Key Takeaways:
- Prioritise layout and regulations first
Define your budget, understand HDB guidelines, and plan wet/dry zones before choosing finishes. - Use light, colour and floating fixtures to unlock space
Light palettes, large mirrors, wall-hung toilets and floating vanities make small bathrooms feel larger and more functional. - Invest in healthy, future-ready materials and tech
Moisture-resistant finishes, good ventilation, WELS-rated toilets and smart lighting together create a durable, spa-like atmosphere.
Many HDB flats come with a small bathroom, but that doesn’t mean you have to compromise on comfort or style. With thoughtful interior design, even a compact HDB toilet can feel like a spa-like retreat.
At Lemonfridge Studio, we design bathrooms as personal sanctuaries, aligning every detail with how you live, move and unwind at home.
Step One: Define Budget, Needs and Layout
Before diving into moodboards, start with clear numbers. For most 3-room HDB bathroom makeovers, a ballpark of $5,000 to $10,000 is a practical starting point, depending on hacking, carpentry and sanitary fixtures.
Prioritise what’s essential—safe waterproofing, anti-slip floor finishes, ventilation and plumbing—then layer the “nice to have” items such as a floating vanity or designer tiles. This helps you maintain control over costs as the renovation evolves.
Working Within HDB Bathroom Regulations
Good design respects the rules. HDB and BCA typically require a minimum ceiling height of about 2.4 metres in habitable spaces, which guides how far you can drop false ceilings or add feature bulkheads.
If you box up sewage pipes in your HDB toilet, regulations call for a 600mm by 600mm access opening for future maintenance, and only non-combustible, moisture resistant materials are allowed for any false ceiling in the shower area. Pipes in the bathroom can be concealed, but gas pipes in the kitchen must remain accessible.
Light, Colour and the Illusion of a Bigger Space
For a toilet design HDB owners love, an all-white or pale neutral scheme across bathroom walls, ceiling and tiles reflects more light and creates the illusion of a bigger space. Using white accessories and fittings—a slim toilet bowl, basin and towel rail—also helps the whole space read as one continuous, minimalist volume.
Light and neutral colors like ivory, warm grey and soft beige give a calm backdrop that makes any small bathroom feel fresh, bright and timeless.
White Bathrooms Without Looking Clinical
The all-white bathroom trend remains popular because it delivers clean lines and a fresh, modern feel. To avoid a sterile look, we add character with texture: matte stone-look tiles, ribbed glass or warm wood tones in the vanity.
Layering soft neutrals still keeps the room bright while creating a more inviting atmosphere—especially important in compact HDB toilets where you spend time every day.
Mirrors, Glass and More Light
Large mirror panels are one of the easiest ways to make a small bathroom feel spacious. By bouncing natural light and artificial light around, they deepen sightlines and visually double your space.
Replacing a shower curtain with a clear glass shower stall makes the shower zone visually “disappear”, opening up the room and letting light flow through the entire shower area. Frosted glass can be used where you need more privacy without closing the space off.
For more ideas on reflective surfaces and proportions, have a look at how we treat reflections in our bathroom mirror styling guide.
Planning Wet and Dry Zones
In most HDB bathrooms, limited space means the toilet, basin and shower compete for the same footprint. Carving out a dry zone (for vanity and toilet) and a wet zone (for shower) helps you maintain finishes over time.
A simple L-shaped or straight glass panel keeps spray in the shower area, makes the floor easier to clean and gives you a calmer, functional layout. For resale HDB flats, this is often one of the most impactful installation choices during a renovation.
Space-Saving Fixtures for Small HDB Toilets
Wall-hung pieces are your best friends in hdb toilet design. A wall mounted toilet bowl or compact short-projection toilet bowl frees up floor space, making mopping simpler and reducing visual clutter.
Pair this with a wall-mounted or pedestal basin so the floor continues uninterrupted. A floating vanity with integrated storage keeps daily essentials off the floor while still feeling airy. These design elements make the entire bathroom feel lighter and more spacious.
Choosing Toilets with Smart Water Efficiency
In Singapore, water-efficient toilet models are labelled under PUB’s Water Efficiency Labelling Scheme, and dual-flush systems are recommended to reduce water usage.
Look for toilet bowls with good efficiency ratings and consider smart features like touchless flushing or self-cleaning options. These support a more future-ready house and lower utility bills over time.
Floors, Walls and Moisture-Resistant Materials
Because bathroom surfaces are constantly damp, it’s crucial to choose materials that stand up to humidity. For HDB toilet floors, opt for non-slip, moisture resistant materials such as porcelain tiles with textured finishes.
On the walls, large-format slabs or stone-look tiles reduce grout lines and keep the room feeling calm and modern. In shower zones, we often specify materials that are easy to wipe down so you can maintain a neat look long term.
Patterned Tiles that Add Character
If you love personality, use patterned or hexagonal tiles selectively to create contrast—for example behind the vanity or along a feature wall. This keeps the bathroom visually interesting without overwhelming a small bathroom.
You can explore more combinations and stone looks in our curated bathroom tile inspirations for Singapore homes.
Storage: Wall Shelves, Niches and Built-Ins
Clutter is the enemy of every small bathroom. Built-in niches within the shower keep shampoos tidy, while slim wall shelves above the toilet store daily essentials in baskets or trays.
Wall-mounted vanity cabinets and recessed medicine cabinets offer generous storage without crowding the floor. These fixtures keep your HDB toilet looking calm, minimalist and easy to clean.
For even leaner layouts, some homeowners also reference our minimalist bathroom design ideas to keep the storage language subtle and streamlined.
Hotel Style Bathroom Calm at Home
A hotel style bathroom is all about a spa like retreat—soft lighting, plush towels and thoughtful decor. Think of a spa like atmosphere with warm ambient lighting, subtle fragrance and tactile materials like stone and wood.
In HDB and condo master suites, we often extend this into connected en-suite bathroom concepts that flow seamlessly into the bedroom, creating a complete room for rest and ritual.
Industrial Chic and Japandi Warmth
For bolder homeowners, industrial style bathrooms pair dark metal frames, exposed finishes and concrete-look floor tiles with sleek black fittings. This gives a raw yet curated style that feels distinctly urban and modern.
If you prefer softness, Japandi-inspired hdb bathroom design uses natural materials, simple lines and muted palettes for a sustainable, calming feel—echoing the themes in our Japandi interior projects.
Minimalist and Scandinavian Bathroom Inspiration
A minimalist HDB bathroom focuses on restraint: one hero finish, concealed storage and a single strong mirror line. For whole-home examples, browse our minimalist interior portfolio.
If you love warmth and natural light, Scandinavian-inspired bathrooms combine pale timber, soft textiles and gentle light—similar to the calm schemes in our Scandinavian bathroom case studies and the broader Scandi-style homes we’ve designed.
Smart Lighting and Tech in the Bathroom
In 2025, smart home integration is no longer limited to the living room. Dimmable, app-controlled systems allow you to switch from bright task light to cosy ambient lighting at night; see how we approach this across homes in our overview of intelligent home setups.
Dedicated smart lighting solutions let you tune colour temperature and brightness, while smart switches give you easy control over heaters, fans and shower lighting. And while not in the bathroom itself, smart locks at your entry complete the sense of seamless, secure living.
Ventilation, Natural Light and Healthy Bathrooms
Proper airflow in a humid climate like Singapore is non-negotiable. Where possible, we maximise natural light with windows or borrowed light from adjoining spaces.
When that’s not an option, a good exhaust fan and thoughtful installation details keep humidity in check, protecting finishes and the health of your household. Together with easy-to-clean, moisture resistant materials, this helps maintain the space in the long run.
Marble, Stone and Premium Finishes
For homeowners who crave luxury, veined stone or marble-look slabs instantly elevate the bathroom. Our gallery of marble-focused bathroom transformations shows how to balance opulent patterns with minimalist silhouettes so the room still feels calm, not busy.
Paired with a slim vanity, elegant fittings and possibly a compact full sized bathtub in larger units or condos, the result is a contemporary appearance grounded in timeless materials.
When a Full Sized Bathtub Makes Sense
Not every HDB toilet can fit a full sized bathtub, but in some larger BTO layouts, executive apartments or landed homes, a carefully planned tub can still work. The key is to focus on circulation: enough floor space to step in and out safely, and clear zones for shower and toilet.
Frameless glass around the shower area preserves the sense of openness, while neutral colors and minimalist forms ensure the space doesn’t feel crowded.
From Modern Colonial to Wabi-Sabi Calm
Your bathroom doesn’t exist in isolation—it should echo the rest of your home interior design. If your living areas lean towards elegant, heritage details, we may echo black trims or shaker-style profiles subtly in the vanity, similar to the language in our modern colonial home makeovers.
For clients drawn to imperfection and texture, we sometimes bring in a wabi-sabi sensibility or Muji-inspired calm—limewash-style walls, soft textiles and simple decor that feels quietly grounded.
Bringing It All Together in Your Dream Bathroom
Every successful hdb toilet makeover balances vision with practicality: budget, storage, water efficiency, ventilation and personal style. Choosing the right materials, planning a clear layout and maximising light are what ultimately transform a basic HDB bathroom into a personalised, spa like retreat.
Our modern contemporary design approach ensures that each room feels cohesive with the rest of your house, whether you live in a BTO, resale HDB, condo or landed property.
Why Work with Lemonfridge Studio
As an award-winning studio recognised across Singapore, we combine design thinking with buildability to create spaces that truly reflect who you are.
If you’re ready to transform your HDB toilet or entire bathroom, explore our broader bathroom design solutions and our full suite of bathroom renovation services in Singapore. You can also discover more of our work and philosophy on the main Lemonfridge Studio website. Together, we’ll create a tailored space that feels crafted just for you.
FAQ
How much does it cost to renovate a HDB bathroom?
For most HDB homes in Singapore, a straightforward bathroom or toilet renovation (new tiles, basic carpentry and updated fittings) usually starts from around S$5,000 to S$10,000 per bathroom, depending on size, existing condition and material choices.
Premium finishes, custom carpentry or major layout changes will push the cost higher. At Lemonfridge, we typically walk you through a detailed quotation after understanding your layout, waterproofing needs and design goals so the budget stays realistic.
What is the golden rule for bathroom layouts?
A widely accepted “golden rule” is to plan the layout in clear zones—entry/vanity, toilet, then shower or bath—so movement feels natural and the toilet is not the first thing you see from the door.
Keep comfortable clearances around each fixture, avoid tight pinch points, and always prioritise safety and ventilation. Lemonfridge designers also align the layout with your daily routine so the space feels intuitive to use.
How to hide a toilet in a small bathroom without making it feel cramped?
Use low or half-height walls, a slim partition, or a frosted glass panel to screen the toilet from the door while still letting light pass through. Position the WC behind the door line or around a corner so you see the basin or vanity first. A consistent light colour palette and floor tile running under everything will keep the room feeling open even with these subtle screens.
How to design a low maintenance bathroom?
Choose easy-clean materials like large-format porcelain tiles, quartz or solid-surface tops and simple, flat-front cabinetry to reduce grout lines and dust traps.
Go for wall-hung toilets and vanities so the floor is quick to mop, and avoid overly intricate trims or fittings. Good mechanical ventilation (and a window if possible) is essential to minimise mould. Lemonfridge often pairs these choices with minimalist detailing so your bathroom looks polished with less day-to-day cleaning.
What toilets are in style now?
Current bathroom trends favour wall-hung and rimless toilets, which look sleek and are easier to clean because the cistern and pipework are concealed. Smart toilets and shower toilets with bidet functions, heated seats and self-cleaning features are also increasingly popular, alongside compact, water-efficient models for smaller homes.
When we design for clients, we usually balance these trends with what suits their space, budget and maintenance preferences.
How can I make my downstairs toilet look nice?
Start with fresh paint or light tiles, good lighting and a decent-sized mirror to make the small room feel brighter. Add a slim vanity or wall-mounted basin, a few styled accessories (tray, diffuser, small plant or artwork) and hidden storage so clutter is out of sight. Matching hardware and a quality toilet roll holder or towel hook instantly elevate the feel—small details that Lemonfridge often uses to give powder rooms a “hotel” finish.
