It might seem that the only way you can obtain the bathroom of your dreams is if you have a lot of space to play with. Certainly, when you open magazines or look for inspiration online, you often find pictures of expansive bathrooms which could fit a small class of schoolchildren. Your reality is usually far smaller and so you have to approach any renovation with that in mind.
Tricks to make your bathroom appear more spacious
Space can be deceptive, especially in bathrooms. There are a few tactics you can use to make your bathroom seem larger than it is. For instance, when you tile an entire bathroom, it can have the visual effect of shrinking it. On the other hand, if you balance tiles with painted plaster on other walls, the bathroom will generally seem lighter. Similarly, making the most of any natural light by opening up the area around the window as much as possible will lead to a brighter sensation and imply a spacious room. Little or no natural light? How about installing an internal window above the door that gathers light from the rest of the house?
Adding bathroom mirrors are another great option for making a bathroom seem lighter, making these a great option particularly in bathrooms where no natural light is available. Similarly, a neutral colour scheme can help in enclosed bathrooms. Keep it light and keep it airy.
Fitting in that comfortable traditional bath
The centrepiece of your new bathroom is likely to be your new bath, and so it’s worth thinking carefully about which style is most comfortable and suits your lifestyle. Just because you only have a limited amount of space, that doesn’t mean you can’t opt for one of the traditional bath options on the market. For instance, slipper tubs have gently sloping inclines at one end and are deeper than you’d generally expect. This means you can fit a traditional bathtub into your home with relatively little space required. However, if you have issues with your back where the slope of one bath is tricky to deal with, you may have to choose from a few slipper bath options of varying depths.
Single-ended baths are an alternative for small spaces, as they’re designed to fit elegantly in a corner while still retaining the luxury associated with traditional bathtubs. These baths have a flat end and a sloped end, saving more space than their double ended counterparts. If you’re comprising on space, this might be a good place to start.
Include space saving design elements
Every little bit of space matters in a small bathroom, so the key is to make the most of it all. These design choices can free up as much space as possible and ensure that you have enough room left to move around easily:
- Install a corner sink instead of a pedestal sink that impedes the room
- Install a pedestal sink with baskets underneath
- Choose bathroom vanity units with cupboard space or mount them instead
- Put the towel rail on the door rather than mounting it on the wall
- Consider wall mounted taps
Where to find the best ideas for your bathroom renovation
As we said earlier, you might think that all the great ideas out there are designed only for larger bathrooms. However, if you look past the showcase ones, you’ll find numerous ideas for smaller bathrooms. Look in magazines and across the internet. Find excuses to go into your friends’ bathrooms and look at how they’ve assembled things. Perhaps the key is to look at the elements in isolation – choose the style of bath you want first and then consider natural light, tiling, sinks and vanities until you’ve assembled your ideal bathroom in your own space.
As a final top-tip, we’d recommend downloading the Pinterest app on your phone or tablet. You can create a ‘board’ on your Pinterest profile and call it ‘Bathroom’. As you browse through photos, you can save them in your board. This is an excellent way of organising your bathroom design ideas!