Small Bathroom Design

This was reposted from Cabinetsmith.ca Home Guru is an authorized dealer for Cabinetsmith kitchens, vanities and so much more.

I have been flipping through images from Architectural Digest, looking at impossibly massive bathrooms with impossibly decadent designs. Sigh. For most of us, an ensuite with a full wood burning fire place, divan, freestanding bath tub, and unobstructed views of the Rocky Mountains is a bit out of reach. But that doesn’t mean you can’t make the most of what you do have.

Most advice I read about says you should try to unclutter a small bath. Remove anything that sticks out from the walls (i.e. towel bars, wall cabinets), use a pedestal sink and make sure the bathroom door is an out swing – or better yet a pocket door.

So, this is where design meets real life, the practical vs the ideal. It’s great to have a pocket door and no towel racks, but one still needs to wash hands after using the bathroom, requiring a towel. Where do we keep it now? And there are still things we need to keep in the bathroom – extra toilet tissue, towels, and *gasp* feminine products. Where do we put these items with no storage space?

Now, I hate clutter as much as the next designer, but I’m going to turn this “rule” on its head and say make your bathroom usable. With a few other tips in mind, you can make any small bath project look amazing!

1. Think big! Use the biggest vanity your space will accommodate. Storage in a bathroom is always important, and it’s better to have one big piece of furniture than many little pieces.
2. Go up! Hang your towel racks over the toilet or over the vanity so they’re not making the room narrower.
3. Brighter is better! Lighter colours and mirrors are your friends in small spaces. Mirrors create the illusion of space, and light colours feel airier.
4. Find your niche! Built in storage is space saving and oh so handy.
5. Through the Looking Glass! Use clear glass bath / shower enclosures. It makes the shower part of the room, giving the feel of a larger space.

You may not have room for a sofa, fireplace and picture windows to paradise, but with these few tricks, your bathroom can still look magazine cover ready.