To several people, the one person that comes to mind when it comes to making a house feel cozy, comfortable, and beautiful is Joanna Gaines. As you probably already know, Joanna has a great sense of design and can turn any room into a stylish haven in any home, but her ideas are especially valuable when it comes to designing small bathrooms. If you want to know how to incorporate a lot of style into a small bathroom space, then consider these tips from Joanna Gaines of Fixer Upper.

Let’s look at those options for small bathroom designs that tastefully borrow a page from Joanna Gaines’ playbook. Want to make your small bathroom work for you? We’ve got some useful and appealing ideas on how to do just that, including shiplap walls, useful hidden storage, and more.

Designs for small bathroom

1. Start with a Neutral Palette

A neutral color scheme is among the most recognizable aspects of Joanna Gaines's design style. The monochromatic color scheme provides a clean and fresh look and generally pale shades like white, cream, gray, or dusty pink; baby blue will give a space a wider look. These colors allow light to reflect off the walls and create the impression that the house is bigger than it is.

Pro Tip:

• White subway tiles should be used for the walls or backsplash for a more traditional appearance in the kitchen.

• Adding black or metallic accessories gives a more cozy, modern farmhouse look and feel.

2. Add Shiplap for Texture

Shiplap is now known to be associated with Joanna Gaines and can give your small bathroom a gorgeous and unique look right away. When you apply shiplap to one wall, the best way I’ve seen it is to apply it to the ceiling, and you make the room appear taller.

How to Use Shiplap Effectively

• Use white or light gray for the shiplap if you are going traditional.

• Place it near your bathtub or shower to provide it with a position that is obvious in the bathroom, and set it behind a vanity or a mirror to make it one of the most striking pieces of furniture.

3. Time to Save Space with Floating Shelves

As with any other bathroom, the small bathroom is also characterized by a storage problem. Open, floating shelves are quite common for Joanna; for instance, she prefers them for their usefulness and beauty. These shelves can be used to store towels, Jars, and other decorative objects without making the area look cluttered.

Ideas for Floating Shelves

• Activate the crunchy presence of reclaimed wood.

• Use woven baskets to hold other accessories in the room, such as toiletries.

• Bring some plants into the picture to breathe life into the photo, and a little sprite to it as well.

4. Choose a Statement Mirror

Choosing the right mirror also becomes a style statement; it can spruce up your bathroom, while the use of a mirror makes your room look bigger since it reflects space. Joanna seems to love huge or framed mirror-frames that you would not normally stumble upon in bathroom designs.

Mirror Styles to Consider

• Round mirrors with brass or black edge for a modern farmhouse look.

• Mirror arch designs make your space feel more luxurious.

• Antique mirrors to enhance the beauty of the place.

5. Incorporate Natural Elements

Joanna adores natural accents, which in the bathroom with such limited square footage is a cute option. Wood, stone, and green elements are used to make the interior warmer and more harmonious.

Tips for Adding Natural Elements:

• Option floating shelves or a wooden vanity.

• Add a touch of green through a small life bron or a bouquet of eucalyptus.

• Use stone or pebble tiles in the shower or on the floor to have a touch of the feel of being at a spa.

6. Go Bold with Floor Tiles

If the walls will remain plain then the floor can be where pattern and character can come into play. ‘To add some drama wherever space is limited, Joanna employs predominantly patterned tiles.’

Pattern Ideas:

• Novel Moroccan-style designs for a bohemian feel.
• Geometry patterns for a twist of the current generation kind.
• checker board tiles for that old fashioned 90’s look.
  

7. Embrace Functional Decor

When designing a small bathroom, even an object that seems unnoticeable must have a function. Joanna believes that most of the time, aesthetics can be combined with the utilitarian elements of the house.

Functional Decor Ideas:

• You can never go wrong with the use of the Ladder shelf to hang towels and store toiletries.
• Place hand soaps in fancy glass containers.
• Put additional spare towels inside a rounded woven basket and place it on the floor.

8. Optimize Lighting

Proper lighting is very important, especially in a small bathroom and here, natural and artificial lighting solutions are also important to Joanna’s designs. More to the functionality, lighting also plays a part in contributing to the mood.

Lighting Tips:

• Light the bathroom properly by installing sconces on both sides of the mirror.
• For a striking look install pendant lights or a small chandelier, preferably above the center table.
• It might help to also consider fitting new windows or even a skylight if one is not available.

9. Use Sliding Doors

In such areas, conventional doors take up a lot of space since they are portrayed as cumbersome structures. Sliding barn doors are frequently used by Joanna to provide the space economy and a touch of country.

Benefits of Sliding Doors:

• They do not swing, to allow a passage way or storage area.
• Swing doors can be configured to complement the general theme of the bathroom.

10. Add a Touch of Luxury

Bathrooms can also be small but they don’t have to be sterile, they can be luxurious too. As for accents, Joanna’s designs usually incorporate minor yet impactful things like luxury lighting or soft furniture fabric.

Luxury Touches:

• Upgrade the regular faucets to the matte black or brushed brass type.
• Make sure you use big fluffy towels in pastel colors.
• Add a little stool or bench to improve its versatility and design at the same time.

11. Keep It Minimalist

Joanna’s designs tend to work with the notion ‘less is more’ and in small bathrooms, this is so convenient. Do not overcrowd the space with as many decorations or furniture as possible.

How to Keep It Minimalist:

• Try to limit the number of decor items to 3-5, those being a mirror, plant, and a towel rack.
• Tuck the clutter in baskets or store it at the back of cabinet shelves.
• Select the fixtures and finishings to be used instead of the number to be bought or installed.
  

12. Personalize the Space

Last but not least includes adding some personal items to the interior of your bathroom to create a unique flavor. Area, completed by Joanna has character, she often uses some kind of sentimental or unique things.

Ideas for Personalization:

• Use it to hang pictures of framed artwork or family members.
• Monogrammed towels should be used to give your guests a feeling of individuality.
• Use items such as a jar or anything that may seem to come from an antique store.

Conclusion

Thanks to Joanna Gaines, homeowners know there are lots of small bathroom design options that make even the smallest room stunning and practical. If you apply her design rules with simplicity and little amounts of color, organic materials and motifs, organization tricks, and a hint of character, you can have a stunning, big and small at the same time, bathroom.

Arranging this particular shoot, I couldn’t help noticing that all of these ideas are perfect when starting from scratch or when giving the interior an updated look. Take on board the idea of a vintage look by Joanna and make up your small bathroom as per your persona and choice.

Well, now that we’ve set your creativity free, it’s time for you to put the design into your ideas!

FAQs

Q1: What is Joanna Gaines’ design style for small bathrooms?

A: Joanna Gaines’ style blends modern farmhouse aesthetics with rustic charm, focusing on neutral color palettes, natural materials, and efficient, stylish storage solutions.

Q2: How can I make my small bathroom feel larger with Joanna Gaines’ approach?

A: Use light colors, oversized mirrors, and open shelving to create the illusion of space. Joanna also recommends vertical storage and glass shower doors to enhance openness.

Q3: What materials does Joanna Gaines use in bathroom designs?

A: Joanna favors shiplap walls, subway tiles, natural wood accents, and matte black hardware for a timeless yet modern farmhouse look.

Q4: How can I incorporate storage into a small bathroom?

A: Use floating shelves, ladder racks, and vintage-inspired cabinets. Joanna often integrates multi-functional decor, like wicker baskets, for both style and practicality.

Q5: What color palette does Joanna Gaines recommend for small bathrooms?

A: Stick to soft neutrals like white, cream, or light gray. Add warmth with natural wood tones and subtle pops of color, such as sage green or navy blue, in accents or textiles.