Depending on where you live and when your home was built, you may have a bathroom in your home that feels too small. Maybe you're getting ready for the day and you and your significant other keep bumping elbows, or maybe there is only one sink and you have to schedule your mornings in a way as to where you don't have to be on the bathroom at the same time getting ready. Maybe you just walk in the bathroom and the physical space is sufficient but it just feels small. You're not alone in this thinking.
Far too often, we get phone calls from clients asking us to help them remodel their bathroom to make it bigger. The problem with this is that a majority of the time, there is not a way to actually physically increase the size of the bathroom without impeding on another room in the home or doing some sort of small addition to the home. This really only leaves us with one option, remodeling the bathroom in a way to when you walk in, it appears bigger. It feels like space was added.
In this article we share our top 9 tips to remodeling a small bathroom to make it feel bigger.
Install a pocket door. Many times when we see small bathroom that look even smaller than they actually are, there is the doorway taking up a good chunk of the space in the bathroom. When you open the door it takes up a fair amount of visual space and can make the bathroom feel more cramped. Pocket doors are nice because instead of a door swinging into the bathroom, the door slides in and out of the wall on a track. That way when the door is open, it's hidden in the wall rather than taking up space in your bathroom.
Install a large mirror. Mirrors create this we sir illusion in our brain of making spaces seem bigger. When you walk into the bathroom, having a large vanity mirror on the wall will really create a look and feel of a larger bathroom. It will also help brighten up the bathroom. More light is definitely a win in s bathroom.
Use Horizontal Lines. Horizontal lines can be tricky to incorporate into a bathroom but there are ways it can be done that look clean and sophisticated while also giving the feel of a larger bathroom. Wider, large format tiles in the shower will create a horizontal line pattern. Pair that with a horizontal paint pattern on the wall and flooring the runs away from the doorway can really give your bathroom a deeper and more spacious vibe.
Use Optical Illusions. This one ties into number 3 above. But in addition to horizontal lines, you can use certain patterns of tile, or wood accents, or printed patterns on towels, floor mats, or artwork in the bathroom to create an optical illusion of the bathroom appearing larger. Consider tiles on the floor that are rotated in a way to create the illusion that the room is stretching away from you.
Change the size of your toilet. Nowadays, there are very modern, low profile toilets on the market that have a more narrow tank and bowl that while the physical size isn't that much smaller than a standard toilet, once installed, they will surprisingly add a fair amount of space to the bathroom and make it feel much larger even though you may have only shaved off a small amount of toilet size.
Change to, or away from, pedestal sinks. This one can be tough because it all depends on the layout of your bathroom. Pedestal sinks are a nice low profile option but depending on where they are located, they can add a more bulky look rather than making the bathroom more spacious. Is most cases, pedestal sinks are very clean and simple and take away having a bulky vanity consuming a large amount of space in the bathroom. You do however, lose the storage of having a vanity in your bathroom. So while it can help, it may not work for everyone.
Switch to a glass shower door. Most small bathrooms have a shower with just a shower curtain or maybe you already have a glass shower but the glass is that frosted glass or clouded glass look that adds an element of privacy to the shower. Both shower curtains and fogged glass make the bathroom appear to end there and you lose the look of that extra 30-36" of space depth in the bathroom by having those. Switching to a clear, frameless and clean shower glass will really help open up the space and make the bathroom look bigger.
Ditch the tub. This might not be an option for you because you insist on having a tub and that's okay. But if you're not a big bath person, removing the tub and just having a walk in shower will definitely make the bathroom feel bigger. The reason for this is because the bathtub looks like a big block sitting on the floor. Removing the tub and creating a walk in shower will create added space and open up the floor plan giving you the open look you really want.
Get a bigger window(s). The final option on the list here is to change the window(s) in your bathroom to a larger size. Most small bathrooms we run into have a small square or rectangular window right above the shower or toilet and are usually there for venting. Opening up the size of the window will bring in more natural light, as well as allow more of the outside to be seen giving a look of a larger bathroom. Even though you're not physically owning the space, seeing beyond the bathroom will make the bathroom larger in your minds eye.
While there are other ways that you can make your small bathroom feel bigger, these are the top 9 most common solutions that we have found that won't break the bank and give you the spacious feel you really want. Your bathroom is one of the most important spaces in the home and you deserve to have the bathroom you want.
If you, or someone you know, are looking to remodel your bathroom, you're limited on space and want to make it feel bigger, and you're located in the Northern Nevada, Reno/Sparks/Incline Village area, our team of remodeling experts here at Paramount Craftsman Services are here to help. You can visit our website by clicking here to learn more about remodeling your home and the how we can best help you.