Most homeowners with small bathroom designs probably wish they had a more luxurious space but the reality is that oftentimes it’s simply not possible.
The key to achieving a well designed small bathroom is to make it feel more spacious. Make small bathroom designs seem larger than reality by visually opening up the space.
Here are some small bathroom ideas to consider…
Reduce Clutter: Keep your bathroom organized and remove all the unnecessary items from your small bathroom design. The first step is to go through all your personal and hygiene items. What is expired? What have you been keeping just in case? What could be stored elsewhere?
Based on your personal needs, determine what must stay in the bathroom for you to remain functional and what’s simply unnecessary. Some bathroom accessories can will create a lot of clutter and make organization extremely difficult.
Size of Fixtures: Fixtures usually come in standard sizes but if you have a sink set in a large vanity unit or a full size bathtub, consider some alternate design solutions. Perhaps instead of the sink and vanity combo, remove the storage unit and replace the existing sink with a freestanding fixture. This will visually open up the space and is a popular solution being adopted by many professional designers.
Another idea when remodeling small bathrooms is to remove the full size bathtub and replace it with a standing shower enclosure. These small bathroom ideas may not be an optimal solution if you use the bathtub regularly but in some households this may be a perfect solution to create more usable space.
Corner Space: Corner spaces are often not taken advantage of in most small bathroom designs. These spaces are great for corner vanities and sinks as well as storage units. Keep in mind that if you are moving the location of an existing sink, relocating the plumbing can be costly. Consider the pros and cons of this solution to determine if the final result is worth the cost.
Vertical Space: Take advantage of the vertical space available in your small bathroom. Instead of a vanity unit consider incorporating a tall storage cabinet. This will give you a lot more storage by taking up the same amount of floor space. A vertical towel drying rack is also a great solution. This will give you more space for your towels without taking up an entire length of wall.
Avoid Bulky Storage Cabinets: Over sized storage cabinets can add a lot of visual weight to a small bathroom. If storage space is a necessary element in your room consider built-in units. This can entail full height cabinets as well as open nooks or shelves. Determine where the wall studs lay in your room and you’ll find the perfect area (or areas) for adding built-in units.
Lighting: Adding sufficient lighting levels can be a simple addition to any small bathroom remodeling project. For general overall lighting consider recessed ceiling fixtures. This type of fixture is a great way to expand the height of the ceiling. Surface mounted fixtures as well as hanging pendants can make the ceiling look lower and the space feel more crowded.
Consider wall sconces or a clean line track light system if you have a freestanding sink with no vanity. Avoid bulky fixtures that might seem too heavy for the small space.
Vanities and storage units can be a great location for accent lights. By keeping the small space well lit, it will automatically seem larger.
Another great addition to any small bathroom is natural light. If this is a possibility in your space, add a window or skylight.
Materials & Finishes: To make a bathroom look larger use lighter and more subtle colors when selecting paint, wallpaper, and tile. Wallpaper can add a beautiful touch to a bathroom but avoid using large, busy patterns. Instead, choose a smaller pattern with a tone on tone color palette. Choose one wall to apply the wallpaper to and paint the remaining walls a similar color.
To heighten the ceiling use a white or off white paint color. If white is not ideal for your design, choose a paint color that is a few shades lighter than the color of the walls.
With all this being said, bold or darker colors can still be used in the color scheme of a small bathroom. Try incorporating the use of darker colors in accents. This could include accent wall tiles, towels, soap dispensers and any other accessories.
There are many different ways to incorporate the use of mirrors into a small area, which is another great way to visually expand small bathroom designs. Depending on the layout of your room consider applying a full height mirror to an entire wall; or bring a tile up the wall approximately 36″ high and apply a mirror from tile to ceiling.
With these small bathroom ideas you can make your bathroom look noticeably larger than it is in reality!
