How to Make a Small Bathroom Look Bigger: Part 1

Expert Tips to Make a Small Bathroom Look Bigger I Part One

Bigger is not always better. Designing a small bathroom doesn’t make you feel hopeless and trapped. In fact, it’s something you should get excited about! Learning to embrace your petite bathroom and enhance its innate qualities will help make your small bathroom look and feel bigger.

You don’t have to compromise style, luxury, or functionality in a small bathroom. Making a small bathroom feel bigger is all about learning to blend and transition smoothly from one area to another. The last thing that you want to do is to divide a small room until it’s diced like a bowl of carrots. Keep things simple, clean, and elegant. Here are my expert tips to make a small bathroom feel bigger.

8 Tips to Make a Small Bathroom Feel Bigger

1. Glass Shower Doors

Glass shower doors help widen the room by increasing the amount of space that is visible from any given place in the bathroom. Instead of being enclosed and limited to the area surrounding your vanity and/or toilet, the shower is visible from the rest of the bathroom. Get rid of that old shower curtain in lieu of a modern shower door. A recent survey actually showed that glass shower enclosures are one of the most popular Bathroom Trends for 2014. This small renovation tip will help maintain home value in the future!

2. Colors

Choosing the right color palette can have a huge influence on the look and feel of your small bathroom. Use light colors that are not imposing. Light colors will help reflect natural and artificial lighting in the room. This will brighten your small bathroom and remove that claustrophobic feeling of being trapped. You shouldn’t feel cramped in small spaces that use an inviting color palette. Instead, your small bathroom will feel cozy, housing all of the essentials that you need.

Cool colors will make a small bathroom feel bigger and can also brighten the room. Find the right colors and paints for your bathroom here. Also, try painting with similar tones to make the room seem whole instead of segmented an already small space. While I’m not suggesting a monochromatic tone, choosing to accent whites with a cream or beige color is a great way to make a small bathroom feel bigger.

3. Floating Bathroom Vanities

Floating bathroom vanities began to emerge in late 2010. This style features a wall-mounted vanity that is lifted off the ground, giving it the illusion that the vanity is floating. Floating vanities are popular because they don’t take up valuable floor space. These wall-mounted units allow you to see more of the room, instead of being hidden by cabinetry. For more information, this post outlines the style and design of floating vanities.

[READ: 20 Small Bathroom Vanities that are Big on Style]

4. Tile to the Roof

If you’re shower is tiled, you should take the tile all the way to the ceiling to emphasize the verticality of the room. Given that you have limited horizontal leeway, choosing to accentuate vertically will help emphasize another dimension of your bathroom. You can save money on your bathroom renovation by learning how to tile.

5. Mirrors

Mirrors serve 3 purposes; to help you get ready in the morning, reflecting light, and altering perception. Extending your mirror across the entire wall will reflect natural sunlight. Strategically place in locations that will reflect natural light for best results. This will help light dim bathrooms. It can also help cut down on your energy bill because you won’t need to install more lighting for the same effect.

Aside from the lighting factor, mirrors alter your perception and make the room feel bigger. Instead of looking at a wall, you will be able to see a mirrored image on different sides of your bathroom. You can even personalize your guest room by learning how to etch your bathroom mirror.

6. Corner Sink

One of the best ways to make small bathroom look bigger is to use corner sinks. These cute and petite sinks tuck away in the corner allowing you to maximize floor space. They can also force you to organize since there’s no place to leave all of your cosmetics on top of your countertop.  You can also look at corner sink vanities like these.

7. Styling

Style is all up to you and your personality, taste, and preference. You can choose from Mediterranean designs, Zen inspired bathrooms, or European designs. European bathrooms are gaining popularity in the states because they are normally designed for small bathrooms. This style is very forward, clean, and bold. European bathroom design can have a dramatic impact on the look and feel of small bathrooms.

[READ: Brilliant Space Saving Ideas for Small Bathrooms]

8. Don’t Cramp Your Style

Don’t try to overdo your small bathroom by cramming it full with linens, novelty items, and other decorations. Being that you are already working with limited space, you want to maximize what you have and use everything as efficiently as possible. Instead of over-accessorizing, keep it simple, clean, and sharp. This will help emphasize the long lines in your bathroom and make it feel larger than it actually is.

Getting rid of the extra clutter can be a no-expense update for your bathroom. Check out these budget-friendly bathroom tips if you’re looking to invest with some sweat equity. You can also try this DIY Bathroom Corner Shelving Project that will help utilize unused space above your countertop. You can also find some clever ways to make a small bathroom feel bigger by implementing some of these nifty bathroom hacks.

–How to Make a Small Bathroom Look Bigger: Part 2–

More Tips to Make a Small bathroom feel bigger

1. Budget Remodeling for Small Bathrooms
2. How to Design Small Bathrooms
3. How to Make the Most of Small Bathroom Design

About this Post
Cheryl Khan is an interior designer and freelance writer based in San Diego, CA. She is a Notebook fanatic. Having watched it nearly 20 times, she still cries every time! Follow her on Twitter.