The Best Wall Molding & Paneling Ideas for a Small Bathroom

While many curse their small bathroom or dark powder room for its lack of size, function, and storage, they might be missing out on a great opportunity. Why? Well, other than between the sheets (wink wink), small bathrooms are the best places to have a little fun in your home.

Sure, paint color is the most affordable way to update or add personality to a small bathroom, but that’s not what we’re chatting about. Today’s blog post is about adding moldings and woodwork to your bathroom using shiplap, board-and-batten, wainscoting, or beadboard.

Completely updated with new content and images in 2026

Let’s explore a few reasons why small bathrooms are the bomb…

1. SMALL BATHROOMS OFFER MORE BANG FOR BUCK

This could also be said about the ‘in between the sheets’ comment.

Bathroom remodels can be EXPENSIVE, but small bathrooms are more manageable just because of their size! This makes it more affordable to add fun elements like accent tile or special wall moldings.

2. SMALL BATHROOMS ARE EASIER TO CHANGE

It’s easier to justify changing a small bathroom or powder room every few years, as the cost and effort are greatly reduced given its minimal square footage. Paint your wall moldings, switch them up, add wallpaper – have fun!

It also means that you can step out of your comfort zone and make BRAVE choices!

3. SMALL BATHROOMS CAN OFFER MORE IMPACT

Whether it’s a gorgeous paint color or adding wallpaper alongside your moldings, condensing it in a small space can be a great way to inject instant personality into a small room.

The main types of moldings and paneling we’re chatting about today are…

• Wainscoting: Is the most classic, traditional approach
• Board and batten: Popular for a modern farmhouse look, but shows up in country, coastal, and more.
• Beadboard: Offers a slightly country, homey, or vintage look
• Shiplap: Can be modern farmhouse, transitional, or heritage-looking – it covers a lot of ground, depending on the surrounding finishes.

Before we get started…

99.5% of the images on my blog are from clients, readers, followers, and friends (and my own files). I don’t always have the EXACT image I need. In this case, you’ll see a bigger bathroom. 

If you use any of these ideas and inspirations to update your bathroom, please send photos! 

1. SHIPLAP IN A SMALL BATHROOM

Shiplap is classic and well-suited to a modern farmhouse style bathroom, but it also works in country, transitional, coastal, vintage, and other styles.

This first bathroom is my favorite. It has Sherwin Williams Network Gray on the shiplap and Benjamin Moore White Dove (25% lighter) on the walls, ceilings, and trims (it’s in the same home as the above green shiplap bathroom).

Here’s another beauty with Sherwin Williams Pure White and Light French Gray…

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The shiplap in this next small bathroom is only on the toilet/vanity wall. It’s much more affordable than tile and makes for easier wipe-ups than drywall.

Benjamin Moore Super White

This bathroom is going to look dated pretty dang quick. In this case, the homeowner might make some tweaks…

• Change all of the metal finishes to chrome
• Take the shelf off the wall, add art instead
• Choose a different light fixture, as that one’s too Modern Farmhouse (2020)
• Change the mirror shape (maybe) and metal finish (yes)

SHOULD YOU PUT SHIPLAP ON ALL THE WALLS, TOP TO BOTTOM?

It depends. If your home’s roots genuinely suit shiplap, fill your little boots. However, the average home could eventually look outdated with this application. Instead…

• Put it on a single accent wall, top to bottom. This is much easier to change down the road vs. all the walls.
• Install it on the lower half of the walls and paint the top half.

This bathroom (below) sure as heck ain’t small, but you get the idea…

Sherwin Williams Evergreen Fog Paint Color Review

That said, if you love shiplap and don’t plan on changing your mind or selling your home, have fun with it…

Of course, there’s authentic shiplap, as shown in this next small powder room—I love the original character it adds without even trying. And clearly, someone’s anticipating a shartstorm (I might get a basket with a lid, just sayin’).

Sherwin Williams Big Chill & Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace 

This next small bathroom is a lot more fun with a gorgeous shade of green on the shiplap half wall…

HOWEVER, because I’m a paint color expert, not a photographer, you can really see the shiplap in the above image. Thank goodness for Dirk…

The color we chose is Sherwin Williams Secret Garden with Benjamin Moore White Dove (25% lighter) on the walls, trims, and ceilings. Even a plain acrylic tub/shower surround can look cute when the surrounding space is well-decorated.

The Best Medium to Dark Green Paint Colors

WOOD (STAINED/GRAY-WASH) SHIPLAP

In this next wee powder room, the shiplap is a beautiful wood with a gray wash. The dark, moody gray paint color – Benjamin Moore Trout Gray –  coordinates with the wood’s gray-purple undertone, tying the palette together in a gorgeous way.

The Best Moody, Dark Paint Colors for a Small Bathroom

2. BEADBOARD IN A SMALL (OR BIG) BATHROOM

I love the look of beadboard, as it can bridge an interesting gap between traditional, vintage, country, and homey. This bathroom (below) looks timeless and well-suited to its beadboard walls…

As for this next bathroom, while I might beef up (or squash up for you vegetarians) the top horizontal molding, it’s easy to see that beadboard suits this room’s intentions…

In fact, for things to flow (obviously, this would have to happen at the beginning), I’d raise the height so that it’s more integrated with the window trim, rather than sitting underneath.

This kid’s bathroom is awesome with its light blue wall paint color and beadboard paneling…

Having a satin-finish molding behind the sink makes things super easy to keep clean and wash compared to bare drywall. Sure, wall tile would be hardier, but it’s not always as homey.

Here’s a timeless little gem with its hexagon marble tile floor, light blue vanity, and classic beadboard…

Affordable Ways to Design With Marble

3. BOARD & BATTEN ON YOUR SMALL BATHROOM’S WALLS

Board and batten is one of the most DIY-friendly molding projects (if I can do it, ANYONE and their dog can).

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Board-and-batten also works well in these next two big bathrooms. A lot of wall space can be boring in a bathroom; adding moldings gives interest without too much muss n’ fuss…

The Best Blue-Green Blend Paint Colors

I love the atypical height of this next board-n’-batten bathroom. It’s covering approximately 2/3 of the wall’s height…

4. WAINSCOTING IN A SMALL (OR BIG) BATHROOM

Wainscoting is definitely the most traditional, classic, and timeless look, so long as it makes sense with the rest of your home.

This bathroom (below) blends a bunch of worlds, including the overall look of beadboard, wainscoting, and board and batten…

Sherwin Williams Gauntlet Gray Paint Color Review

Now, understandably, I don’t always have the EXACT image I need. This means that sometimes I have to show you bigger bathrooms…

The Best Paint Colors to Go With Marble

5. USE WALL TILE INSTEAD OF MOLDING IN A SMALL BATHROOM

Another way to add personality to your small bathroom is to install wall tile (often the same tile that’s in the shower or around the bathtub) to the lower part of your walls…

While they could’ve used white grout to blend in the tile, they chose a light gray-greige to add some personality and interest to their subway tile shower and wall. This shows off the pattern without being too harsh or high-contrast.

The zellige tile in this next bathroom has my heart – TIME FOR TUB, BABY!

My next client wanted to continue their large white hexagon tile behind the freestanding bathtub, and it looks awesome…

Sherwin Williams Pure White Paint Color Review

BOX PANELS, VERTICAL SLATS & MORE

While these next ideas aren’t as common, they show up here and there. This first bathroom has moldings applied floor-to-ceiling…

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In this next bathroom, I might move the existing moldings up a stitch, and add another row under, but it still looks great and adds charm to what would’ve been a dang boring wall…

As for slat walls in bathrooms, you do you, but I’m not a fan. It’s too modern for most bathrooms (like this one below) and is such a huge trend that it’s already going…

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

For random concerns, quandaries, and queries.

HOW HIGH SHOULD WAINSCOTING, BEADBOARD, OR TILE BE ON A BATHROOM WALL?

It depends…

DO YOU HAVE A BACKSPLASH TILE OR COUNTERTOP ON THE WALL? If you’re installing your molding or tile at a standard height, consider the height of any backsplash tile or the countertop curb. Most countersplashes are 4 1/4″ to 6″ high. I would make any molding or tile installations the same height for continuity.

IN GENERAL. If you don’t have any backsplash finish to humor, 40-42″ is standard to clear the back of the toilet. 36″ can look a little short.

IS WALL PANELING BETTER THAN TILE IN A BATHROOM?

Naturally, tile is more bulletproof and washable than any painted finish. However, it can be overkill in many situations.

AROUND A FREESTANDING TUB: Paneling or moldings are a more classic, homey look, whereas tile can appear more modern…sometimes TOO modern. If you’re a messy bather, sure, install tile. If not, consider moldings with a high-quality satin-finish paint. Caulk between the bottom of the molding and the tile.

BEHIND A TOILET: Again, you do you. If you get a lot of moisture around your loo, consider tile. If not, you can do either.

While this certainly works (below), it can look a bit more utilitarian…

BUTTING UP TO A BATHTUB OR SHOWER: If you have a situation where water easily runs from your tub or shower onto the baseboard/wall area, then tile could make more sense. However, if you’re installing shower tile, you can extend it a bit farther to protect this area, then install molding. However, if you have glass or a reasonable amount of tile/space separating your moldings from water, I’d do molding/paneling instead.

SHOULD YOU PAINT YOUR BATHROOM’S MOLDING & TRIM THE SAME AS THE WALLS?

If you want a color-drenched look, a low-contrast space, or to make your small bathroom look bigger, then yes, you could paint your moldings and trim to match the walls. However, setting them apart with different finishes (sheen of paint) is the best approach.

However, a small bathroom can look beautiful with a well-chosen palette, with the molding and trim a different color from the walls.

READ MORE

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