12 Smart Tips to Make a Small Bathroom Feel Bigger
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Making a small bathroom feel bigger requires a combination of smart design tricks and space-maximizing strategies. Here are some practical tips to create the illusion of more space:
Table of Contents for Small Bathroom Tips
1. Use Light, Neutral Colors
Light Walls and Tiles: Opt for light colors such as whites, soft grays, pastels, or beiges for walls, tiles, and flooring. Light tones reflect more light, making the space feel open and airy.
Monochromatic Scheme: Keep colors consistent throughout. Using a similar palette for the walls, ceiling, and flooring will blur the lines, creating a sense of continuity.
2. Incorporate Mirrors
Large Mirrors: Install a large mirror above the vanity or a full-wall mirror. Mirrors reflect both natural and artificial light, making the room feel more expansive.
Mirrored Cabinets: Consider a mirrored medicine cabinet to combine storage with reflective surfaces that help the space feel bigger
3. Maximize Natural Light
Clear or Frosted Glass Shower Doors: Ditch the shower curtain for a clear or frosted glass shower door, allowing light to flow throughout the space without visual barriers.
Light-Filtering Blinds: Use light-filtering or sheer blinds to maximize natural light while maintaining privacy.
4. Choose Space-Saving Fixtures
Wall-Mounted Sink or Vanity: A wall-mounted vanity, like the Space Saving 12" Deep Vanity shown above, or wall mounted sink saves floor space and creates the illusion of a more open floor plan.
Compact or Corner Toilets: Opt for a smaller toilet like the one above with a sleek, compact design. If possible, a corner toilet can save valuable space.
Floating Shelves: Wall-mounted shelves or floating storage reduce clutter on the floor, making the room feel less cramped.
5. Glass and Reflective Surfaces
Glass Tiles or Glossy Finishes: Using glass tiles or glossy surfaces for walls or the shower surround will reflect light and open up the space.
Glossy Paint or Tiles: Shiny, reflective finishes on walls or cabinetry will help bounce light around the room.
6. Opt for Large Tiles
Larger Tiles: Use large tiles for the floor or walls. Fewer grout lines create a sense of continuity and make the bathroom appear larger. We designed the above bathroom in 2023. Click here to learn about everything we used!
Diagonal Tile Layout: Laying tiles in a diagonal pattern tricks the eye into perceiving the space as larger, one of my favorite small bathroom tips!
7. Go Frameless
Frameless Shower Doors: Frameless glass doors create an uninterrupted view across the room, making it feel more spacious compared to bulky shower frames.
Floating Vanities: Wall-mounted or floating vanities free up floor space, giving the illusion of more room. The vanity featured has been discontinued but here is a similar floating vanity perfect for small bathrooms!
8. Smart Storage Solutions
Recessed Shelving: Recessed shelves or niches in the shower and walls reduce the need for bulky storage and keep essentials neatly tucked away. Use this small bathroom tip as a way to be creative about the location of your niches.
Over-the-Door or Wall-Mounted Storage: Use vertical space by mounting storage solutions on the wall or behind doors.
Towel Hooks Instead of Bars: Hooks take up less wall space than towel bars and can hold more towels in a compact manner.
9. Install a Pocket Door
Replace Traditional Doors: Replace a swinging bathroom door with a pocket or sliding door to save space that would be taken up by the door swing.
10. Strategic Lighting
Layered Lighting: Combine overhead lighting with task lighting around the vanity or mirror. More light sources reduce shadows, making the bathroom feel brighter and more spacious. With LED strip lighting becoming more affordable, this is a very popular small bathroom tip!
Wall-Mounted Sconces: Install sconces around the mirror to create even lighting, which helps the room feel larger and eliminates dark corners.
11. Keep It Minimal
Reduce Clutter: Keep surfaces clean and free of unnecessary items. A clutter-free bathroom always feels more spacious.
Minimalist Design: Choose simple, sleek designs for fixtures, faucets, and accessories to maintain a streamlined look. The plumbing fixtures in this bathroom are by Moen in the Genta collection.
12. Continuity in Materials
Same Flooring Throughout: Use the same flooring material throughout the bathroom, including inside the shower (if possible). This creates a seamless look that makes the room feel less segmented. This is a very common small bathroom design tip because its much simpler to pick one tile out and install it everywhere!
Shower and Floor Tiles Matching: Matching your shower tiles to the floor tiles gives the illusion of continuity and expands the visual space.
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