Whether you have just moved into a new apartment, or you are remodeling and renovating your guest bathroom, there are tons of design ideas that can make a small bathroom not only look great, but also help it to be highly functional. Try some of the following bathroom makeovers or use the following bathroom designs ideas as a springboard for stimulating your creativity instead.
Key Small Bathroom Design Ideas
There are a few things to keep in mind no matter what style you opt for when doing a small bathroom remodel. The main things you have to work with, aside from the actual items installed in the bathroom itself, are color, lighting and space. In other words, the correct choice of a color scheme, the proper placement of lights and windows as well as the overall design of the bathroom can make a room look less cluttered and more spacious than it really is.
Unless you are totally remodeling your bathroom you will want to focus on several main areas; the walls, lighting fixtures, natural lighting, the type of vanity unit you install, hardware and the overall décor. It is possible to totally change the appearance of a bathroom without needing to completely remodel the entire room.
Color Schemes
You will want to first of all choose the sink and other bathroom accessories and then base your color scheme around those. Typically, white or cream are often the colors chosen though they do not have to be. I am not going to say that you must use only pastels in your bathroom as I have seen some stunning designs utilizing darker, more outstanding color choices such as those seen here. The main thing is to choose your accessories; either light or dark colored, and then build around those.
You may want to stick to the regular creams and off whites, or you may want to opt for lilac walls or lilac on the bottom half of the wall with cream on the top section of the wall. That particular color choice is great for bathroom frequented by women, for example. If you want some ideas of different color schemes you could use, there are some great online resources where you can look at photos of bathroom designs for small spaces that people have used in their own homes. They can be great to skim through and you will be certain to garner some great ideas from seeing other people’s small bathroom designs.
Windows and Lighting
If you have a small bathroom, chances are that it will probably have only one very small window. That is very practical; it gives you more walls to place furniture or accessories around. However, a lot has to be said for natural light streaming into a bathroom as it really can give the impression that the room is larger than it seems. If it is not too difficult, you may want to look into installing long narrow windows instead. Of course, if you are not planning on actually remodeling that would not necessarily work but if you do have to do some work in the bathroom putting in a couple of long narrow windows; even floor to ceiling; can be very advantageous.
Rather than opting for regular light fixtures look for some unique wall sconces as well as overhead light fixtures. Making it possible to adjust the lighting in the room is a great idea. You can turn the lights down low while you relax and soak in the bathtub, and have them all on when you are putting on your makeup or shaving.
This may also be a good place to mention the incredible value in hanging wall mirrors and their ability to really make a room look much larger than it is. Of course, everyone does not appreciate bathrooms lined with mirrors for obvious reasons–although if you don’t mind staring at yourself each time you step out of the shower mirrors really will add a whole new dimension to your bathroom.
Furnishings and Vanities
Have you ever considered a vessel sink rather than a vanity unit? You will find they take up a lot less room and have the advantage of adding a real old-style charm to any bathroom. If you buy a cabinet from a flea market or second hand shop you can often very easily restore the item yourself, sit the vessel sink on top of it and add a new creative dimension to your bathroom décor. If you do opt for a more antique style bathroom you may want to add some decorative moldings around your mirror and add some antique style sconces on either side of the wash area.
If you want to go for a conventional vanity, specifically search for and check out small bathroom vanities, rather than the regular sized ones. What about installing a corner vanity? They are great for saving space. If you want to install a bathtub, and yet you have limited space, you can opt for one of the corner spa small bathtubs–the ones you sit up in rather than stretch out in.
Maximize Space With Built In Cabinetry
Depending on your level of expertise, you may be able to implement some of these other bathroom remodeling ideas for small bathrooms; or perhaps this is when you could call a professional in for more help. For example, if you have space behind your bathroom wall you may want to consider taking a section of the wall down and building in some cabinets or shelves back into the wall itself. This will give you additional storage space without taking up any bathroom space. Not only that, but it also looks delightful!
Another idea is to purchase narrow tall shelving or cabinets for your bathroom. You can maximize your storage space very easily this way as well and simply keep the less used items in the higher cupboards or on the higher shelves. Also, adding shelving high up around the wall can be a great way to gain additional storage or room for bathroom décor items without cluttering up your bathroom.
More Bathroom Ideas For Small Bathrooms
While the following tips may not actually save you much space, they will make your bathroom look more attractive even if there is limited space.
Decorate your bathroom tastefully, without overdoing it. Simply adding a couple of nicely framed small bathroom pictures on the wall can really transform your bathroom. You can also do things such as adding drapery on the vanity rather than wood doors. This does save on space in that you do not have to open the doors whenever you want to get something from the vanity; you simply pull the curtain to the side.
Rather than installing towel racks in the bathroom, why not find some tasteful hooks and use those for hanging your bathrobe and towel? They work just as well, take up less space and they can look very decorative.
Go for a Euroglass shower enclosure. Even though it may take up as much space as a regular shower enclosure, the absence of any framing will add to the illusion of spaciousness.
Although these ideas are by no means extensive, hopefully they will help point you in the right direction when planning out your own bathroom designs for small bathrooms.