Photo of a small contemporary master bathroom in Melbourne with white cabinets, a freestanding tub, a corner shower, a wall-mount toilet, gray tile, porcelain tile, white walls, porcelain floors, engineered quartz benchtops, grey floor, a hinged shower door, white benchtops, a niche and a single vanity.

Clarendon House

Benedict Design

The new secondary bathroom is a very compact and efficient layout that shares the extra space provided by stepping the rear additions to the boundary. Behind the shower is a small shed accessed from the back deck, and the media wall in the living room takes a slice out of the space too. Plentiful light beams down through the Velux and the patterned wall tiles provide a playful backdrop to a simple black, white & timber pallete.

Ferndale Cottage

Kitty Lee Architecture

Design ideas for a small contemporary master bathroom in Sydney with brown cabinets, a drop-in tub, an open shower, a two-piece toilet, white tile, ceramic tile, white walls, limestone floors, a wall-mount sink, concrete benchtops, grey floor, an open shower, grey benchtops, a niche, a single vanity and a floating vanity.

MSN Homes Griffin display home

ProAbode Photography

Inspiration for a small contemporary bathroom in Brisbane with an alcove tub, a corner shower, gray tile, ceramic tile, grey walls, ceramic floors, a vessel sink, grey floor, a hinged shower door, white benchtops, a single vanity and a floating vanity.

Semaphore - FKA The Dog House

Rowlands Architecture Design Studio

Small contemporary master bathroom in Adelaide with blue tile, blue walls and terrazzo floors.

A Suburban Sanctuary

Louise Mackay Interior Design

A serene colour palette with shades of Dulux Bruin Spice and Nood Co peach concrete adds warmth to a south-facing bathroom, complemented by dramatic white floor-to-ceiling shower curtains. Finishes of handmade clay herringbone tiles, raw rendered walls and marbled surfaces adds texture to the bathroom renovation.

Wheelers Hill home

Jasmine McClelland Design

This stunning main bathroom is very inviting.
Photo of a small contemporary bathroom in Melbourne with flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, solid surface benchtops, black benchtops, a single vanity and a floating vanity.

Maroubra 2021

Sartorial Interiors

Inspiration for a small contemporary bathroom in Sydney with flat-panel cabinets, brown cabinets, a wall-mount toilet, blue tile, ceramic tile, blue walls, ceramic floors, a vessel sink, engineered quartz benchtops, grey floor, grey benchtops, a single vanity and a floating vanity.

Fletcher St, Essendon

M.J.Harris Group

Small contemporary 3/4 bathroom in Melbourne with light wood cabinets, pink tile, ceramic tile, wood benchtops, a hinged shower door, a shower seat, a single vanity, a floating vanity, flat-panel cabinets, a curbless shower, white walls, terrazzo floors, a vessel sink, multi-coloured floor and brown benchtops.

Bateau Bay - Bespoke

Novale Bathrooms

Small contemporary 3/4 bathroom in Central Coast with medium wood cabinets, an open shower, a two-piece toilet, green tile, white tile, a vessel sink, an open shower, white benchtops, a niche, a single vanity and a floating vanity.

Rainforest Retreat

Whisker Architecture

Inspiration for a small contemporary 3/4 bathroom in Melbourne with light wood cabinets, an alcove shower, a one-piece toilet, white tile, mosaic tile, green walls, porcelain floors, a wall-mount sink, solid surface benchtops, grey floor, an open shower, white benchtops, a floating vanity and flat-panel cabinets.

Bathroom Renovation, St Kilda

embracingspace

Small contemporary master bathroom in Melbourne with beaded inset cabinets, medium wood cabinets, an open shower, a one-piece toilet, white tile, porcelain tile, white walls, porcelain floors, a vessel sink, solid surface benchtops, white floor, an open shower, white benchtops, a single vanity and a floating vanity.

Colgate Cottage

Annie Bowen Design

The owners love colour and were excited for us to invite fun through colour, pattern and texture across the kitchen cabinets, bathroom tiles and powder room wallpaper.

Gorgeous guest bathroom

Collaroy Kitchen Centre

Inspiration for a small contemporary bathroom in Sydney with flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, an alcove shower, a one-piece toilet, marble, marble floors, a vessel sink, engineered quartz benchtops, grey floor, a hinged shower door, white benchtops, a single vanity and a floating vanity.

St Ive Bathroom & Ensuite NSW 2075

The Renovation Broker

Ian Carlson
Inspiration for a small contemporary master bathroom in Sydney with shaker cabinets, white cabinets, a freestanding tub, a corner shower, a one-piece toilet, white tile, porcelain tile, white walls, porcelain floors, a vessel sink, engineered quartz benchtops, brown floor and a hinged shower door.

Hollycrest

Woodcreek Designs

Rachel Reed Photography
Small contemporary 3/4 bathroom in Los Angeles with shaker cabinets, white cabinets, an alcove shower, a one-piece toilet, blue tile, glass tile, blue walls, porcelain floors, an undermount sink and marble benchtops.

Beautiful Bright Broadway

John Sutton Photography

Inspiration for a small contemporary 3/4 bathroom in San Francisco with open cabinets, white cabinets, an alcove shower, a wall-mount toilet, gray tile, an integrated sink, grey floor, a sliding shower screen, white benchtops, a single vanity and a floating vanity.

Dural | Escape | 4 Bathrooms

Novale Bathrooms

Guest Bathroom
This is an example of a small contemporary 3/4 bathroom in Sydney with flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, an alcove shower, a two-piece toilet, beige tile, beige walls, a vessel sink, beige floor, a hinged shower door, black benchtops, a niche, a single vanity and a floating vanity.

Winnington Road

Ungar Architects

Small contemporary bathroom in London.

Roswell Speak Easy Basement

Haggard Home Cabinetry & Design

Design ideas for a small contemporary 3/4 bathroom in Atlanta with shaker cabinets, dark wood cabinets, an alcove shower, white tile, subway tile, porcelain floors, an undermount sink, marble benchtops, white floor, a hinged shower door, a niche, a single vanity and a freestanding vanity.

Small Contemporary Bathroom Design Ideas

If you’re looking for contemporary bathroom ideas, look no further than Houzz. Our image gallery brings you a large range of photos with inspiration for your viewing pleasure, and not only that - you can also save your ideas in ideabooks and find the professional that has done the job. When planning your bathroom design or update, start by collecting images of designs you like and take it from there. Whether you are designing your bathroom from scratch, redesigning, updating or simply decorating, you’ll be sure to find ideas for every possible scenario. And once you're ready, you can find the architect and/or builder to get the job done. But let’s start with the bathroom design basics.

How to Plan Your Contemporary Bathroom Design

A good bathroom design brings together beauty and functionality. It reflects your personality in its style, colours, fittings and fixtures, but serves your needs to a tee both when you’re getting ready for work in the morning and when you want to wind down in your bathtub after a long day.

1 Collect Bathroom Ideas to Decide on Your Layout

Firstly, consider your space. Is it rectangular or are you working with a long, narrow room? This will determine how many wet walls you can accommodate, and if a bathtub can fit. For example, in a narrow room a freestanding bathtub may not work, and a one-wall layout that lines up shower, toilet and vanity on the same wall will make sense in most cases. (It’s also the most budget-friendly option in terms of plumbing). Maybe separate rooms for toilet and shower make sense? Maybe you want to work with a window above a bathtub or in the shower. You may live in an old house where you can keep some of the original character of the home, or you may be working with a small apartment space. All these considerations are vital in deciding on which layout will work best for you. Have a look at some popular ideas to get started.

2 Consider How You Use Your Bathroom

Once you’ve gathered some inspiration, have a think about who is using the room, and how they will be using it. A single guy needs a lot less storage than a teenage girl, and a family bathroom may need to consider elderly family members. Making your bathroom wheelchair accessible could save you thousands down the line. You may also want to accommodate a washer and dryer in the bathroom, since it’s where clothes are taken off frequently. Also consider safety and cleaning. Ensure no-one will slip and hurt themselves, and consider that many little tiles will make for many little nooks for grime to accumulate, whereas big surfaces like a sink that is integrated with the vanity counter, or a big mirror will make wiping down the surface much easier than having sinks sitting on top or an intricately designed mirror.

3 Your Style Determines The Colours and Fixtures You Choose

When looking at bathroom photos on Houzz, you’ll probably lean towards a certain style pretty soon. Are you into rustic charm, modern beach house style or a mix of styles? This will determine if you opt for whites, greys and blues or if you go for dark cabinets, black floor tiles or bronze fixtures. Specifically, you want to consider:

Tiling

Are you going to tile floors and walls? There’s so many possibilities, from your choice of tile to how they are laid. If you’re budget conscious, you may want to consider a wallpaper or paint for certain areas. A simple grey tile can make room for other elements to shine, while mosaics or a subway tile can make a great feature wall.

Lighting

Lighting doesn’t only look pretty, but can impact your bathroom experience significantly. The mirror is a special area you want to light well, so that you don’t miss any hair when shaving or can apply that perfect line to your eye.

Furniture & Fixtures

Pay attention to how colours of cabinets and floor can impact a room. You may want to consider a wooden floor for something different and pair it with simple white vanity and cabinets, or you may want to go for the steampunk look with bronze tubes and black walls. Consider what type of shower, bathtub (if any), toilet, sink and vanity you want. Maybe you have space for a generous spa with walk-in shower, or maybe you want a freestanding bath to be the feature of the room.