It’s not uncommon for the bathroom to be the last room in the house that you think to decorate. They can be small and often lack light, but Munce Tronsgard has some GREAT tips on how to make even the smallest bathrooms feel bigger and more spacious! Take a look!
Hey guys, Munce here today. I wanted to chat with you about small bathrooms.
If you’re like me and you’ve got a small bathroom, it doesn’t have to feel that way. The key to remember here is that optical illusions are your friend. I’ve got a few tips and tricks to help you create the illusion of a larger bathroom without having to tear down a wall.
PAINT THE WALLS
And speaking of walls, when you paint your walls, choose a light color to make it feel larger. While dark colors can feel cozy and multiple colors can be fun, they both make the room feel even smaller. If the idea of a white room feels too sterile for you, go for a soft light color and add texture and pops of colors with your towels and accessories.
PAINT THE CEILING
And while we’re on the subject of paint, consider painting the walls and the ceiling, the same color to give the illusion of a larger room and use high gloss paint to reflect light and amplify the space.
UTILIZE TILES
If tiles are your thing, be sure to blend the wall and tile colors seamlessly. Another option is to tile from floor to ceiling and open up that horizontal dividing line between the floor and the wall.
LIGHTING IS KEY
Another thing that can help your bathroom is good lighting. That can make the space look and feel larger and open, which is especially important in the small bathroom. It’s key to have multiple lighting sources from different locations. In addition to your one ceiling light consider adding a wall sconce or backlighting to the mirror to amplify light. Multiple lighting sources help dampen shadows and give the room a bright and open feeling. If you can’t add new electrical for lighting, switch out your ceiling light to one with multiple bulbs. So you have light coming from several directions from one fixture.
MIRRORS ARE YOUR FRIEND
Another thing that can help small bathrooms is mirrors. Mirrors can help visually enlarge your space by reflecting light and making it feel more spacious. Splurge for a large mirror or incorporate multiple various mirrors. Be sure to choose mirrors that don’t have a frame as the frame can kind of interrupt the flow of the room. Get creative with this and remember mirrors equal light.
CONSIDER THE SHOWER
Another thing for small bathrooms are showers. It’s perhaps the largest thing in the bathroom. If yours has glass doors opt for clear glass and walk away from the pattern glass, which has the effect of creating an extra wall, dividing your bathroom into sections, and making it look smaller. If you use a shower curtain, place it at ceiling height and draw the eyes up. This gives the illusion of taller ceilings and a larger space.
AMPLIFY THE WINDOW
If you’re lucky enough to have a window in your small bathroom, consider using a sheer window covering to amplify the natural light and just like the shower curtain, raise those sheer panels to the ceiling to give the illusion of a bigger window, thereby making the bathroom feel larger.
REMOVE CLUTTER
And now we’ve all got this, but we don’t want it, clutter. Clutter can wreak havoc on a small bathroom. So consider toning it down. It’s like visual noise. Basically, be thoughtful of and limit your accessories and put items that you use daily, put them away where they belong. For example, all those bottles on the bathroom counter. If you don’t use them, get rid of them, or if you do need them, store them somewhere else out of sight. If there isn’t room for that storage container on the floor, move it to another room and create instant floor space. The fewer items on display in your bathroom, the larger it will look and better it will function. This one is a no-brainer. Removing clutter is completely free and its effects will immediately be felt.
GET CREATIVE WITH STORAGE
However, now you’re saying, “Munce, if I remove the clutter, where do I put it?” This comes to our topic of storage. Where do you store all of this stuff? That’s a good question. Storage is a big issue for small bathrooms, recessed shelving, and small floating shelves are good options that will keep everything you need and use at arms-length. Try to stay as flush with the wall as possible to keep the visual flow going. But if you don’t want your items to go on display, consider a small medicine cabinet, linen closet, or vanity with drawers and doors to keep things tucked away.
CHANGE THE DOOR
And my last few quick tips, think about your bathroom door. When you swing that door open, you lose a ton of space. This can be remedied by installing a sliding barn door or a pocket door. Bam, more space in the bathroom.
HANG ON THE WALLS
To gain more floor space, hang fixtures from the wall – bathroom vanities, cabinets, even the toilet can be attached to the wall rather than the floor. This creates an unbroken line of flooring and makes your bathroom easier to negotiate.
I hope some of these tips help turn your powder rooms, half baths, or just little-tiny-sometimes-windowless bathrooms, into less cramped, more enjoyable situations. Your small bath may just be your next favorite room.
Guiding you home,
