We would all like to have a spacious bathroom, but that is not always possible, so what are the options?
1. Extend into other existing space such as a closet or utilize space from another room that we feel we can sacrifice.
2. Rearrange the space that we have to make it more functional and feel more spacious.
3. Stick with what we have, and rethink how we use the existing space.
In my case, I utilized the first two of these options. I bought a vintage house with two bathrooms, both small, because I thought it had "possibilities". One bath was tiny, and served only as a powder room. The other was small and narrow, and became one of my worst nightmares.
The solution was to both expand and rearrange. Fortunately I had some space behind this bath that was an extension of the kitchen that did little more than serve as an unsightly catchall.
This bath was not only small, but narrow. The vanity and shower were placed opposite of one another on the longer walls, leaving just enough space to walk between them. My solution after bumping out the wall at the end of the kitchen was to move the shower to the short wall at the end, so that when the vanity was in use there was more than just a narrow walk through. This small addition and different arrangement made all the difference.
Sometimes, moving fixtures even in the same space can bring a much more workable arrangement, just as moving furniture in your living room can make a more pleasing and functional situation. If you have a small bathroom space, and no hope of enlarging it, draw out a floor plan, and try different arrangements to see if you can gain a more functional and pleasing situation by rearranging the fixtures.
If this doesn't work there is plan #3 which is rework what you have.
1. Use light colors and tone on tone to make your bath seem more spacious.
2. Determine what are must haves in your bathroom on a daily basis. Store items that are less frequently used in other space such as a linen closet. Use containers and arrange these items so they can be neatly stored and easily accessed when they are needed.
3. A tub/shower combination can do double duty when space is at a premium.
4. Install sliding glass doors instead of using a shower curtain. This will spread more light and give a more spacious feel. Showers with hinged doors take too much space in a small bath. If you just have to have some added warmth, use a valance above the top of the door. This will be high and draw the eyes up rather than have them dwell on the lack of floor space.
5. Use only a valance over any windows, or something simple like a bamboo shade that requires less visual space.
6. Light colored cabinetry will help just as other light surfaces. Cabinetry, walls, and floors in lighter tones will add visual space.
7. Try to avoid open storage. Shelves and cabinetry that are covered present a more unified space and will help the eye to glide over the room.
8. Avoid small displays of decorative items. A small bath is not the place for that prized collection of fancy little perfume bottles. If you have open shelving, store larger like items on them. For example: Stack rolled same color towels on an open shelf. The eyes will just travel across them and see them as one thing.
9. Use towel rings for hanging towels rather than large towel bars.
10. Expose as few items as possible on your countertop, to give a less cluttered feel in a small bath. Some medicine cabinets are deep enough to house curling irons, blow dryers etc.
And last but not least. Don't hang towels o4A4r robes on the back of the bathroom door. Bulky items that protrude can eat up a lot of visual space.
Here you'll find many more good bathroom remodeling ideas as well as a bathroom remodeling checklist.
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