Small Bathroom Designs
Just Feel Right

Small bathroom designs can still take on the important role in the home that a larger bath offers. Sometimes much more so, it just might take a little more ingenuity to achieve and still be welcoming.

Banish the thought of “small” and instead think of it as “cozy” and with the following ideas, give it the illusion of a larger space. (If your plan involves more of a complete bathroom makeover, a consult with a bathroom professional first is recommended.)

• It is easy for a bathroom of any size to get cluttered and only makes the room feel smaller and causes unnecessary stress. Simple storage options will help reduce the clutter that tends to accumulate and as a result creates more space.

Plan to add to your small bathroom designs, the amount of storage if you find yours is inadequate especially if the vanity has none.

• Wall space can be utilized for storage and is sometimes overlooked. The wall behind the toilet is a perfect spot for a shelf or cabinet and a unit placed in a corner provides creative storage solutions.
• A cabinet that is only 8" deep can be hung above the vanity or a floating cupboard mounted to the wall won’t take up precious floor space.
• Baskets come in handy for the storage of miscellaneous items, providing “a place for everything.”

The right color for your bathroom can make all the difference in making it appear larger.

• Light natural tones lend an open airy feel to small bathroom designs. Use pale soft shades of grays, tans, or light blues for a warm and inviting atmosphere. The darker tones will only make it appear more closed in.
• But if the pale shades are not your thing go with natural textures keeping patterns to a minimum and use bolder color in the accents.
• Unify the bath by using one color for all trim and select the same hardware throughout. Adding a wall paper border high on the wall near the ceiling will give the illusion of height.

If you are in a position to change the floor, avoid intricate patterns and opt instead for larger simple tiles (rather than smaller) and keep the grout in the same tone as the tile to reduce the color contrast.

Wall and floor tiles that are in an intricate pattern only make the area appear more cluttered.

A soothing bath is nice after a stressful day however they do take up take up a lot of space in a small bath. A stand-alone corner shower, especially one with a curved base, opens up the floor space allowing the illusion of even more space.

But that may not be practical, in which case install a glass shower door that slide. The sliding glass doors don't require door clearance and the clear glass gives an open feeling too.

If installing a glass shower door is out of the questions use sheer shower curtains.

Pedestals sinks are often thought to make a small bath look larger but don't offer much in the way of storage. However, they can be quite successful in the powder room where storage is much less crucial.

If you must use a pedestal sink, include open shelves behind or next to the sink. Cabinets are also available in a depth of 16-18 inches, that is less than the standard 21 inches.

The wash basin can be mounted on the wall and using a small faucet with a single control visually saves space.

• Lighting is a big advantage to making a room appear larger and make small bathroom designs inviting. And if you are lucky enough to have natural light in the bath allow as much of it into the room as possible.
• But you will still need suitable task and general lighting for everyday grooming, such as shaving and applying makeup and with good lighting you will eliminate shadows. Fluorescent lighting isn’t flattering, so try to avoid it.
• Low voltage lights on the vanity toe kick is very dramatic and will serve as a night light and installing a dimmer switch will help to create a relaxed atmosphere.
• Install sconces on the wall next to the mirror.

Replace a door that opens into the room with a pocket door if possible. This reduces the space taken up by a door on normal hinges.

If that is not in the budget, treat the door as more wall space to be utilized for hanging a towel rack or hooks for a robe. But limits the amount of towel bars and racks less it becomes cluttered again.

A large mirror is another option of visually adding more space to small rooms and helps to distribute the lighting. But don’t use more than one, other wise it will just confuse the eye. And never put them on opposite walls. I made that mistake and now I see multiple images of myself for all infinity.

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