25 Bathroom Bench and Stool Ideas for Serene Seated Convenience

The bathroom is perhaps the one room that doesn’t allow you to do very much in terms of furniture. With so much space taken up by the shower, the tub, the vanity, and the toilet, it can be a challenge to figure out how to bring in a little more style, even with the smallest pieces of furniture like shelves and benches — especially if you’re stuck with a really small bathroom! Lucky for you, there are lots of benches and stools out there that are versatile enough to fit any bathroom, small or large. Here are 25 ways to think about using a bench or stool in your own bathroom.

Rustic Significance

There’s nothing quite like an old weathered wooden bench to add some character to almost any bathroom, even if the rest of the room isn’t exactly rustic at all. The State of Things shows a semi-rustic style in this farmhouse bathroom, which obviously works quite well, followed by this more modern and minimalist bathroom featured on Atelierul Decor.

Rustic wooden bench in farmhouse bathroom

Minimalist bathroom with rustic wood bench and stool

If your bathroom space is cramped, a beautiful alternative option is to get a small zen-style rustic stool or bench to place beside the tub, like these examples from The Design Chaser and Decor Pad.

Small rustic zen style stool used for accessories in white bathroom

And hey, who says you can’t put one in the shower? Check out how much this incredibly rustic wood bench from Carla Aston stands out in this modern gray tiled shower!

Rustic wood bench in a modern dark tiled bathroom

By the Window

You’re pretty lucky if you have a large enough window in your bathroom that could use a seating area right beneath it. A bathroom reno featured on Beneath My Heart uses an upholstered loveseat bench with added accent pillows for the window area.

Small loveseat bench with accent pillows near window

How about a built-in? This vanity featured on Home Bunch has a bench area near the window, while this other example (also from Home Bunch) creates a window seat out of a bathroom storage unit. You could also try a bathroom storage unit on a much larger scale with a bench as well, like the third option below from BHG.

Small built-in bench with storage near window

Built-in bathroom window seat with storage

Built-ins are great, but they’re not for everyone. You could try a simple wicker bench with an elegant cushion to place by your bathroom window, like the one below featured on House of Turquoise.

Wicker bench and cushion beneath window in white bathroom

For the Vanity

A vanity bench can always help if you spend a lot of time in the bathroom putting on makeup or doing your hair. Have a look at this incredibly elegant tufted bench from Alice Lane Home that could do the trick!

Tufted bench with lucite legs for bathroom vanity

A more compact option is a simple stool, like this gorgeously elegant selection (again from Home Bunch) that matches the style of this bathroom.

Upholstered vanity stool in elegant bathroom

This vanity from APD Architects actually has its own seated area, with a matching cushioned stool.

Separate makeup vanity area with upholstered stool

Even a regular ottoman can work in a bathroom. This one featured on HGTV has a space against a wall right across from the vanity.

This next very interesting bench featured on BHG stems out from the vanity beside it, where there’s a window. If the size and architecture of your bathroom make it work, then why not?!

Hidden Storage

Benches can be great for increasing storage space, given that you can find options that come with cubbies, shelves, and drawers. Check out this bench from Porch.com that has lots of room for extra towels. Another bench featured again on BHG has a drawer pullout where you can store all your accessories.

Small white bench with upholstered cushion and storage drawer

Built Into the Shower

Everyone knows standing up in the shower is the norm, but if you have a disability, or if you just want to safely be able to wash the soles of your feet, a bench in the shower can really help! Keep that in mind for your next shower remodel. Here’s a beautiful marble bench that extends from the subway tile in this shower, featured on BHG.

Convenient marble bench built into tiled shower wall

You can get really creative with built-in shower benches by using different types and colors of material, like this example of a black tiled shower from Carla Aston.

Gorgeous black tiled shower with built-in bench

Or why not just keep it subtle? Extend the tile to include the bench, like this white and pink bathroom featured on BHG.

White marble tiled walk-in shower with built-in bench

Apartment Therapy shows a really interesting bathroom design where a bench on an outer wall extends right through the glass into the walk-in shower.

Long bench extending into the walk-in shower

Another great and simple example of a shower with a bench (again from Carla Aston) makes use of wood material for both the bench and flooring.

You may not have a ton of room for a full-sized bench, so a corner built-in might work instead. This one featured on Angie’s List looks great in this smaller shower! Another from BHG highlights the top of the bench with white.

Small corner bench in a modern gray walk-in shower

Brought Into the Shower

Your bench doesn’t necessarily have to be built right into your shower. If you have enough room, you can purchase a standalone bench that you can bring right in, and remove whenever you want! Here’s a wooden bench in a large walk-in from HGTV.