6 clever ways to make your small bathroom look bigger
Bathrooms are usually the smallest rooms in the home, and they are frequently placed in areas without much natural light or with limited ceiling height.
If you're stuck with a small bathroom, there are several design tricks to have in your wheelhouse to make your room appear larger – and all of these tips can be used in big bathrooms too, to really make the most of your space.
Much like any other room in your home, light and colour play a huge role in how spacious a bathroom feels, but there are several other vital fixtures – your toilet and sink, shower or bath, mirrors, radiators, and storage – that require a bit more consideration to fit and function correctly.
Read on for six small bathroom ideas to help maximise your space...
If floor space is at a premium, make the most of your vertical space and mount larger fixtures onto your walls. Richard Roberts, director at Sanctuary Bathrooms says: 'Traditionally in bathrooms, a lot of space is taken up by having fixtures and fittings floor-mounted or freestanding. However, many features – from the toilet and basin to accessories like toilet roll holders and toilet brushes – now come in wall-mounted styles.
'Lifting everything off the ground provides extra space and extends your floor outwards, making it look bigger.' If you're working with a truly tiny bathroom, use the extra floor space for storage baskets.
Look at reducing the size of your toilet, bath and basin and opt for more compact versions, specifically those designed to fit smaller bathrooms.
'Cloakroom basins are generally anything less than 700mm in size, compared to standard basins,' says Richard. 'Baths vary in size, with the largest being up to two metres long, but you can get smaller baths if you've got a cramped space. Compact toilets also come in a variety of styles, including wall-hung and back-to-wall, providing flexibility in design and fixing.'
From ceramic tiles to the paint you choose for your bathroom's walls, colour choice makes a big impact on the feel of the space.
Molly Woodward-Moor, interior designer and creative director at Stone Superstore, says: 'Tile ideas centred around a natural colour scheme can be very effective when working with a small bathroom. Colours such as soft green, earthy beige, mineral grey, or sky blue can make your space feel more open.
'Nature-inspired hues are arguably the best tile colour for small bathrooms, as they present a visual reminder of wider, more open outdoor spaces. When thinking about decor choices, don’t forget to consider the fifth wall of your space – the ceiling! Painting your ceiling in the same colour as your wall will help to visually lift the space while creating an embracing, cocooning feel.'
Clutter will make a small room feel even smaller, so give everything – from makeup and cleaning products to towels and spare loo rolls – a home. Use smart storage solutions, like drawer inserts, wall-mounted rails, and shelves that fit over your door. Corral everyday essentials onto trays to keep them tidy, and at your fingertips.
Another favourite storage hack of ours is to use magnetic strips in cupboards to hang tweezers, razors, and other easy-to-lose bits and pieces.
Molly adds: 'To minimise the need for external storage and to keep your bathroom looking tidy, incorporate recessed shelving or niches within tiled walls. These built-in features offer a sleek and streamlined look, ensuring that no space is wasted, making the bathroom appear even more spacious.'
'You will have to weigh up the pros and cons of removing a bath from a personal perspective, as they're great for family households and those with dogs, too. The other consideration is that if you're renovating to sell the home, then a bath is a potential buying benefit,' says Richard.
'If you're looking to have just a shower in your space, consider a walk-in. The fact they are built for easier accessibility makes them advantageous when it comes to extending the room so it looks bigger, compared to a standard shower enclosure, which blocks out an area of the room.'
'Light is important to bring out the best of your bathroom. If you're limited in terms of natural light – or don't have a window at all – then enhance your space by bringing in more lights,' says Richard. 'This doesn’t have to be more wall lights or ceiling lights, but investing in something like an illuminated bathroom mirror or LED bathroom mirror can improve the ambience of the space.'
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