Many homes owners feel plagued by the curse of the small bathroom. It could be a small half bath on a lower level, or perhaps it’s an older home the pre-dates the massive luxury bathrooms we commonly see today. Or it could be a small starter condo. Whatever the reason, dealing with a small bathroom poses several design challenges.
If you can’t afford to expand the bathroom or move to a new home, then there are ways you can make a small space work. The trick is to find stylish ways to add storage and make the room “feel” bigger.
Adding Storage
Small bathrooms often mean pedestal or wall-mount sinks and not enough square footage to add a storage cabinet. One way to add storage is to add shelving or cabinet over the toilet, which can hold extra toilet paper, hand towels, or scented sprays. Floating shelves can add storage above eye level, so that they don’t feel like they are intruding on the space.
The problem with pedestal sinks, which can be really cool and stylish, is that they don’t really offer any way to hide things like cleaning products that you want to keep in the bathroom. Your local home improvement store and online retailers offer integrated sink/vanity/cabinet options with cabinets that are less deep than traditional bathroom cabinets, so that you have some hidden storage space, but have a full size sink.
If you are handy, you can use the space between the studs in the wall to add recessed shelving that will not take up any floor space. Depending on the space between the studs, you may be able to find door options that will fit, or you can have door made to hide the shelves.
Control Clutter
Finding ways to minimize clutter becomes an art when you have a small bathroom. Instead of trying to stash bags of cotton balls or boxes of swabs in your limited storage, you can use stylish containers on floating shelves to hold small quantities for easy access. Since you may have limited or no counter space, keep hair products and personal items in the storage under the sink, hidden away.
Add Some Color
Small bathrooms don’t offer much opportunity for decoration, with limited wall space and counter space. In order to make the room more inviting, use paint to add color, and then use use colorful towels or rugs in bold, contrasting colors for a real “pop”. This is one room where it may be OK to go with dark colors (although everyone’s taste is different) on the walls, with bold, bright accents.
Don’t Skimp on Fixtures
Since you don’t need to invest in a lot of decor and furnishings for a small bathroom, and because small half-baths are often the ones used by guests to your home, it may make sense to splurge a little on stylish fixtures. A stylish vessel sink or high-end faucet may add to the drama of the room (and add that pop of color previously mentioned). You can also splurge on high quality towel bars or rings to add elegance. You need these things anyway, so why not go for the really nice ones?
Consider Pocket Doors
The problem with a conventional door is that it takes up space in the room. Even though the door is usually closed, you can’t utilize the space behind the door because it will block it from opening. One solution to free up this space is to install a pocket door. This is a sliding door that slides in and out of a “pocket” in the wall framing. A pocket door can preserve privacy while saving significant space in an already small room.
Go for the Big Mirror
The general rule of thumb for small rooms is to avoid large items, as they take up too much valuable space and tend to overpower the room. One exception is a mirror. Go big or go home. A big mirror will give the illusion that the room is larger. You can either go wall-to-wall with a large mirror pane, or choose a large mirror with an ornate frame to add dramatic effect.
These are just a few of the ways to make a small bathroom more functional, and beautiful. Susan Pellegrini and Karen DeGeorge are ready to put their care and expertise to work for you. Buying or selling, our first-class service comes with a wealth of experience and eye for detail, ready to focus on you. Visit our website to learn more and contact us or give us a call at (480)- 315-1575, we’re here for you.
