Description

Most homeowners with small bathroom designsprobably wish they had a more luxurious space but the reality isthat oftentimes it's simply not possible. The key to achieving awell designed small bathroom is to make it feel more spacious. Makesmall bathroom designs seem larger than reality by visually openingup the space.

Here are some small bathroom ideas to consider...

Reduce Clutter: Keep your bathroom organized and remove all theunnecessary items from your small bathroom design. The first stepis to go through all your personal and hygiene items. What isexpired? What have you been keeping just in case? What could bestored elsewhere? Based on your personal needs, determine what muststay in the bathroom for you to remain functional and what's simplyunnecessary. Some bathroom accessories can will create a lot ofclutter and make organization extremely difficult.

Size of Fixtures: Fixtures usually come in standard sizes but ifyou have a sink set in a large vanity unit or a full size bathtub,consider some alternate design solutions. Perhaps instead of thesink and vanity combo, remove the storage unit and replace theexisting sink with a freestanding fixture. This will visually openup the space and is a popular solution being adopted by manyprofessional designers. Another idea when remodeling smallbathrooms is to remove the full size bathtub and replace it with astanding shower enclosure. These small bathroom ideas may not be anoptimal solution if you use the bathtub regularly but in somehouseholds this may be a perfect solution to create more usablespace.

Corner Space: Corner spaces are often not taken advantage of inmost small bathroom designs. These spaces are great for cornervanities and sinks as well as storage units. Keep in mind that ifyou are moving the location of an existing sink, relocating theplumbing can be costly. Consider the pros and cons of this solutionto determine if the final result is worth the cost.

Vertical Space: Take advantage of the vertical space availablein your small bathroom. Instead of a vanity unit considerincorporating a tall storage cabinet. This will give you a lot morestorage by taking up the same amount of floor space. A verticaltowel drying rack is also a great solution. This will give you morespace for your towels without taking up an entire length ofwall.

Avoid Bulky Storage Cabinets: Over sized storage cabinets canadd a lot of visual weight to a small bathroom. If storage space isa necessary element in your room consider built-in units. This canentail full height cabinets as well as open nooks or shelves.Determine where the wall studs lay in your room and you'll find theperfect area (or areas) for adding built-in units.

Lighting: Adding sufficient lighting levels can be a simpleaddition to any small bathroom remodeling project. For generaloverall lighting consider recessed ceiling fixtures. This type offixture is a great way to expand the height of the ceiling. Surfacemounted fixtures as well as hanging pendants can make the ceilinglook lower and the space feel more crowded.

Consider wall sconces or a clean line track light system if youhave a freestanding sink with no vanity. Avoid bulky fixtures thatmight seem too heavy for the small space.

Vanities and storage units can be a great location for accentlights. By keeping the small space well lit, it will automaticallyseem larger.

Another great addition to any small bathroom is natural light.If this is a possibility in your space, add a window orskylight.

Materials & Finishes: To make a bathroom look larger uselighter and more subtle colors when selecting paint, wallpaper, andtile. Wallpaper can add a beautiful touch to a bathroom but avoidusing large, busy patterns. Instead, choose a smaller pattern witha tone on tone color palette. Choose one wall to apply thewallpaper to and paint the remaining walls a similar color.