accents of blush, apple green, and off-white, plus the different ways to bring in blue beyond painting.
Our expert-led 10 blue small bathroom ideas bring the perfect design inspiration to help you turn your small space into one that's chic and feels expansive, whatever the square footage.
Stunning blue small bathroom ideas
From the palest sky blue featured in narrow small bathrooms, to a deep teal, there's an ideal blue for everyone — and it's the perfect color for compact washrooms.
"Blue is an excellent choice for a bathroom for several reasons. It's known to evoke feelings of calmness and relaxation, perfect for creating a soothing atmosphere in a space dedicated to unwinding and rejuvenation," says Jamie Watkins, co-founder, Divine Savages.
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1. Choose a paint shade that matches your tiles
We love a cohesive color-drenched look, but it can be hard to get it right if you're using different materials whilst still hoping to match up the colors. Using different finishes of paint from the same range can help alleviate that.
The calming blue bathroom pictured above has been painted in Farrow & Ball's Sardine, a chalky shade with a lush softness to it.It also comes in multiple finishes. To paint white tiles, sand, prime then use an eggshell finish.
You can pair this chalky blue with an off white on some walls to create balance. Lick's White 05 Matt will pair well with a variety of blue shades, including muted tones.
2. Incorporate pretty florals
Consider introducing a floral element to your blue bathroom — this can include decorative basins, window treatments, towels, lampshades, trinkets or art. As long as there is a common blue thread, it'll help build in texture, variety and visual intrigue on theme.
“A colorful basin is a good starting point when designing your bathroom, as it will act as the focal point of the space. Floral designs are particularly nice to work with as they can easily be paired with other accents in a bathroom to tie the room together.
Finding a similar fabric for blinds, curtains or other details can create a bold, colorful statement as well as delivering cohesion. We would recommend painting walls all one color when using lots of florals in the space, as this will prevent the room feeling overwhelming," says Anna Callis, founder and designer at London Basin Company.
3. Combine a bold wallpaper with a blue ceiling
When you're working with a small space you can get really creative without being too hampered by budget as the smaller square footage will typically yield a lower spend needed on materials and furnishings.
Spending some of your pot on a suitable small bathroom wallpaper idea you've had saved on your Pinterest mood board for ages is money well spent.
Jamie, CEO of wallpaper company Divine Savages advises, "To use blue wallpaper effectively in a small bathroom, consider the tone and pattern carefully. Opt for light or medium shades of blue to enhance the sense of spaciousness, while avoiding darker shades that may make the room feel smaller."
Then, if you're feeling bold, paint your ceiling in a blue that matches one of the hues in the wallpaper, Jamie adds. "Be sure to team it with plenty of plain elements of the same color so as not to overwhelm the space.
"These elements could be painting the ceiling, tiles, painted cupboards & other woodwork, or softer elements such as a Roman blind, shower curtain or even the towels. It all helps to balance the design and create a cohesive look."
Price: $192 per roll
Add some fabulous personality to one wall with this fun toile style wallpaper. You'll need to paste the wall to hang this up. We particularly like that this wallpaper is removable, making it a fab option for renters (or an easy redesign down the road) but it's able to be wiped down for cleaning with a damp, detergent-free sponge to keep it looking neat and fresh.
Price: $2 for a stick and peel paint sample
This pretty shade of blue has a warming hint of lilac, making it ideal color for a north-facing room.
Price: $19.99
Size (in): W27 x D50
A twist on a standard plain blue towel, this 100% cotton ombre design also comes with a frayed trim helping to build texture into your space. It's easy to care for as despite it's delicate trim, can be laundered with your other blue items.
4. Play with tile layouts
Small bathrooms are great for getting the creative juices flowing, and one way to do that is to play with tile layouts. Stripes are well known for making a ceiling feel taller so choose a wallpaper for that and add striped tiles for your shower area.
"Swathe vertical stripes across walls and up onto the ceiling as it's a great way of making a room look and feel much larger — a tried and tested trompe-l'œil as it draws the eye continuously up and away from the floor," advises Damla Turgut, founder and creative director, Otto Tiles.
Wayfair's Channell Striped Roll in Blue is a great match to the wallpaper shown above and comes in seven subtle colorways. We love the retailer's nifty calculator to help you figure out how many rolls you need. Less maths, more style. Hurrah!
Damla Turgut turned her passions for art, design and her homeland into a career, launching Otto Tiles & Design in 2015. The tiles she designs are handmade in Turkey by skilled artisans using traditional methods. She remains creative director at the helm of Otto Tiles & Design, now trading via a new US website.
5. Navy and fresh white looks great together
There's something grounding about navy. It's not too dark, but deep enough to create an impact. Navy blue in a small bathroom looks stunning when paired with a modern white vanity and globe pendant, and contrasting with striking colored accessories as exampled in the real bathroom above.
Kimberley Harrison, founder and principal designer, Kimberley Harrison Interiors, designed the space and explains why this is a perfect blue for small bathrooms.
She says, "Our client was looking for a bold and sophisticated design for their small powder bathroom located off their game room. The use of blues, particularly the luxurious navy wall color paired with the light Emma Hayes Songbird wallpaper in navy & teal, aims to brighten up the space and create a relaxing and luxurious ambiance."
If you're yearning after a deep blue, we hear you. We love Benjamin Moore's Deep Royal 2061-10 which we reckon is a classic navy hue that channels elegance effortlessly. If you have an all white bathroom and want to keep it that way but love this look, consider adding distinguished navy with small bathroom paneling ideas.
Alternatively, add some accessories in the hue. We love the Kate and Laurel Skylan navy blue wall mirror on Amazon for its wooden design features and easy-to-hang installation hardware.
6. Consider a combination of patterns
If you don't fancy an all-blue bathroom, then white with blue touches is a good half-way house.
The charming small modern bathroom pictured above has lots of character, due to the variety of patterned blue areas.
Whilst the vanity is the main source of blue and is a brighter shade than the painted sides of the tub, a mix of differently patterned tiles brings great depth to this small bathroom.
The geometric floor tiles link the brightness of the vanity with the muted blue of the tub's exterior, whilst the white of the interior links directly behind it with vertically stacked small-form wall tiling.
The result is a fabulous blue bathroom that's full of charm, isn't boring and ties cohesively together without overwhelming the room.
To help you recreate this look, we've sourced some look alike items to the picture above, to get you started.
Price: $20.99 now $12.28
Size (in): L12 x W12
Ideal if you're renting, these patterned tiles are easy to apply and removable whenever necessary. These tiles are washable and water resistant despite not needing any grouting. A double-winner if you ask us!
Price: $2.50 for one sample sheet
A mid blue shade that will look great with white, green and red accent colors and very similar to the color of the vanity pictured in the small bathroom above.
Price: $10.59 per sq ft / $56.97 per box
Size (in): W2.56 x L7.87
Add these pale blue subway tiles around your bath to protect the walls, and add a touch of color.
7. Choose a dark teal for drama
There's absolutely no reason why you can't choose a darker shade of blue in a small bathroom, in fact, it can help to make it feel more calming and serene.
Teal works really well with wood cabinetry as it lightens up the space, choose a wallpaper that has a simple design so not to distract for the other elements. We love how the marble backsplash matches the damask design.
For a similar wallpaper have a look at Wayfair's Damask Double Roll in Teal / Gold or, if you prefer painted teal walls then take a peek at Benjamin Moore's Dark Teal, 2053-20.
8. Zone with a swathe of dark blue tiles
Embrace a beautiful inky blue to zone your bathing area and take it up and over the ceiling too for a truly all encompassing look that with added depth.
Smart and contemporary, these blue tiles create a bold and striking statement. Team with white for balance and add in some textures for warmth such as wicker storage ( we like the handwoven three-pack of StorageWorks Wicker Storage Baskets from Bed, Bath & Beyond) wood and fluffy white towels.
You'll find blue metro peel and stick tiles available from many retailers including Walmart, who carry a budget-friendly Walplus 12" x 6" 12 sheets in Deep Blue .
9. Embrace a botanical theme
Choosing a blue theme can work very well in a small bathroom, starting with a mural wall covering that tells a story. It could be coastal for example, or similar to this blue linear palm tree style design pictured above.
Then you can accessorize to create more drama, large scale artwork and big mirror work really well in this space because they suit the mural design. Take the blue shade down to the skirtings to draw the eye down to a striking floor.
One great way to add some fauna to your walls if you're in a rental is to add some wall decals to a plain blue walls, we like the renter-friendly Wayfair Plants & Flowers Non-Wall Damaging Wall Decal to elevate your blue bathroom in no time.
10. Add blue accents to create depth
Small bathrooms can lack character and this is where paint comes into play. Blue is perhaps one of the favorite shades for a bathroom due to its connection to the coast. However, if you feel large swathes of blue isn't your bag, then start by using it as an accent instead, and choose a bright blue for this.
Annie Sloan CBE, color and paint expert explains, "When done well, using blue hues in a small bathroom like Greek Blue evokes a sense of tranquillity and openness, expanding the space both visually and emotionally. Done wrong, it can be cold, hostile or sterile.
"By embracing the innate rusticity of coastal aesthetics, you can turn the size of a small bathroom into an asset. Artfully textured distressed painting, multi-functional pieces of furniture (such as this chest of drawers) and color repetition are all great ways to maximise space, charm and character in a small bathroom."
Founded by interior designer Anna Callis and her daughter Nathalie, London Basin Company make richly decorated porcelain basins, reinventing a classic art form for contemporary bathrooms and cloakrooms. Designed to work as focus pieces, the designs are inspired by their travels, cleverly melding a modern aesthetic with several centuries of decorative art from around the world.
Meet our experts
Divine Savages specialises in creating exquisitely crafted wallpapers, fabrics, accessories and limited edition art prints for the brave and bold. It was founded by husbands Jamie Watkins and Tom Kennedy in 2017.
Annie Sloan, CBE, invented her revolutionary furniture paint, Chalk Paint™, in 1990. She is widely considered one of the world's leading authorities in paint, color and style.
There's no doubt about it, blue certainly offers a calming feel in a bathroom even if its size is an issue and now you have plenty of ideas to mull over.
If blue is your vibe, extend the scheme to your sleep space with blue bedroom ideas.
