There is a long-standing myth in interior design that small spaces must be painted crisp white to feel larger. But if you want to create a space that feels intentional, memorable, and rich with personality, the opposite is often true.

When our clients came to us wanting a dramatic, high-impact update for their compact bathroom, they had two major requests: bring on the bold design, and keep the existing basketweave tile floor and vintage clawfoot tub.

Here is a look inside the design concept we created to prove that small bathrooms don’t have to play it safe.

The “Before”: A Classic Foundation Lacking Personality

The original bathroom had great bones. A timeless black-and-white basketweave tile floor, a classic clawfoot soaking tub, and traditional beadboard wainscoting. However, the washed-out beige walls, basic pedestal sink, and builders-grade mirror left the room feeling cold, outdated, and underutilized.

Instead of tearing everything out, our goal was to design a concept that celebrated the room’s historic charm while infusing it with modern drama.

Design Strategy: How We Transformed a Small Space

1. Drenching the Space in Deep Forest Green

To make a small room feel grander, going dark can actually work magic. We specified a deep, saturated forest green paint for the wainscoting, trim, doors, and window casings. By wrapping the entire lower two-thirds of the room in one continuous rich color, the visual boundaries of the small footprint blur, making the room feel snug, cozy, and expansive all at once.

Using a bold combination, like orange and green gave this bathroom loads of personality. Here are the colors we chose:

2. Statement Wallpaper That Draws the Eye Upward

Above the dark green board-and-batten paneling, we introduced a large-scale botanical wallpaper featuring oversized leaves in deep green, warm terracotta, and ochre. Using a large-scale pattern in a compact space creates an illusion of height, drawing the eye up toward the ceiling rather than focusing on the room’s square footage.

3. Designing Around Legacy Features

• The Basketweave Tile Floor: Rather than removing the original floor, the high-contrast dark green paneling grounds the black-and-white tile, making it look intentionally vintage rather than outdated.
• The Clawfoot Tub: To tie the original tub into the new palette, we specified painting the tub’s exterior in a bold orange, echoing the warm accent notes in the wallpaper.

4. Doubling Functionality with Double Sinks

Replacing a single pedestal sink with a dark double apron-front vanity added major functional value. Topped with a striking gray-veined marble surface and modern chrome faucets, the new vanity delivers much-needed hidden storage and dual-sink capability without overpowering the room’s traffic flow.

To maximize the small space, using two sinks and two mirrors proportional to the space helps keep the zones clear.

3 Tips for Using Bold Colors in a Small Bathroom

If you’re inspired to bring big personality to a small space, keep these design takeaways in mind:

1. Balance Dark Tones with Contrast: Saturated paint colors need bright elements to balance them out. White porcelain sinks, marble countertops, and warm metallic accents prevent dark rooms from feeling dingy.
2. Go Big on Pattern Scale: Don’t be afraid of large wallpaper prints in small rooms. Small patterns can look busy and cluttered, whereas large-scale motifs feel custom and expansive.
3. Paint the Trim to Match: Painting window frames, baseboards, and doors the same shade as your wall paneling creates a cohesive, high-end look that unifies the space.

Ready for Your Own Transformation?

To get started, schedule a design consultation so we can create a plan for your home. Click the link below to book an appointment.

Final Thoughts

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Happy FunCycling Friends,
Sarah ; )

Because home is where peace begins.