Small Bathroom Design – Styles and Colors

Small bathroom design may seem hopeless, but the right styles and colors can make even a small bathroom look good. The trick is to make the bathroom look larger, lighter, and airier.

Small Bathroom Designs that Enlarge

The following are well known ways of making small bathrooms look larger. You may not use them all, but think through what each might do for your small bathroom design.

* Basic Color: Anything that is light in color looks larger. Anything that is a cool color looks larger. Pale, cool colors reflect light. Look for soft shades of white and off white, as well as pastels to make a small bathroom look larger. If you use wallpaper, choose a light airy shade with a small pattern.

* Camouflage: Adjoining objects of the same color blend into one another. Paint walls, woodwork, trim, cabinets, counters, and doors in the same color to make them appear as one. If that color is near the color of your tub, sink, and toilet, the effect will be even better.

* Raise the roof: Paint the ceiling a lighter tint of the same color to “raise” it. A small bathroom looks larger with a light ceiling. Another way to raise your ceiling is to draw the eye upward with wallpaper border or molding where the wall meets the ceiling.

* Mirrors: As Alice in Wonderland found, a mirror can look like another room. Large mirrors can make your small bathroom seem almost twice the size it is.

* Windows: Bathroom windows let in light, which a small bathroom needs. Keep window treatments minimal. Use mini blinds that can be raised out of sight when not needed. Another privacy option is to cover the lower half of a window with sheer fabric, leaving the top half uncovered.

* Organization: Clutter will make any area look smaller. Whatever your small bathroom style, it will look larger with minimal clutter. Organize things into cupboards, leaving out only what is absolutely necessary or cannot be put away.

* Accessorize boldly: With so many neutral, pale tones, your small bathroom may look boring and bland. When everything else is done, look at your accessories. Add bold touches of color with your toothbrush holders, soap dishes, towels, and other accessories.

Small Bathroom Styles That Enlarge

The style of your small bathroom can also make it look larger. Country and Victorian styles tend to look small and cluttered. Sleek, contemporary lines give a sense of openness and space.

Consider the amount of shining floor space showing. The more you see, the larger your small bathroom will feel. Use a vanity that attaches to the wall to open up floor space. Or purchase a smaller, pedestal type sink. If you have a bathtub that is rarely used, replace it with a sleek, modern shower stall. If the tub is used, consider replacing it with a deeper, sleeker soaking tub.

Recess storage where possible, making cabinets flush with the wall. Small recessed cabinets that are fitted into space between the wall studs can hold many toiletries invisibly.

Tip: Think sleek and contemporary style, pale, cool colors to make a small bathroom look larger.