Small bathrooms are a design essential, adding versatility and comfort to any home. However, they can be challenging to decorate or optimize. The smaller the bathroom, the less space you have to work with. If you're ready to update your space for better organization and a more welcoming ambiance, then you'll need a few tricks to help maximize every square inch of your small bathroom.
At Edesia Kitchen & Bath, we know what it takes to make a small bathroom both welcoming and functional. Here are some of our best tips to make your bathroom feel larger and offer greater functionality for day-to-day life.
Cool colors tend to feel more spacious than warm colors. While you may love your autumn color palette, small bathrooms look best when painted with soft, minimalist colors like light blue and moss green. These colors convey a sense of space and relaxation without the 'busy' feeling that can close in when used in a small space.
How the door swings can make a big difference for a small bathroom. Common standards say that an interior door should always open inward into the room from the hall. However, if your bathroom is very small and especially if the toilet or sink is too close to the door for comfort, you can re-hang the door with the hinges on the opposite side to open left-handed into the room or even reverse the hinges to open the door into the hallway instead. This can help keep the door swing from encroaching on your limited floor space.
Floating storage options are a great way to optimize the organization in a small bathroom. Hang hand towels, bath robes, and corded tools from hooks on the walls. Store lotions, tooth care supplies, and other essentials on floating shelves. You can even hang shower-style baskets on the walls instead of typical shelves to more neatly contain vertical stacks of organized toiletries in a small space.
Where there is cabinetry and shelving furniture, take it to the ceiling. Vertical storage is a great way to maximize a small bathroom. A tall shelf above the toilet gives you convenient storage for extra toilet paper, feminine supplies, and soap refills. Slender vertical storage can also provide a solution for towel and bathing supplies storage if your small bathroom includes a tub or shower.
The smaller the bathroom, the more important your quality of light becomes. A single shadowy overhead light or overpowering vanity lights may not be the right way to go. Instead, consider options for clear yet ambient light. A vanity with diffuser panels instead of exposed bulbs, for example, can provide higher-quality lighting. You may also prefer overhead canister lights or diffused bar lights instead of a central overhead light.
This will provide clear lighting that chases away shadows and can make a small bathroom feel more spacious.
Mirrors are known to make any space feel larger. In a small bathroom, consider a recessed medicine cabinet with a sliding mirrored door. A recessed medicine cabinet is set into the wall cavity, taking up almost no space in the bathroom itself. This can help enhance the feel of your space by reflecting the room without encroaching on the limited open space in the room.
Lastly, look for matching small to medium-sized containers like jars, trays, and closing boxes to store daily-use supplies. For example, a jar of cotton swabs is more attractive and less cluttering than an open cardboard box of swabs. A refillable hand pump of soap looks simpler than endless disposable refills, and is more eco-friendly. Tuck the refills away under the sink or in closed cabinetry and keep your spaces tidy with elegant container designs.
Here at Edesia, we know bathrooms. If you are planning to breathe new life into a small bathroom design, we can help. Whether your goal is to update ancient plumbing or improve storage designs, our designer-builders can bring your vision of a more spacious-feeling, efficient, and welcoming bathroom to life. Contact us today to learn more.