A beautiful bedroom is nice and all, but a beautiful bedroom WITH an ensuite bathroom? Now that’s something to write home about. It’s the ultimate home flex, a bathroom to call your own, with no one else’s slippery products and damp towels lying around — so give it the attention it deserves, and avoid these common mistakes.
Your own ensuite bathroom should be a sacred space — the first room you enter in the morning, and the last one you’ll leave at night. This is the space that sets the tone for your day, an inherently personal, private space, so it’s all the more important that you get it right. And while it may seem so simple, the experts see the same mistakes crop up over and over again.
Which is why I’ve taken the time to lay them all out, diving into the five issues our experts just can’t seem to get away from, so we know exactly what we have to avoid.
1. Picking the Wrong Tiles
It doesn’t stop once you’ve chosen your tiles, either. Proper installation and sealing are just as important to the success of your bathroom tiling.
(Image credit: Design Hotels)
Your bathroom tiling has the power to set the tone for your entire design — you can make a statement, and go for a full tile drenching moment, or choose something more timeless and subtle, like an understated natural stone finish. There’s so much room to play around and explore with tiling. However, the flip side of this is that there’s plenty of space to get it wrong, too.
More often than not, this comes about as a result of a purely aesthetic-based decision-making process. It’s something we’re all guilty of: you see something on Instagram, instantly fall in love, and commit to it, no matter the complications. And more often than not, the complications will be plentiful, especially when it comes to ensuite bathrooms.
This is something Ca’ Pietra’s head of creative, Grazzie Wilson, has seen too many times to count: “One of the biggest mistakes with ensuite bathrooms is choosing tiles because they look beautiful on a sample board, without thinking enough about how they will work in a smaller room that has to cope with a lot of heavy use and often very little natural light.”
In most cases, an ensuite bathroom will be one of the smallest rooms in the home, and it should be designed with its footprint in mind. The design choices that could look beautiful in a sprawling room simply won’t work in the context of a small bathroom. As Grazzie explains, “In an ensuite, the wrong tile choice can make the room feel busier than it needs to, especially if there are too many grout lines, too much contrast, or a finish that marks easily in a space used every day.”
Much of this will come down to the size of your tile. Opt for a small format, and your space runs the risk of becoming overwhelmed with grout lines. However, Isabel Fernandez from Quorn Stone points out that, although large-format tiles can be beautiful, “in a compact ensuite they need to be chosen carefully,” suggesting “stones with gentle movement or soft veining which help the space feel open rather than boxed in.”
As well as the size of your tiles, Maria D Arraez from Tile of Spain adds that “A common mistake in ensuite bathrooms is choosing tiles that aren’t suitable for the environment. Highly porous materials or overly textured surfaces can become difficult to maintain in a high-moisture setting.”
Before choosing your tile, you’ll want to make sure the material is appropriate for the setting — the wrong material won’t just look bad; it will actually affect the safety of your bathroom, too.
2. Squeezing It All In
“I would always recommend planning the room around movement first, then choosing the products to suit the space, rather than starting with a wish list of pieces. If there is room for a bath, it needs enough space around it to feel comfortable and to be properly maintained; if a shower is the better option, it should be generous where it matters, with controls positioned so you can turn the water on without stepping into the spray, and with screening that protects the rest of the room,” says Keeley.
(Image credit: Juliet Murphy Photography. Design: Chizitera Interiors)
“The mistake I see most often in ensuites is trying to fit in everything, rather than asking what the room can genuinely take without it feeling cramped and too busy,” claims Keeley Sutcliffe, design manager at BC Designs. And if you’ve ever had to design a small space, this is something you’re likely already all too familiar with.
There is always a certain level of restraint needed when working with a limited amount of space, and this is all the more prevalent when it comes to ensuite bathrooms. You’ll have to work against your ‘more is more’ instincts, tapping instead into a more minimalist design approach, stripping back to basics, and avoiding any unnecessary flourishes.
However, this can often be easier said than done. “Because an ensuite is attached to a bedroom, people often want it to feel like a private retreat, but that can lead to baths being squeezed into spaces where there is not enough room to move around them, showers being made too narrow, or sanitaryware sitting too close together,” says Keeley.
The fundamental issue with this is that you are not accepting your space for what it is and are instead trying to manipulate it into what you want it to be. And, as a result, you’ll leave yourself with a space that’s unnecessarily hard to use.
This may mean sacrificing something you had set your heart on, but, in the long run, it will leave you with a better ensuite. As Keeley so aptly puts it, “A well-planned ensuite does not have to do everything a main bathroom does, but it does need to do the essentials beautifully and comfortably.”
3. Underestimating Ventilation
Without proper ventilation, your bathroom is likely to develop some major mold problems.
(Image credit: Jared Kuzia. Design: Moore House Design)
Your modern bathroom could be designed to absolute perfection, but without the proper ventilation, you’ll be running to get out of there.
Of course, bathroom ventilation is essential at the best of times, but when it comes to designing an ensuite, it’s even more important. As Richard Eaton from Tissino explains, “An ensuite sits close to the bedroom, so moisture, steam, and damp towels become more noticeable than they might in a family bathroom, and if extraction is weak or a towel rail has been placed wherever there happened to be a spare bit of wall, the room can quickly feel less fresh than it should.”
But this isn’t just about how your bathroom feels; proper ventilation is also necessary to ensure it functions at its best, too. “It is also about helping the space dry properly, protecting finishes, keeping towels usable, and stopping moisture from lingering around cabinetry, mirrors, and painted surfaces,” says Richard.
And this isn’t something you can leave to the last minute, either; your ventilation should be one of the first elements you consider when planning your design, or else you’ll constantly be searching for ways to remove moisture from your bathroom.
4. Lackluster Lighting Choices
Try to keep the bulk of your lighting at eye-level, for a more flattering, comfortable finish.
(Image credit: Nicole Franzen. Design: Chango & Co)
If there’s one lesson that can transform any room you design, it’s understanding the importance of lighting. And carefully planning bathroom lighting can take any room from meh to amazing — and your ensuite is no different.
Because bathrooms are fundamentally practical spaces, it’s all too common for people to rely solely on practical, task lighting. But to do this is to do your room a major disservice. As Isabel says, “Even the most beautiful tiles can look flat under poor lighting.”
The right lighting can completely shift the energy and atmosphere of a room, bringing a softness and warmth that comforts instead of startles. The main culprit behind this trend of bad bathroom lighting is the prevalence of bright, overhead lights.
Francesca Harris, from Francesca Harris Design, notes, “A lot of ensuites rely purely on spotlights, which can make the space feel quite cold and clinical. I always think bathrooms should feel softer and more atmospheric. The last thing you want just before going to bed is a bright spotlight in your face!”
By now, many of us are well-aware of the instant vibe-killer that is the big light, opting instead for softer, overhead lighting alternatives, and this should be no different in your en-suite.
Westwing Collection
Glass Ceiling Lamp Amora
You don’t need to abandon the idea of an overhead light entirely; you just need to pick your design carefully, and this beautiful glass model is a definite win.
Heal’s
Ebro Alabaster Led Wall Light Brushed Gold Ip44 Round
Alabaster is one of the best materials to use in a spa-inspired bathroom, and this simple design is an easy way to include it.
Pooky Lighting
Rodtastic Ip44 Wall Light in Brass and Frosted Glass
Frosted glass makes for a far more flattering, diffused illumination, making it the perfect choice for bathroom lighting.
5. Putting Form Over Function
“The best approach is to combine design with practicality from the outset. Choosing high-quality brassware, incorporating smart storage, and ensuring the layout works comfortably within the available footprint will create a space that feels both luxurious and functional,” says Jeevan.
(Image credit: GRT Architects)
Last, but certainly not least, the age-old problem of form-over-function, we all know it’s wrong, and yet time and time again, we fall victim to the trap. And while there are always risks with this approach, in your esuite, it can be the beginning of the end.
“One of the biggest mistakes we see in ensuite bathrooms is prioritizing aesthetics over practicality,” shares Culliford’s director, Oli Webb. He continues, explaining, “Homeowners often choose beautiful materials or layouts without fully considering ventilation, water exposure, storage, or long-term maintenance.”
This can be particularly problematic in ensuites, where space is already at a minimum. Without the luxury of space, you have to ensure each and every element is working as hard as possible.
This problem can bleed into every element of your design, too, with Jeevan Seth, CEO of JTP, mentioning, “Features like oversized fittings, insufficient storage, or poorly positioned shower controls can quickly impact usability in a smaller bathroom.”
Practical doesn’t need to mean boring, though; it’s perfectly possible to design a bathroom that is hyper-functional, without scrimping on style — it just requires a little effort, and some stylish small bathroom storage ideas.
Once you know what you have to avoid, you’re free to get stuck into the fun stuff. But, if you’re looking for some more inspiration, this year’s latest bathroom trends are full of design ideas that are anything but boring.
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