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Seven Ways to Make a Small Bathroom Look Bigger

If your house is fairly small, it may be the bathrooms that suffer most when it comes to space. You can't add more windows or remove larger pieces, like the shower, to make the room seem bigger, meaning that there are difficult challenges to giving a small bathroom a larger look. So, how can you trick your mind into seeing a room that feels more spacious? Here are seven bathroom remodeling ways to make your small bathroom look bigger:

Use recessed lighting to make the room brighter.

Lighting is the easiest and least expensive way to quickly make a room look bigger. Even if you already have an overhead light, add more light in dark corners with recessed lighting. By using the recessed lighting, you won't take up precious space or make the room look too busy. You can also use wall sconces to avoid taking up space with a floor lamp or light that sits on the counter.

Save the bold colors for accessories, rather than using it on the walls.

Because the room is smaller, you can't treat it the same way as you would another room. Bathroom traditionally have wallpapered or tiled walls, and some people like to make bold statements with dark colors on the walls. In a small bathroom, though, it makes a room look even smaller if you choose deep, rich colors. Instead, use light and neutral colors, like white, beige, light gray, or light tan. If you want a little more color, go with a pastel version of your favorite color. Don't worry - it doesn't have to be boring. Use bold pops of color in the accessories in your room, like the towels or soap dish.

Use more than one mirror to multiply the space.

Most bathrooms have at least one mirror over the sink, but you don't have to limit yourself to just one mirror. Don't go overboard, but you can use some smaller mirrors, a full-body mirror on the door, or even mirror tiles as accent pieces along a border in order to multiply the space in your small bathroom.

Cut down on the clutter.

Bathrooms automatically start to look smaller if there is a lot of clutter. Although you may not have a lot of room for storage in your bathroom, having a vanity, cabinet, or other piece of furniture for storage can really help you make your bathroom look bigger. If you only have room for open shelves, keep them as organized as possible, and if you can't say goodbye to decorative objects, like plants or candles, chose one big object in the place of several small objects for a more streamlined look.

Trade down in size with your sink and storage.

Yes, having enough storage is crucial, but if you have too much, you may find that your furniture pieces overwhelm the small space. Trade down to smaller pieces. For example, if you have enough storage for your cleaners in another cabinet, switch to pedestal sink instead of one that sits on a cabinet. You can also look for a sink that fits into the corner, which will help the space look even larger.

Replace the heavy shower curtain or opaque door.

A heavy shower curtain or opaque door can cut your small bathroom in half - or worse. Do a test and walk into your bathroom right now. Push back the shower curtain or open the door. See how much bigger the room looks right away? Consider replacing the door or curtain with a clear version to get this look all the time. If you don't want people to be able to see directly into the shower or want more privacy, choose a sheer, translucent door or curtain instead. That way, you still have the privacy you need, but the room will look bigger.

Choose a pocket door or a door hinged to open out.

Lastly, one of the best ways to make your bathroom look bigger is to rework the door. A pocket door is a bit tricky to install, but it can work wonders on the look and feel of your bathroom. If you can't add a pocket door, consider instead re-hinging your door so it swings outwards. This isn't possible with every bathroom - you don't want the door to open dangerously into a hall as someone is walking - but in many houses, you can change the hinges easily, giving you more room overall in the actual bathroom.

If you have a small bathroom, try to think of storage and functionality solutions that move larger pieces into other rooms. For example, you might keep your laundry basket in the laundry room instead of in the bathroom or you might move the vanity into the bedroom. Try to think outside the box if you're dealing with a smaller bathroom so that you can make it look bigger without totally remodeling your house.

Posted by: TrustedPros
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