If you live in an apartment, the chances are you have a small bathroom. But by making a few simple changes, you can instantly trick the eye into seeing something far more spacious and altogether impressive.
Colour: The easiest way to make any room feel more spacious is to limit the amount of colour and pattern you have in it. Painting your walls, ceiling and woodwork in a simple coat of white paint works best, but soft neutral or pastel tones are also effective. Choose a paint that is hard-wearing and washable so that it’s easy to keep clean and feeling fresh.
De-clutter: It’s almost impossible to make a small bathroom feel spacious if it’s crammed with stuff. If you have storage space, reserve it for the things you use on a daily basis and clear away all of those other items. If you need to invest in some storage, you’ll find that many cabinets are ideal for small bathrooms and fit snugly underneath your sink or can be wall mounted. They can hold a surprising amount of things too, so those fancy creams and lotions, hair grips and nail files can easily be hidden away.
Mirrors: One large, simple mirror which is mounted opposite your window (if possible) creates the illusion of twice the space and floods your bathroom with natural light to make it feel bigger. Heavy frames don’t work very well, but circular or oval shaped mirrors make a functional, as well as decorative addition.
Windows: Keep windowsills clear of any bottles or items which block out the light or make a window appear smaller than it is. If you really must have something on there, try a small, simple plant for an instantly fresh feel. If you have curtains, ditch them and get a blind in a light coloured fabric or wood, and to make a window look bigger than it is, choose a blind which is wider than the frame and install it above the window recess as opposed to sitting inside it.
Lighting: A single bulb in the centre of your ceiling will do nothing but cast shadows and make a small room feel oppressive. Change your light fittings to strip lights that spread light across the room and install a vanity light above your mirror or wall mounted lights if you can; illuminating the walls will also make a room appear wider than it is.
Accessories: If you simplify the look of your essentials, they will blend in and contribute to a greater feeling of space. Decant any shampoo, conditioner, shower gel or handwash into matching dispensers - neutral tones will maximise the illusion of space. Even using white toilet rolls will help; when you’re trying to create a feeling of greater space, the key thing to remember is that a light bathroom is a big bathroom.
If you need to source some new accessories, The Shower Doctor have a great range of fixtures and fittings designed to complement any sized bathroom on any sized budget.