AMLI Residential
Back Arrow
Back to Blog Home
Decorating And Design
Apartment Life

Rental Bathroom Decor Ideas | AMLI Residential

by
Jul 17th, 2020

Bathrooms are not rooms in which we usually go to relax or spend leisure time. However, that doesn't mean that you can’t make it an enjoyable room to be in! Whether you’re decorating a full en-suite bathroom or just a small half-bathroom, it’s always nice to have some fresh looks and stylish decor. 

While you may not be able to do some serious construction and renovation in your rental bathroom, there’s still a lot you can do to turn your regular bathroom into a boho bathroom, rustic bathroom, minimalist bathroom or whatever kind of bathroom you want!

When it comes to decorating apartment bathrooms, there are a few things you should think about before you start buying and shuffling.

A bathroom with a blue accent wall and a patterned shower curtain and granite counters and wood cabinets

Space

You could have all the best intentions and ideas in the world, but if your bathroom doesn’t have space for that multi-tiered storage shelf, then you’re going to have to change your plans. Instead, before you start decorating, evaluate your space and think about how much you can realistically add to the room. 

Storage

Bathroom storage is essential, as bathroom items can quickly become cluttered and messy. It’s always a good idea to go through your bathroom drawers regularly so that you can clear out the products you aren’t using anymore, such as old makeup, empty shampoo bottles, old toothpaste tubes and the like. 

The key to a clean bathroom is to not have a messy counter. If there are toothbrushes, medicine bottles or soap dispensaries everywhere, it will feel like your bathroom is never clean. Store all your odds and ends in organized drawers or shelves so that you never have a messy bathroom again! Keep this all in mind as you evaluate your bathroom’s redecoration potential.

Lighting

How much light does your bathroom get? If you feel like your bathroom is too dark, then keep that in mind when you pick out the colors and decor so that you can add as much light as possible. For example, if you've got a small, windowless, dark bathroom, then maybe look for decor that is brighter and more minimal instead of dark, bulky decor.

Color scheme

This concept goes along with the lighting concept. Pick color schemes that will make your bathroom feel fresh, clean and decluttered, such as white and turquoise, white and blue, light grey and coral or baby blue and tan.  If you’ve got a large, bright bathroom, then you can probably afford to add in a few more plants and patterns than you could in a smaller bathroom.

Now that you know what to look out for, here are some fun apartment bathroom decor ideas that you can implement in your home. 

Apartment bathroom decor ideas

Bathroom wallpaper

One of the best-kept secrets in the rental community is the existence of removable, rental-friendly wallpaper. Removable wallpaper is a peel-and-stick wallpaper that can be used for walls, cupboards, floors and ceilings, so there’s nothing stopping you from having that tropical-style bathroom with leafy wallpaper and Terracotta style floors!

Here’s an example of how you can use removable wallpaper to give your medicine cabinet a makeover, and here’s a link to a wallpaper you can use on the floor or wall! Plus, check out our article on all things removable wallpaper!

Bathroom shower curtain 

A bathroom shower curtain is a big statement, and luckily it’s a very easy bathroom element to personalize! Go for bold colors, colorful patterns, subtle gradients or a solid monochrome that will match your color scheme. If you’ve got brightly-colored or patterned walls or wallpapers, then you may want to go for a more neutral shower curtain so that the colors and patterns don’t clash.

Pro tip: if you have a slide-door, then you could always get a tension shower rod that extends to fit the space above your door. That way, you can turn your shower door into a shower curtain!

View this post on Instagram

Color and texture are a simple way to change up a small bathroom. Adding a emerald green velvet curtain + a rattan garden stool and a unique vase on the countertop makes just enough of a statement in this all white bath. As trends change overtime it can be easily transitioned to creams, whites or pattern. • • • • • • #bathrooms_of_insta #bathroomrenovation #bathroomsofinstagram #bathroomideas #bathroominspiration #whitebathroom #bohobathroom #modernbathroom #brizo #hobbylobbystyle #hobbylobbydecor #guestbathroom #cornerofmyhome #rattandecor #jungalowhome #subwaytile #pennytile #smallbathroomdesign #homedecorinspo #lovehome #homemadewithlove #homedesignideas #bathroomsofinsta #bathroomshot #showerdesign #showercurtain #showercurtains #showers #tileshower #showerinspo

A post shared by Adrienne Elliott | Designer (@adrienneelliott___) on

Bathroom plants

A splash of bright green leaves can make a bathroom look fresh, light and clean, no matter the size! 

The humidity in bathrooms can be great for some tropical plants but maybe not so great for others, so it’s important to know what plants are good for bathrooms and which ones aren’t. Check out this guide for great bathroom plants, and if you’re not too eager on having a live plant, you could always get some stylish fake plants, too! 

View this post on Instagram

Happy Sunday everyone! Sundays are my favorite, what about you?⁣ ⁣ The energy of our neighborhood is always much more relaxed on a Sunday and I love it.⁣ ⁣ I also love our Sunday routine of going for a walk in the park and grabbing to-go brunch from a local spot. ⁣ ⁣ Feng Shui tip:⁣ Adding plants to the bathroom balances the excess water energy of the space.⁣ ⁣ Favorite low-light & high humidity plants for a bathroom:⁣ 🌿 Sansevieria (snake plant)⁣ 🌿 Pothos ⁣ 🌿 Bamboo⁣ ⁣ Do you have plants in your bathroom? ⁣ .⁣ .⁣ .⁣ .⁣ .⁣ 📷: @bettina_brent ⁣#bathroomdesign #bathroomplants #fengshuibathrooms #fengshuitips #fengshuilifestyle #fengshuiconsultant #fengshuiliving #bathtub #bathtubgoals #ashleypeacock #fengshuibathroom #sundayfunday #sundays #selfcaresunday #beautifulbathrooms #bathroominspo #bathroomdesigninspo #bohobathroom #pothosplant #sundaybathtime #bathroomdecor #fengshuidesign #lowlightplants #fengshuiforhome #fengshuiforthebathroom #cozyvibes #highvibehome #holistichomes

A post shared by 𝒜𝓈𝒽𝓁𝑒𝓎 ~ feng shui design 🌿 (@ashleypeacock) on

Bathroom storage

As we’ve said, bathroom storage is super important! It’s pretty easy to do well, though, so don’t feel intimidated. 

First, make sure that your bathroom storage is not see-through. No one should be able to see the cluttered medicine cabinet contents through a plastic shelf, and your jar of hair ties, bobby pins or jewelry can be neatly shoved into a ceramic jug that no one can see through. It’s impossible to have a completely organized bathroom, we know, so that’s why making your containers, jars and baskets appear organized is key! No one will ever know how messy your makeup collection is, and no one ever has to. 

Second, if your storage is also your decoration, then that's a win-win! Get some jars, baskets and shelving that match each other, and you get both efficiency and style all in one. 

View this post on Instagram

This is my first time to share a picture of my master bathroom with you guys! It’s the smallest bathroom ever and it’s very challenging to decorate it and keep it functional at the same time!! But when I received my 3 basket set from @homeplistic ,I was able to hide all the ugly stuff in them as they are so big, and also style my selves with them as they are so cute and aesthetic💚 Check out their website, they have an amazing collection of home decor,Pets stuff and even items for the little ones. And don’t forget to use my code (MARYSPACE15) to get 15% off your order💚 Let me know what’s the first item you’ll put in your shopping cart from @homeplistic ?! . http://liketk.it/2R9xN @liketoknow.it @liketoknow.it.home #liketkit #LTKhome #myneutralcozyhome #smallapartmentdecor #makingmyhaven #beautifuldecorstyles #lifestylesoflivingspaces #lovelydecorhomes #homesohard #decorgalsdoitall #thatdecorsquare #thedelightofdecor #myhyggehome #scrollstoppinghomedecor #homeswithpurpose #realhomesofinsta #mynaturalabode #showusmoredecor #homeplistic #omysa #bathroomdesign #bathroomrefresh #bathroomstorage #bathroomshelf #bathroomshelves

A post shared by Mary | Home Decor & LifeSyle. (@maryscozyspace) on

Bathroom artwork

Artwork belongs everywhere, even in the bathroom! Don’t be afraid to hang up some artwork (make sure it’s okay with your landlord first!) to add some extra style to your bathroom space. Be careful with delicate artwork or paper products, though, as the humidity of the shower may damage the art. It’s probably best to stick with something you can easily replace, or something that is practically indestructible. 

Whatever you decide to do to decorate your apartment bathroom, just remember to have fun and make the space your own! For more ideas and tips on styling up your bathroom, check out our articles on keeping your bathroom organized, easy ways to transform your apartment bathroom and ways to luxe up your bathroom with accessories.

Enjoy!

Pin it!

Author of Article

Colleen Ford is a South African who now lives on Oahu in Hawai'i. She loves to travel, camp, spearfish and hike. She's also part of a super cool canoe club and is pretty decent at it. Colleen enjoys Star Wars and also not being cold ever.

Arrow icon.View All Posts by Colleen Ford
share this post