Bathrooms today have evolved beyond serving the fundamental purpose of hygiene. They are now also a retreat from a tiring day to pamper and rejuvenate oneself. However, using a poorly designed small bathroom can be frustrating due to its limited space that lacks both storage options and an inviting environment.
A small bathroom makeover requires clever design ideas that complement style with practicality. Read on to find ten makeovers that can transform your bathroom into a luxurious and functional space at the same time.
1. Cool Colors
Choosing cool and neutral tones for walls, floor tiles, furniture, and accessories can breathe life into a small bathroom with limited natural light. Cool colors like cream, white, and taupe brighten the bathroom by reflecting light and making it appear larger and airy. If white and cream aren’t your thing, try light grey, sage green, pale blue, or, for a more playful look, baby pink. Use the same color on the walls, floor, and ceilings for a spacious feel.
2. Baths
While your small bathroom may not have enough space for a walk-in shower, you can add a shower to your bathtub for a practical combination that suits the whole family. Replacing your tub with an L-shaped or P-shaped bath can provide more area for showering. You can also consider tubs with a built-in caddy for shower products or accessible tubs for safer bathing for people with limited mobility. You can explore various options to find custom-fabricated replacement tubs to best suit the style and layout of your bathroom by searching online for a Replacement Tub Company near me.
3. Space-saving Basins
To utilize otherwise wasted space in a tiny bathroom and keep the bathroom traffic lane disruption-free, choose a basin designed for wall corners. Another option is to choose from a semi-recessed or vessel basin design that can be placed within a vanity or on the countertop. These options add a modern touch to the bathroom and allow usage of the underlying space for storing towels and toiletries. Also, a round sink fit over a rounded-style vanity is one way to keep sharp corners out of a cramped bathroom.
For faucets, a wall-mounted option frees up space in the bathroom by allowing for a narrower sink or vanity. It also frees up countertop space that can either be used for a soap dispenser or be kept clear for a more lavish look.
4. Expanding Floor Space
Choosing a wall-mounted sink or vanity will keep the floor clear, making the space feel more open and clutter-free. Go for a vanity that has storage for toiletries and towels. Floating shelves utilize empty walls for storage and decor without adding to floor clutter. For toilets, short-projection, wall-mounted options are ideal choices for limited-space bathrooms.
5. Utilizing under-sink and over-toilet space
Make use of the space under the sink for storage with style. Install a shelf or organizer for storing miscellaneous bathroom essentials. Get a jute or waterproof storage basket in a complementing print or color that is easy to pull out when needed. With counters next to the toilet, extending the counter slab to the toilet adds extra space to place more items while not affecting the placement of the toilet and keeping a minimalist look intact.
6. Adding Proper Lighting
A bathroom that is already small feels suffocating and dingy when there’s a lack of natural lighting or good artificial lighting. To improve bathroom lighting, add LED fixtures and combine the ambient, task, and accent lights for a balanced and functional lighting scheme. Ambient light will be the bright lights illuminating the entire bathroom space. Add task lighting near the vanity or mirror, giving you good visibility for grooming tasks. Use accent lights in the shower, behind the mirror, or along the crown molding to illuminate the ceiling for ambiance.
7. Adding Reflective Surfaces
Bouncing light around the room through reflective surfaces is a trick frequently used by interior stylists to make small spaces brighter and roomier. They are also a great way to add a touch of elegance to the bathroom. Hang mirrors of various sizes over the basin and around the bathroom to reflect natural and artificial light. Opaque shower curtains restrict light and make the space visually cramped. Replace those with a glass screen to let light through to the bath shower to make your small bathroom appear more spacious. Opting for glossy ceramic tiles instead of matte is also a great way to illuminate compact bathrooms by bouncing around available light.
8. Playing with Your Tiling
Matching the tiling of your floor and walls with the same design can create a seamless look that gives the illusion of spaciousness in a small bathroom by making it hard to differentiate where one element ends and the other begins. This concept can be taken further by using bath panel tiling, where the same design tiles are added to the sides of the bath. More tiling in the bathroom means additional light reflection, adding to the illusion of a bigger space. It’s important to note that a small bathroom can become overwhelming with decorative patterns or accessories. Instead of patterned tiles, mix and match different tile shapes to add flair to the bathroom walls.
9. Building Recessed Shelves
Get recessed shelves mounted or built into the walls, faux walls, corners, or over the door. These will add extra storage without the risk of bumping into the shelves and without them taking up counter or floor space. They can be used to organize toiletries and other bathroom essentials or display decor or planters for a personalized style.
10. Keeping It Simple
It is best to keep the design simple for a small bathroom, especially when the chosen colors are bold. Go for minimal, sleek taps, showerheads, door handles, and radiators that complement the colors without taking up unnecessary space. Again, keep it minimal in terms of decorative items. Choose only one or two from vases, artwork, planters, or candles. To keep walls and shelves free for storage, choose a statement wallpaper over artwork.
Conclusion
To make the most of your small bathroom, remember to treat each element in its makeover as a means to optimize the available storage space or contribute to the illusion of spaciousness. These makeover ideas, from cool colors and sleek fittings to recessed shelves and under-sink storage, offer a blend of style and practicality, turning your bathroom into a space that serves its modern purpose of relaxation just as much as its fundamental functions.
