How to make a small bathroom look bigger

We’ve employed all our best tips and tricks to show you how to make a small bathroom look bigger. Just another one of those Little Bathroom Victories…

The average bathroom is usually the smallest room in the home with little scope for any serious remodelling. However, there are still some tricks you can use to give the illusion of space. Here, we look at some of the most successful ways you can make your small bathroom look larger.

Re-think your storage

One of the most common reasons why a bathroom looks small is clutter. When you have items taking up every surface, this can make it feel like the room is closing in on you.

If you can declutter then do so, but if this isn’t feasible because you need everything that is in your bathroom, you can, instead, reconfigure your storage solutions. A built-in vanity unit, fitted against a wall, makes for very clean lines. If this isn’t an option, clear glass shelving with mirror backing can be placed along one wall to hold all your toiletries. Wall mounted vanity units or cupboards look sleek when they are the same neutral colour as the walls.

Mirrors can be used effectively to bounce light around the room and create the illusion of space. Fix a large flat mirror to one wall rather than hanging a traditional one over the sink. Try to place your mirrored surfaces adjacent, or opposite to windows, to ensure maximum light reflection into the room.

Light up the room

When there’s just one solitary light bulb hanging from the centre of the ceiling, this can create a dark, dingy feel. Natural light is best, so if your windowsill is cluttered move everything to let light in.

You can also incorporate subtle, soft LED lighting effects, by placing lights under a bath panel or over a sink, for instance, or use ceiling downlights to create a high-tech light and airy feel.

Choose neutral colours

Bold patterns and colours can overwhelm a small room. Instead, choose a light, neutral colour palette all over to create clean lines from floor to ceiling. Use the same neutral colour for floor coverings to carry on the same uninterrupted feel.

Handy hint: Discover the perfect colours for a small bathroom.

Ditch the curtain

Nothing divides a bathroom more than an opaque shower curtain. Get rid of this and install a clear shower divide and a frameless shower unit instead to maximise the feeling of light and space. Keep this clean to maintain the illusion of space and draw the eye through the screen rather than to the screen.

Change your bathroom fittings

Modern bathroom fittings are designed with smaller rooms in mind. Clever use of things like smaller, low-height toilets and corner basins can help to make a bathroom look bigger. Consider where you can install a wall-hung sink and vanity unit. These are designed to ensure that more floor space can be seen, which helps to make the room appear larger.

Get rid of the tub

Relaxing in the bathtub is sheer bliss at the end of a stressful day, but it can take up a lot of room in a small bathroom. When you remove the tub altogether and replace this with a shower cubicle you’ll be surprised at how much bigger your bathroom looks.