Living in Arlington means embracing the townhouse lifestyle. This comes along with smaller square footage but never style or function. Your small bathroom does not have to feel small but can feel spacious, efficient, and beautiful when properly designed. You are renovating for enjoyment, resale, or both—either way, square footage matters.
Here are clever and chic bathroom design tips that are expressly designed for small Arlington townhome bathrooms—and how selecting the appropriate bathroom cabinets Arlington, VA can turn the game around.
- Go Vertical with Storage
There's not much floor space in small bathrooms but loads of wasted vertical space. Go beyond the modest medicine cabinet. Add floating shelves above the toilet, wall baskets, or higher-than-standard linen closets that go up to the ceiling.
Locally, homeowners increasingly are choosing custom bathroom cabinets in Arlington, VA, that are inserted into nooks or oblong corners. Custom units may include open shelving, hidden storage, and even laundry hampers within the unit—all with a clean, minimalistic appearance.
- Select the Perfect Vanity
The vanity will be in the centre of a small bathroom, so it must strike that balance between functionality and design. In Arlington townhouses, where bathrooms will be small or are placed in irregular layouts, a pedestal or wall-hung vanity will give the impression of additional space.
Still, require storage? Look into floating vanities with drawers or compact vanities with built-ins. Some of your neighborhood cabinet makers offer space-saving bathroom cabinets in Arlington VA for both traditional and modern homes, so your vanity will fit your space—and your tastes—just right.
- Lighten It Up
Having a light bathroom instantly makes the bathroom itself feel larger. In small bathrooms specifically, light walls, tiles, and cabinetry reflect more of the light and make the space feel light and airy.
Choose pale whites, pale greys, or pale blues. Then, complement that with the careful placement of light: wall sconces next to the mirror, ceiling lighting with dimmers, or even recessed lighting in shower spaces.
Pro tip: mirrors have a double benefit. A large mirror over the vanity, or even a mirrored cabinet, will reflect light around and make the room appear larger.
- Optimize the Shower Space
If your Arlington townhouse has a typical tub-shower combo, look into getting a walk-in shower. Frameless glass shower doors create a more airy look, and shower walls tiled become an upscale design feature when executed well.
Use big-format tiles to minimize grout lines, which make bathrooms with small spaces look cluttered. Shampoos and soaps can be housed in niches constructed inside the shower wall, and they are aesthetically pleasing.
- Make It Cohesive
A small bathroom needs a unifying look. Uncoordinated colours or too much ornate hardware create a sense of chaos. Use one or two coordinating finishes—e.g., brushed nickel and matte black—and apply them to your faucet, cabinet hardware, and towel bars.
It's not about eliminating personality. Add something like an eye-catching patterned tile floor or a floor-stopping light fixture. Just keep it simple elsewhere.
- Install Pocket or Barn Doors
Traditional swinging doors into the bathroom take up precious space. Include a pocket door into the wall or a trendy barn door that slides along the exterior.
This is particularly useful in older Arlington homes, where space is premium because of old-fashioned floor plans.
- Customize Storage to Your Needs
Consider how you utilize your bathroom daily. Do you require makeup drawers? A location for additional towels? A special area for cleaning products?
Bath cabinets in Arlington, VA, may be designed with your daily use in mind. Speak with a local home remodelling contractor or cabinetmaker to design cabinetry with concealed storage drawers, soft-close drawers, and adjustable shelving—all available to your specifications.
- Add Local Professionals Familiar with Arlington Homes
Retrofitting a bathroom in an Arlington townhouse, particularly one of the more old neighbourhoods such as Clarendon, Ballston, or Lyon Village, can be full of specific challenges—plumbing limitations, historic preservation regulations, or quixotic configurations.
That is why it is advantageous to have experts locally who are experienced Arlington, VA, bathroom remodeling Arlington, VA and cabinet professionals. They can save money, time, and stress. They know the local building codes, are able to give high-quality material recommendations, and might even have done similar projects before.
- Add a Personal Touch
Last but not least, even your smallest bathroom should be yours. Install a framed piece of art, a tiny plant, or an aromatherapy candle. Pick towels that complement your colour scheme. These small details can make your Arlington townhome bathroom into luxury, no matter how little square footage it has.
Final Thoughts
With the correct design decisions—from functional layouts and storage solutions to custom Arlington, VA bathroom cabinets—you can have a modern, efficient, and stunning bathroom.
Whether you're getting your townhome ready to sell or remodelling for comfort alone, spending money on a small bathroom remodeling Arlington is one of the smartest things to increase value and enjoyment in your townhome. Struggling to create your ideal Arlington bathroom? Call in a local remodelling specialist like Granite and Marble Express or cabinetmaker who knows how to make the most out of little space.
