A small bathroom can, unfortunately, feel like an entirely miserable sort of place. If you haven’t found the right way to make use of what little space you have, it can feel claustrophobic and even dirty, thanks to how close everything feels. But you don’t have to go to the lengths of building an extension to get a bathroom that feels more comfortable. Instead, you can look at how exactly you use the space, how you can free it up, and how you can make it look a lot more accommodating.
Focus on physical comfort
When you’re in any room that’s smaller, there are two ways to think about it. On one hand, it can feel like a little cell that you’re uncomfortable shoved into. Or it can feel like a miniature haven, a nook built just for you. Getting your mind to turn to the latter assumption is all about creating a feeling of comfort in there. For many, that’s all about the sensation of the bathroom. For instance, adding vital touches of tactile comfort such as a snug rug for the floor. But certain materials evoke a much more relaxed experience, as well. Instead of using ceramics or cleanly painted woods, try going for the natural look of a dark woodgrain.
Let the light through
The way you view a space is always going to be controlled, in part, by the kind of lighting in that space. That’s especially true of a bathroom. If the light has little means to run through the bathroom, it creates shadows that lurk in the corners of the shower, and behind the sink. Those shadows make the room look a touch dingier and dirtier even when it’s just been spring cleaned. For that reason, put more thought into the lighting. Inserting task lighting into the roof for different zones can get rid of those shadows more easily. But you should make sure that any natural light that gets in the room has the ability to roam freely. For instance, fitting in decorative glass for shower doors and for the bathroom window affords privacy without having to rely on shower curtains and window treatments that tend to make it harder for the light to get around.
Get it up off the floor
The amount of room you have to actually stand in a bathroom and how much room you have for storage both contribute to the feeling that you have very little space. The solution to both problems is the same. Get it up and make use of your vertical space. Grab a radiator that rises vertically from the floor instead of horizontally along it, and float the vanity and the sink. Not only can this give you a bit more shuffling space through the bathroom. It creates floor space where you can fit in more storage.
Slide, don’t open
This is a simple enough rule. Many might suggest that you should use shower curtains instead of glass doors so that you don’t close off more space every time you have to get in the shower. When you have a shower door that opens out and forces you to contort yourself around it, it’s not just uncomfortable. It feels very poorly designed; like you’re in a room made by amateurs. As we stated above, however, shower curtains aren’t great for letting the light run through a room. Instead, why not have the best of both worlds and fit in sliding glass doors for the shower? It might be a bit costlier, but it brings the benefit of both options with none of the downsides.
Trick the eye
The best way to make a room feel like it has a little more space is by using visuals that trick the eye into thinking that much. Floating things like your radiator and your sink vertically can play a role in the that. But there are some purely decorative aspects that can attain much the same thing. For instance, when you’re choosing tiles for the walls, think about the colours that make the room seem bigger, such as alabaster or hazel. Certain patterns can achieve much the same effect, as well. A large-scale pattern, such as wider vertical stripes, can also have a visually space-warping effect, extending the length of the room to the eye.
When you have a smaller bathroom, your options are immediately limited. So, it’s about using space cleverly to open options back up and find the right way to frame the room so it feels cosy as opposed to claustrophobic.
-Dana
Carry on Beautiful! 