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A big, spacious, luxurious bathroom is so often a homeowner’s dream. However, it’s far from the reality that most of us live with.
The good news is that you can make your bathroom feel a lot bigger without knocking out the walls or trying to change the laws of physics. All it takes is a bit of careful planning and some well-chosen items that won’t break the bank.
If you want to maximise your bathroom’s potential, look at these great ideas.
- Float Your Storage
Storage in a small space is always a tough nut to crack. You need room to store towels, cleaning products, spare toiletries and more in a bathroom. However, you don’t always have space for a large cupboard or a set of shelves. That’s where floating units come into play.
A set of floating shelves above the bathtub or high above the basin or toilet will give you storage that doesn’t impact movement within the bathroom. A floating vanity for your basin will also give you space for hiding cleaning products without causing overcrowding. The area on show underneath the vanity tricks the eye into thinking that the room is more spacious as it creates a feeling of depth. Plus, there won’t be any ugly bottles of toilet spray or drain cleaner in clear view.
- Go With Glass
Glass plays a major role in making a bathroom feel bigger. Large mirrors are a wonderful way to create a feeling of space. The biggest mirror you can fit above the basin is crucial. This will give the room a beautiful focal point that will reflect the light, making the whole space feel brighter. If you can, fit in another large mirror that isn’t directly opposite the first, as this will add even more brightness to the room. The mirrors will trick the eye into thinking the walls are further apart.
Then, consider swapping out your shower curtain for a glass panel instead. This will prevent those visual breaks we were talking about earlier. If you can make any additional walls of the shower glass too, this is far better than brick. The glass panels allow the eye to see all the way to the end of the room, through the shower, rather than stopping short and making the room smaller.
- Let In The Light
Even if you’ve gone for a dark colour scheme, it’s important to make sure the room has plenty of light. Natural light is the best because it is the most pleasing to the human eye. Think about a skylight or a big window that catches the sun. Then, rather than including a blind or a curtain for modesty, consider using etched or smoky glass you can’t see through. Curtains and blinds can fill up a space and cut out some of the natural light coming in.
When choosing your light fittings, consider using more than one source. Having just one source of light coming from the ceiling will not be enough. Go for multiple fittings or a multi-bulb fitting across the ceiling. Then add a few bright, functional lights around the mirror to help with tasks like shaving and applying makeup.
- Match Your Colour Tones
Whatever colour scheme you choose for your bathroom, keep it in one tonal range. Most often, people will suggest you go for an all-white bathroom because the lighter colour makes the room look bigger. However, an all-dark room can do the same because the eye no longer sees the edges or the corners of the walls.
The trick is to play in one tonal range so that nothing jumps out or brings your attention to a particular wall. Forget about painting a feature wall in a bathroom. Any major visual breaks in the colour and design will emphasise the dimensions of the room. It’s important to keep the lines flowing.
- Emphasise The Lines
On the subject of the lines flowing, it’s a good idea to consider how you can elongate the lines within the room. There are two ways that you can do this.
The first way is to put your primary focus on the longest wall in the room. By making that the focal point of the bathroom, you draw the eye to a big space and let the rest fade into the background.
In narrow rectangular spaces, it can be a bit much to put all the emphasis on the longest wall, as this can make the room feel even narrower. Your second option is to push the walls apart visually by using a tile pattern that creates the feeling of space. Rectangular tiles on the floor that run perpendicular to the longer walls are a good choice and a similar decal on the narrower walls will help too.
If your bathroom has a sloping ceiling, you need to focus onto the highest wall. By drawing attention to that long line, you will give the impression that the ceiling is high across the room.
- Don’t Over Do The Décor
Bathroom décor is an important consideration if you’re trying to make the room feel bigger. The more décor you add, the more crowded the room will feel. Once you have the necessities in place, assess what space you have left.
Open shelves or window sills shouldn’t get covered in pot plants or fussy decorative items. This will create a feeling of clutter and make the room look even smaller. Clean, open spaces with minimal décor is key. One or two plants never go amiss, but more than that detracts from the feeling of space.
A smart idea is to make essentials like your soap dish or dispenser decorative. This will add an extra aesthetic, while still being functional. Decals or statement tiles on the walls also create visual interest in the room without physically encroaching on the space.
So, there you have it. Six easy ways to make your bathroom feel a lot bigger. Small changes make big differences!
