Bathrooms always seem to end up at the bottom of the decorating list.
The living room gets all the attention, the kitchen gets the upgrades… and the bathroom gets the “we’ll get to it eventually” treatment. That was definitely the case with this little ensuite. It’s tiny. Like, one person turns around and the whole room is full tiny. Every update had to make the space feel bigger, brighter, and work a little harder.
Over the last couple of years I added a soft neutral striped wallpaper to help draw your eye upward, swapped the standard shower curtain for actual curtains (with a waterproof liner, of course), painted the vanity, and redid the flooring. I had every intention of replacing the countertop and faucet too… just haven’t gotten around to that yet hah.
My Favourite Small Bathroom Storage Idea
Storage. Tiny bathrooms never seem to have enough of it.
Instead of trying to squeeze in another cabinet, I decided to use the wall space by adding a solid wood floating shelf underneath the mirror that continues over the toilet.
Honestly, I wish I’d done this when I first moved in, what a game changer!
It gave me somewhere to store face cloths, display a few pretty pieces, keep everyday products within reach, and made the whole room feel much more finished.
Why I Love Floating Shelves
Bathrooms are full of hard finishes like mirrors, tile, porcelain, and metal. Adding natural wood floating shelves instantly softens everything and brings some warmth into the room.
I also won’t complain that it distracts your eye from the laminate countertop I never got around to replacing. We’ll call that a happy accident.
I chose a solid wood floating shelf from Shelf Expression, and I love how many wood tones they offer. It made it really easy to find one that worked with the rest of my home plus this natural white oak finish is so beautiful. It’s one of my favourites and they did an amazing job with the stain.
I took a photo of the wall side, so you could see how they create the floating shelf bracket, it’s really neat and innovative. A breeze to install!
Here’s a handy shelf depth guide so you can pick the correct depth needed.
How I Style a Bathroom Shelf
I like my shelves to feel lived in, not overly decorated.
My go-to combination is:
- a candle
- a small vase or greenery
- pretty skincare or perfume
- my favourite jewellery
- a small decorative piece or art (I left that out here, because it’s already busy with the wallpaper print)
My biggest tip? Vary the heights, decorate in groups of three, and leave a little breathing room. Empty space is what makes a shelf feel intentional instead of cluttered.
Sometimes It’s the Little Things
This bathroom still isn’t “finished.” The countertop never got replaced, and the faucet is still on my someday list. But adding one floating shelf completely changed how the room feels.
It gave me more storage, added warmth, and made this tiny ensuite feel much more polished without a full renovation. It would be really easy to do a laminate counter makeover, or cover with contact paper (I did that in this bathroom makeover and it was a really easy quick fix that looked beautiful!)
I can share a full post with the entire makeover if you like! The peel and stick tiles from here were such a game changer and super easy to install too!
Thanks for reading!
x Megan
