“Art is not what you see but what you make other see.” - E. Degas
That principle couldn’t be more true when you’re trying to update a small bathroom.
The one question we hear quite often from homeowners is:
“We have a small bathroom and don’t really have the money to enlarge it. What can we do to make it appear larger?”
The most effective way to manage this issue is by creating visual focal points in the bathroom that will make the room feel larger. You must remove big, bulky objects, as well.
Here’s how one homeowner tackled this problem. They tore everything out to the studs. This often needs be done anyway, especially in older homes where they may be water damage. Then as they began to put things back, they used sleek, clean designs and colors. They went with a floating vanity, used a clear shower door and added some recessed storage areas.Usually, it’s best to use light airy colors or bright colors.
Avoid the use of bulky light fixtures. You can even find rain shower heads that are elegant and appear minimalist. With each choice, be led by the minimalist design. In the world of minimalism, it’s important to play with spatial relationships. Look for clever ideas that are nonetheless functional. Odd shapes and textures can be effective if done just right.
One of the first things we do as general contractors is to assess the room and find its strong points. Even small spaces often have some positive attributes. Find them! Then exploit them.
There are all sorts of ways to do this and it really depends on your specific situation but below are 10 great suggestions to help you get started:
1. Add a bit of wallpaper to one area. Be sure the wallpaper has a clean, unfettered design and lighter colors. Some designers douse small sections of a dark wallpaper to create a dramatic “Ah-Hah” but if you’re not a professional designer, this can backfire on you.
2. Minimize trim. It’s not wise to use a 5 inch wide crown moulding. This will cause the room to look cluttered and overbearing. Work with regular or thin-style moulding.
3. Murals are a great idea! You may be able to find someone in your area who would come and paint a lovely mural on one wall. If not, there are wallpaper designs now that look like a mural. The trick is to place it in a smaller area of a wall, instead of painting the entire wall in a mural. Just one section about 2x3 feet would create a unique focal point and not be too big of a project. Use airy, light colors.
4. Install clear shower enclosures. These give the space a clean walk-through feel. Try to use minimal hardware – handles that don’t stick out or draw attention. Remember that bulky items in a small room stand out like a sore thumb.
5. Stay with calming colors such as light gray,beige, light peachy tones. Remember to consider the other colors in adjoining rooms. It’s not a good idea to have a hallway painted with warm tones and a bedroom painted in cool colors. You can find lots of good ideas for color coordination on the sites of famous interior designers.
6. Shop for minimalist vanity styles. The floating vanities are a great choice for this. Or you might try using a small chest as your vanity, then mount a sink on top with the faucet and handles coming out of the wall.
7. Paint your ceiling a light dusty blue or gray,then install recessed lighting. You’ll get the light you need for a good bathroom without the bother of bulky light fixtures.
8. Use larger tiles for your bathroom instead of the small ones. Of course, this depends on your design, color and style but most of the time, larger tiles will give the appearance of open space.
9. Avoid bulky objects in the room such as a mirror with a wide ornamental frame. Your mirror should be on the larger side with a thin or no frame around it. Mirrors do make any room look larger but those thick ornate frames can kill the whole deal.
10. Make sure all your wall décor is simple and has a clean, crisp feel to it. Keep your wall décor to a minimal. Once you start adding photos, pictures, plagues, and other objects, you can make the room feel really overwhelmed. Small rooms always require minimalistic designs and décor.
One of the things we suggest with small bathrooms is to carve out shelving and storage niches in walls.
You can do this in your shower but also in the walls. When we begin your new design, we can suggest a couple of places where this will work well. You’ll get unique storage for your bathroom that looks completely distinctive. A project like this can be harder for homeowners because it requires you to remove sections of drywall.
Of course, in bathrooms, we do sometimes need to remove sections of drywall because they’ve become damp allowing mold to grow. You may not be up for a project this big, but our bathroom remodeling specialists can easily get this done for you.
Construction Performance provides all types of small bathroom renovations. We can offer a host of great ideas for a small bath room to make the space functional and inviting. If you’re struggling with ideas to remodel a small bathroom, please contact us.
We are a full-service remodeling company that specializes in home remodeling Houston projects of all sizes. Maybe you’re ready to enlarge that small bathroom and turn it into a luxury spa bath. We’ve got the experience and resources to complete projects of any size. And you’ll find lots of great feedback on our site because we don’t just make lame promises and then abandon you. We work hard to make sure each customer is thoroughly pleased with the results.
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