Bathtub Small Bathroom Ideas That Maximise Space, Style, and Comfort

With smart planning and the right products, you can create a relaxing bathing sanctuary.
Think you can't fit a bathtub in your tiny bathroom? Think again. A relaxing soak in the tub might seem like an impossible dream when you're working with a small bathroom, but with smart planning and the right products, you can create a bathing sanctuary without sacrificing precious floor space.
Interior designer Sarah Chen has learned a thing or two about small bathrooms. Before she transformed her client's cramped 3-square-metre Newtown terrace bathroom, it was a standard white-tiled box with a narrow shower cubicle and barely enough room to turn around. After installing a 1400mm corner bath, a floating timber vanity and retiling the entire space, the bathroom felt 30 per cent bigger – and the clients finally had the relaxing soak they'd been dreaming of. The entire renovation came in just under $12,000. "Small spaces don't have to mean sacrificing the things you love," says Chen. "It's all about smart product selection and thinking beyond the standard rectangular layout."
Here's what you need to know about fitting a bathtub into a small bathroom.

The Best Bathtubs for Small Bathrooms

When it comes to small bathrooms, choosing the right bathtub makes all the difference. Standard rectangular tubs might be the obvious choice, but they are by no means your only option.
Corner bathtubs are a smart choice for small bathrooms. By tucking into the corner of a room, they free up precious floor space without compromising on a luxurious soak. Lots of models include built-in shelving or ledges to hold bath necessities.
Chen, who has worked on dozens of small bathroom renovations, says corner baths are one of the most effective ways to maximise space. "Corner bathtubs work well for small bathrooms as they use a space that is mostly empty," she explains. A standard size corner bath is about 1400mm x 1400mm (that's roughly square-shaped), whereas a regular rectangular bath would measure around 1700mm x 750mm. This means you're actually gaining usable floor space by choosing a corner design.
Japanese soaking tubs are another good option for smaller spaces. These compact tubs are shorter in length – usually between 1200mm to 1400mm (that's about 20-30cm shorter than a standard tub, for reference) – but much deeper than standard bathtubs. When seated, the water comes up to about your ribs, which means you get full-body immersion in a smaller footprint.
If you're working with a tight budget, you can achieve a similar transformation with new tapware, lighting and accessories while retaining the existing bath. A professional clean, regrouting and a lick of paint can take a tired-looking bathroom to good-as-new levels without the outlay of an extensive renovation.

Smart Layout Solutions

Adding a tub to a small bathroom often means rethinking the room's layout. A shower-over-bath is still a very feasible option, particularly if you have children who need to be bathed rather than just showered.
Creating a wet room – where the shower and bath are in the same waterproofed space – works well if you want separate bathing zones. Using glass panels to screen off the shower area helps maintain a sleek, unified look while creating separate bathing zones.
A floating vanity creates the illusion of more space. Mounting the vanity off the ground makes the room feel bigger and makes cleaning easier too. In tiny bathrooms, every square centimetre of floor space is critical.
The results can be dramatic. When Chen renovated her client's Newtown terrace bathroom, the footprint remained the same however the team moved the bath to have it sit against a back wall and installed a floating timber vanity. "The room felt 30 per cent bigger just by doing that, and without touching the floor plan," she says.

Material and Tile Choices

The materials you use can make or break a small bathroom with a tub. Stick to a muted colour palette of whites, warm pale greys or light timber tones to help the space feel open and airy.
Large-format tiles on both walls and floors help create a sense of space. Less grout means fewer visual interruptions, making the room feel larger and easier to clean.
Wall-mounted tapware can help to free up benchtop space, but Chen advises renovators to check in with a plumber before they commit to ensure there is sufficient room inside the wall cavity. "Always verify the specs early in the planning stage," she says. It's worth getting physical samples of your tiles and testing them in situ – matt surfaces and different colours can look completely different in your bathroom's natural light compared to how they appear in a showroom.
Wall-mounted tapware is a practical choice for small bathrooms as it frees up valuable benchtop and bath-edge space. The sleek, minimalist look also helps maintain clean lines in a compact room. 

Lighting and Storage Essentials

Once you've chosen your bath, tiles and tapware, even the most cramped bathroom can become a dreamy retreat.
Good lighting is essential. Task lighting (wall sconces on either side of a mirror) and ambient lighting from recessed ceiling fixtures will help create a warm, open feel, no matter how small.
Storage requires careful planning. To make the most of vertical space, add shelving above the toilet or over unused portions of wall. Glass shelves keep the space feeling airy. Multi-tasking fittings are another smart choice – a mirrored cabinet will give you scope for storage and dispense with the need for an additional mirror. When renovating, built-in wall niches in the shower offer convenient storage space without taking away elbow room. Wall-mounted towel hooks and heated towel rails are great ways to keep towels off tight bench edges.
Even small touches make a difference. In Chen's Newtown terrace bathroom, she added plush white towels, a small potted orchid on the floating vanity and brushed brass accessories to tie the whole look together. "It's those final touches that transform a purely functional bathroom into a space you'll actually want to spend time in," she says.

Staying on Budget

It might seem daunting, but renovating a small bathroom to include a bathtub typically costs between $8,000 to $15,000 if you're not changing the footprint. The good news is you can save money by working with the existing configuration and plumbing, and choosing midrange fixtures, rather than top-of-the-line brands.
Chen's Newtown job came in just shy of $12,000 with the new corner bath, floating vanity and full retiling. "The way we stayed on budget was by not moving the plumbing around and turning it into a cosmetic update rather than a gut renovation," she says.
All in all, with smart planning and the right products, even the smallest bathroom can accommodate the bathtub of your dreams. The key is to think creatively about layout, choose compact fittings that work hard for their space, and remember that sometimes it's the finishing touches – plush towels, considered lighting, a beautiful tap set – that make all the difference. Today's market offers a wide range of bathtubs specifically designed for compact spaces, making it easier than ever to find the perfect fit. Whether you're drawn to corner bathtubs for their space-saving design or prefer the minimalist appeal of small baths, there's a solution that will work for your home. Modern bathtubs come in various styles and price points, ensuring that luxury and relaxation are within reach for every budget.