Small Bathroom Flooring Ideas: Maximizing Space

April 28, 2025

When it comes time to redo the floor in your small bathroom, there are a few things to keep in mind. First of all, limit your choices to those that are appropriate for an environment that will, undoubtedly, get wet on occasion. That means steer clear of any flooring types that can experience damage from spills, splashes, and standing water, which can cause them to swell or warp. In your quest for a fabulous new bathroom floor, stick with options that are fully waterproof, such as tile, luxury vinyl, and waterproof laminate options. What else can you do to make your small space feel larger? Keep reading for some tips and tricks.

Light Colored Bathroom Flooring

While dark colors tend to bring a cozy vibe to spaces, it’s extremely true that light colors can open up perspective and make rooms seem larger. When choosing a color for the flooring in your small space, stick with lighter colors. White is nice, but so are off-white, tan, light gray, lighter wood tones, or something white-washed. You can find excellent options in porcelain tile, but also natural stone tiles, luxury vinyl tile (LVT), or luxury vinyl plank (LVP). Make sure to pick up flooring samples of your favorite options at Family Flooring to see how they look in your bathroom before making a final decision.

Using Large Tiles for Bathroom Floors

This tip is strictly for tile. If you find yourself leaning toward the beauty and durability of tile for your small space, do yourself a favor and choose something from either end of the spectrum. By definition, large format tiles can be anything larger than 12” square. If you want to make your space seem larger, opt for something that is at least 12” by 24” or even larger. These tiles reduce the number of grout lines, which create visual “breaks” that are eye-catching. Fewer grout lines make the floor, and the space, look more expansive.

Using Small Tiles for Bathroom Floors

Ironically, the same can be true for small tiles, such as classic penny or hexagonal tiles, or other mosaic tiles. The small tiles blend into one solid floor, which makes the space look larger. If possible, we try to steer clients away from uniform, square tiles in a predictable layout that has grout lines which break up the space. Besides making your small bathroom appear even smaller, grout can appear dull and draw unwanted attention to the maintenance needed. Whatever tile you choose, make sure to seal your grout, if necessary and maintain it by cleaning it regularly.

One more bonus tile tip: Consider using the same tile on the wall and the floor. While you don’t have to tile the entire wall, running the floor tile halfway up the wall creates another illusion of space.

When it’s time to finalize a flooring decision for your small bathroom flooring upgrade, circle back to the helpful design staff at Family Flooring. We can help you finalize your plan and make suggestions about installation. You’ll have your small bathroom looking and feeling spacious in no time!