Renovating a small bathroom? Feel cramped and need elbow room but can't expand?
Its quite common. To overcome the common problem, lets cover some uncommon solutions to alleviate the claustrophobia of a small bathroom.
Let's start with the economical approach:
1. Lighting
Whether the daylight shines bright, or you pick out new lighting fixtures, more light will help a small space feel larger. Take a look at what lighting you have now; without adding electrical boxes and running wires, you can upgrade from one or two high hats to much brighter options. Perhaps the bathroom in question has a measly single bulb fixture over a mirror or medicine cabinet? We have a solution. Take a look at Elk Lighting. Elk has quite an extensive product line, feel free to call us if you have any questions! [Toll Free: 855-827-3700]
2. Don't forget paint!
A fresh coat of white ceiling paint will help make any room feel larger and taller. Lighter colors on the walls will also help you feel like the bathroom has more space.
3. Get rid of that Shower Curtain!
Often homeowners choose a curtain because it can be changed out easily to match a decor change, seasons, holidays etc. A clear, frame-less shower door set up eliminates the “wall” that a shower curtain creates and allows light to reflect off of the tile and for a much clearer view of distance of the walls. (Walls seem further = larger space)
Now that we covered the easier options we can take a look at the larger elements of the bathroom.
4. Toilet
Not all are created equal. Most work the same way. The water in the holding tank helps to create the siphon that pulls the water down the to waste pipe.
Now that Mr. Science is done, lets get back to saving space in the bathroom.
A one piece toilet with sleek, uninterrupted curves, will appear to, and likely take up less room. One such example would be Ariel Platinum "Adonis," Sleek One Piece Toilet
5. Ditch the Toilet Rug
Hey, some people like em! If you can't part with the toilet rug, keep this in mind... Fabric can hold and fester bacteria and mold, especially if damp. Toilets are already a "drop zone" for bacteria, why have an unsightly rug available for when someone is off target?? Ascetically, the toilet rug reduces the visible flooring. Uninterrupted flooring will allow your vision to have a larger distance before adjustment = feeling larger! (More tricks in the next paragraph)
Now to the “ Meat an' taters” of a space saving in the small bathroom: Vanities and Sinks!
One method is to have the most amount of flooring visible and not covered.
This picture shows the benefit of the natural light with a large mirror. Great use of a smaller toilet and the vertical tile assists the illusion of height. What about that little sink? That is similar to the Alfi AF-AB108, seen here: Small Wall Mount Sink. What about a hand towel to dry my hands after I wash them? A small towel bar is available for that little floating sink – seen here: Towel Bar
7. Reduce Clutter!
If you have seen those home makeover shows on TV then you probably heard the host say "You have too much stuff!" Treat your walls the same way! To stop the feeling of the walls encroaching into your comfort zone while you brush your teeth, take a look at the walls. Do you have simple decorations? Or an entire collection of miss matched pictures? You decide goes best in your bathroom. TIP! Look at the picture and artwork situation before you paint so you can repair any nail holes from your existing handing items.
8. Eye Sight Tricks
If you have an option to have a rectangular mirror, choose to have it hung vertically. Tall objects (Anything that is taller than wider) will make the area feel higher. In the above picture the designer helped this by setting tile vertically. They compounded the vertical strategy by using the tile floor to ceiling - Awesome Job. Remember, the mirror assists in natural and electric light refraction! In other words, sunlight will more likely bounce around the room with a well placed mirror.
