So, you want to know how to make a small bathroom look bigger? This article presents a few useful small bathroom design ideas that will guide you on how to make a small bathroom look bigger.
Most people don’t have the luxury of owning a large bathroom, and they have to think of alternative ways to make them look more spacious. This includes exploring bathroom color schemes, the best paint colors for small bathrooms, small shower designs, and small bathroom flooring ideas.
Luckily, there are tons of tiny bathroom ideas which can add ‘visual size’ to dark and cramped bathrooms, without the need to add square footage. From flooring to small bathroom tile designs, you can take your pick from a range of inspirational ideas.
Let us suggest you some excellent small bathroom ideas, which can turn your small bathroom into a comfortable, fresh, and airy place.
How to make a small bathroom look bigger (quick overview)
- Use light color palettes for the best small bathroom design
- Keep contrasts low in a small bathroom decor
- Work with height to make a small bathroom look bigger
- Get rid of useless items in your small bathroom remodels
- Small bathroom decor tip: De-clutter the floors
- Small bathroom decor ideas: Hang mirrors
- Replace the towel racks
- Small bathrooms ideas: Let light inside
- Think about portable storage in your small bathroom designs
- Small bathroom shower ideas: Keep the shower/bathtub visible
- Keep the countertops clean
- Decorate with photos
Now let’s look at them in detail.
Use light color palettes for the best small bathroom design
When it comes to bathroom looks, color schemes can really make a difference: light tones, such as white, can make your bathroom look larger. The same counts for other bright tones, such as yellow, beige, or cream. Since you’re aware of this fact, take colors seriously; and use light tones as much as possible.
Besides, light doesn’t only apply to walls and tiles, but also to your rugs, furniture, or light bathroom fixtures: in fact, every detail can make the room look larger! Single darker accessories can also look like luxurious additives; which add value and depth to your bathroom.
Do not underestimate the importance of installing fixtures properly. Consult with a local plumber before installing any new ones, as they will have access to all options for you.
Keep contrasts low in a small bathroom decor
When thinking of what color to paint a small bathroom, stick to a limited palette that connects your bathroom as a whole. This way your paint color will unite walls, fittings, floors, and tiles. If you want to make your small bathroom look larger than it actually is, it’s best to work with a single palette of hues and values.
Don’t apply strong contrasts, such as dark ceilings and bright walls; or vice versa. Sharp contrasts should also be avoided on other surfaces, such as counters, trims, tiles, etc. Use this tile calculator to avoid material waste.
You can still use accent colors, applied to small details, such as shelves, light fixtures, or a single low cabinet, to add playfulness to the bathroom.
Work with height to make a small bathroom look bigger
Small rooms generally require designers to work with every aspect of the space. For instance, you can emphasize height, and make the place look larger than it actually is. An excellent idea on how to make a small bathroom look bigger is to apply wallpapers with vertical stripes.
Wallpapers are generally avoided in bathrooms, due to their sensitivity to steam/water damage; and because of piling; and constant need of replacement. However, there are many types of wallpapers, made of special materials that enable them to resist the negative influence of humidity.
Vertical stripes are both stylish and useful: they make ceilings appear higher, and they create a visual impression of more space. Still, applying wallpapers is not always allowed, so before you apply them, make sure your property manager has nothing against it.
Get rid of useless items in your small bathroom remodels
So, you’re starting your bathroom remodel. What to do first? You would be surprised at the number of items in the bathroom that you don’t actually need: Do hairstyling accessories really need to be there?
Will you really use all those extra towels? Your small bathroom is in fact cramped with unnecessary accessories, which need to be removed in order to make the space fresh and airy.
Therefore, get rid of the clutter, and combine items in a way that will enable you to move freely around the room.
Small bathroom decor tip: De-clutter the floors
Instead of using classic contraptions for toiletries and cosmetics, store items in a vertical manner. Floating shelves, for instance, are affordable and they’re an easy way to create a contemporary bathroom design. They can store a lot of your belongings. Keep baskets and bins as small as possible, and make sure there is enough space to move between them. This will expand your floor space.
Summing up, forget about rolling carts, and keep utilities high. These are bathroom tips for keeping your space clutter-free.
Small bathroom decor ideas: Hang mirrors
Why would a single, small mirror above the sink be enough?
For great looking bathrooms, it’s helpful to make use or mirrors. Mirrors are magical tools for creating depth, and they are the most elegant decorations you could apply in a small room.
Hang large mirrors; either against the window in order to reflect light; or opposite each other to obtain the illusion of space.
Large mirrors are practical solutions which give you a clear picture of how you look, but they are also powerful space enlargers. They look particularly nice when applied in small bathrooms with no access to natural light. You could always use Google to explore a range of small bathroom mirror ideas to suit your bathroom shape or size.
Replace the towel racks
When thinking about how to make a small bathroom look bigger, consider keeping your bathroom neat and clutter-free. Even in a long bathroom, it is best to keep your towel rack out of sight.
Even if the most suitable place for towel racks is at your fingertips, placing them next to the shower/bathtub is a design mistake that decreases the apparent size of the bathroom. Instead, you could move them; and place them on the back of your door, so that the bathroom could appear larger than it actually is.
Small bathrooms ideas: Let light inside
The darker a small bathroom is the more cramped and uninviting it will feel.
A bathroom without window light will always appear gloomy without careful thought to artificial lighting. Small bathrooms look best with large and uncovered windows (if privacy is an issue, you can use ‘frosting sprays’); but the lack of such can easily be compensated with freestanding fixtures to drive shadows back.
Bulbs, however, should produce soft light, unlike strong yellow-orange beams suitable for other types of rooms.
Think about portable storage in your small bathroom designs
Portable storage items are indispensable accompaniments of tiny bathrooms.
The small restroom will benefit from a basket filled with magazines or fresh towels. Due to the fact that they are removable and flexible, you can put them wherever you need them; and take them out of the bathroom once the particular activity is done.
The best thing about these items (for instance, woven baskets or storage totes) is that they are stylish and really affordable.
Small bathroom shower ideas: Keep the shower/bathtub visible
When it comes to shower curtains for small bathrooms, use clear fabrics. One of the biggest mistakes of small bathroom owners is the creation of an artificial barrier between their shower/bathtub and the rest of the bathroom.
Its true, showers and tubs occupy most of the available space in small bathroom plans, but the situation won’t get any better if you cover them with opaque curtains. If you really need a water blockade, hang clear curtains; or enclose the shower with transparent glass doors.
Keep the countertops clean
Keep your belongings stored in the right place, instead of ‘forgetting’ them on countertops and similar surfaces. Small rooms are generally intolerant to clutter, and it takes only a few ‘thrown’ items to make them look cramped.
Therefore, make sure every item has its own place, either on the shelves or in the drawers. At the end of the day, emptiness is essential for a room to appear larger.
Create a small modern bathroom: Decorate with photos
OK, this probably sounds odd. But it’s not a joke!
Personalize your small bathroom with a few interesting photos. If placed correctly, ideally with an antique-looking frame, photos can become focal accessories in your small bathroom design.
You can use a collection of your favorite vacation photographs; or a landscape of your dream destination. Even in a tiny bathroom with shower, a personal touch will invoke tones of pleasant feelings while you’re getting ready for a new day.
If you prefer watching a video with tips for small bathrooms, we recommend this one:
Showcase of small bathroom design ideas
We all want large spaces where we can extend and place the things the way we like without taking into account the inches but many of us don’t enjoy these advantages so we have to think through our designs in order to make a small bathroom look bigger.
Having a small bathroom doesn’t mean it should also be crowded. When exploring the best colors for small bathrooms, remember that it is light colors which will make space look bigger.
A brilliant idea if you want a renovation of your small bathroom is to choose a small bathtub or a small bathroom shower. This way you can have a small full bathroom without it appearing cramped.
Keep your small bathroom fixtures in high places on the walls so that you can store your things and avoid getting them wet. .This will make your small bathroom look bigger.
Take a look at this collection of pictures of small bathroom designs and you’ll notice that with some great tricks every space can be aesthetic and will offer the serenity you are looking for.
I hope these tips and images will help you in finding how to make a small bathroom look bigger.
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