We all have that one bathroom in our home that feels like the inside of a sardine can when you walk in. It’s hard to believe that any bathroom could ever be that small, but alas, so many homes have this problem.
It’s very hard to see how any change you make in such a small room will improve it and make it seem larger. However, there really are so many ways you can trick the eye into thinking your tiny bathroom is larger than it really is.
We have gathered 10 of the best ways to make your tiny bathroom look bigger, all of which won’t completely break the bank. If you do any, or all of these, pretty soon you’ll enjoy spending time in your small bathroom.
1. Install A Pedestal Sink
One of the largest pieces of “furniture” in a bathroom is the vanity where the sink is usually installed. To save square footage in your small bathroom, completely remove the whole vanity and install a pedestal sink. These types of sinks take up very little room and will drastically increase the square footage in your bathroom and will make your room look much larger.
2. Make Your Shower See-Through
Anything that will break up the eye as you look around your bathroom like a shower curtain or heavy shower door will make the room look much smaller. In order to avoid this, try installing a completely smooth glass shower door so it looks almost as if there’s nothing even there.
If doing so is not in your budget, try putting up a clear shower curtain where people’s eyes will still be able to look through it as if it’s not even there. If you really don’t want to have a clear shower curtain, choose a very light color and leave it as open as possible so it looks like it’s not even there.
(Head over to Better Homes And Gardens for other great home decor and renovation ideas as well as gardening inspiration).
3. Hang Shower Curtains As High As Possible
A wonderful way to trick the eye into thinking your small bathroom is much bigger than it really is is to hang your shower curtain as high as possible. Many people have learned this valuable lesson in their home when it comes to curtains in other rooms. The higher they are hung, the taller and larger the room looks.
The same will go for your shower curtain. If you hang it almost as high as the ceiling it will make a large impact and make the room look so much bigger. You may have to buy an extra long shower liner and shower curtain, but I assure you that the impact will be worth the extra money you have to spend.
(Check out Young House Love for other great home decor ideas, DIY home renovation projects, and so much more).
4. Use The Door For Storage
If you have very little wall space in your bathroom or very little storage, put some storage on the back of the bathroom door. You can install very small shelving where you can store toilet paper, hair accessories and products, cleaning products and more.
You can also install some towel racks on the back of the door to hang extra towels from. This will free up the amount of things you need to store in cabinets and shelving on the walls.
(Head over to Jenna Burger Design for lots of decorating tips and tricks, DIY projects, design inspiration, and more).
5. Light It Up
Try to keep your bathroom as light as possible. If you have windows, don’t put any kind of window treatment on them if you don’t absolutely have to. If you must, use something that is sheer where it will keep your bathroom private, but still allow light to come it.
If you don’t have the luxury of having any windows in your bathroom, keep as much light as possible in it. You can install extra vanity lighting as well as lighting in the ceiling. Try to get light bulbs that are very bright that will really light the room up and keep it light and airy.
(For endless amounts of interior design ideas for your home, head over to Home Bunch).
6. Keep Everything White
When it comes to large furniture pieces or large decorative pieces in your bathroom, try to keep them white. The toilet, sink, shower curtain (unless clear), towels, shower tiles, paint, etc., should all be white. If they are all the same color it will trick the eye into thinking the room is one seamless large room and it won’t be broken up by large pieces in different colors.
One good thing about using white, such as adding a white shower curtain to your bathrooms is that it is easier to see when the shower curtains are dirty. While this may result in a lot of extra cleaning, the advantage is that you will not allow mildew to build up from the endless spray of water. So not only will your room feel bigger but you will not need to invest in a mildew-resistant shower curtain too.
Also, the lighter colors in the bathroom, the better. Lighter colors will do two things: one, they will reflect more light, which will make the room seem larger, and two, they will look smaller when lighter in color. A darker color will look more bulky and large and appear as if it’s taking up more space.
(For endless amounts of interior design ideas for your home, head over to Home Bunch).
7. The More Mirrors, The Better
Most bathrooms have at least one mirror, but if your small bathroom does not have one, install one now! Mirrors are pivotal in making any room appear larger. They will reflect more light which will make the room seem brighter, and thus larger.
Mirrors also trick the eye into thinking that there is more space beyond the mirror. It makes the eye think there there is a window there. If you can hang more than one mirror, then by all means hang more! You can also use mirrored decorative pieces like vases and trays to reflect more light. Like I said, the more mirrors, the better.
(Head over to Better Homes And Gardens for other great home decor and renovation ideas as well as gardening inspiration).
8. Less Is More With Decorations
When it comes to decorating your small bathroom, less is certainly more. You don’t want to clutter the space with lots of decorations. The more clutter there is, the more the room will feel like it is closing in on itself.
Keep decorations at a minimum. You can actually decorate with functional items such as putting cotton swabs and cotton balls in pretty jars and vases or putting hand soap in beautiful containers.
(Check out Curbly, a website completely dedicated to DIY projects to make your home more beautiful).
Source: HomeDepot.com
9. Use a Floating Vanity
Every inch counts in a small bathroom, including the space to squeeze your tootsies under the sink. When you absoultely need the storage that comes with a vanity, thinking floating style. The space underneath gives the feeling of a larger bathroom while providing all the function that comes with enclosed cabinets.
Source: Dwell.com
10. Get rid of small accessories and clutter
Give the appearance of more space by cutting back on small accessories that tend to look more cluttered than design-savvy. Focus on one larger piece of artwork, just the basics on the counters and store the rest away.
Head to Dwell.com for 9 more ideas on creating the minimalist bathroom.
11. Use a Shower Curtain To Make Bathroom Look Bigger
A popular trick is to use a shower curtain to make a bathroom look bigger. When cleverly done, shower curtains for small bathrooms can be hung in such a way that to the viewer, it will look like there is a lot more space behind the curtain than there really is.
There are lots of small bathroom shower curtain ideas that you can employ to make the best out of the small area you have to work with. Look around for Ideas on how to decorate shower doors with curtains and what color shower curtain is good for a small bathroom. The right shower curtain will instantly upgrade your bathroom by giving it an airy feel as if there is enough space to do anything you want.
12. Install Tiles All The Way to the Ceiling
Just like when using shower curtain ideas for a small bathroom, installing tiles throughout the entire bathroom is a way to create the illusion of space. By adding tiles all the way to the ceiling, you will eliminate any horizontal lines on your walls and give the impression that your bathroom ceiling is much higher than it is.
However, tiles represent a more permanent and expensive renovation than simply adding shower curtains. If your bathroom is not part of a much bigger, long-term renovation plan for your house, it’s better to just buy a white shower curtain and leave it at that.
13. Recess Your Shelves Into The Walls
While shower curtains do well to disguise the lack of space in your bathroom recessing your shelves can completely transform the room and create more usable space. If you are going to take this route, make sure your shelves stay true to the color scheme of your bathroom by, for example, using bright colors if the rest of the room is also bright.
Head to Dwell.com for 9 more ideas on creating the minimalist bathroom.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I use a Plain Shower Curtain for my small bathroom?
When considering a shower curtain for a small bathroom, one of the questions you will eventually ask yourself is whether a great shower curtain has to be uniquely designed or even a plain white shower curtain will do?
The answer to that is “The right shower curtain is the one that goes well with the rest of your bathroom accessories, such as your claw foot tub, and makes your bathroom space feel larger and right for you.
Where can I find the best shower curtain ideas for small bathrooms?
There are lots of great ideas on how to install a shower curtain for your small bathroom online. If you visit lifeasmama.com you will be able to see many ideas on how to instantly upgrade your small area using nothing more than a shower curtain.
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