Making a Small Bathroom Seem Bigger

If you live in the UK you will probably have a fairly small bathroom. There are some Victorian houses, originally built without a bathroom, that have had a whole bedroom converted into a bathroom so they are usually much bigger than average but for the majority of homes originally built with a bathroom there is no such luxury. The reason, of course, is that in the UK land cost is at a premium so house builders have always tried to get as much living space as possible into as small an area as possible. This is even truer with homes built in the last 20 years.

But instead of being troubled by this lack of bathroom space many bathroom designers have come up with a range of ways to make your bathroom appear larger than it really is and create the illusion of space.

FLOOR AREA – If you can keep the floor area as free as possible then this is a great way to create a sense of space. The easiest way to do this is to buy wall-hung sanitary ware. Toilets are available in wall-hung versions as are most basins so there is no longer any need to have a toilet or sink pedestal taking up valuable floor space. Another advantage of wall-hung sanitary ware is that it makes the floor much easier to keep clean.

STORAGE – Make sure there is plenty of storage for all of your bathroom toiletries; again this should ideally be in a wall-hung cabinet rather than a floor-standing one. But also consider whether you really need to store everything in the bathroom. Could cleaning items be stored in the kitchen instead and could make-up be stored in the bedroom, for instance. Of course, we all need bathroom storage but it is important not to store too much clutter in a small bathroom.

SIZE& SCALE – Whilst UK bathrooms are typically very small that is not true of other European countries and certainly not true of the United States so many manufacturers produce bathroom products that are just too large for the typical British bathroom. Be very careful when choosing bathroom products to choose ones that are correctly proportioned for your space. Buying a 500mm deep basin for a bathroom that was originally designed to take a 400mm deep basin will just emphasise the size-constraints with the basin jutting out too far into the room.

COLOUR – Pale colours will naturally make a bathroom appear larger and more light-filled so what you put on your floor and walls will have a great impact. Try not to be tempted by those dark grey slate tiles – they might look fabulous if they are designer Versace tilesin a high-end luxury home and you might think they are the perfect tiles, but in the average bathroom they will just make the space seem smaller and darker. The same is true of any dark colour but that doesn't mean you can't use dark colours at all – instead try using them only as a border or a vertical panel to highlight an architectural feature but keep the main walls and tile flooring space in pale limestone or white porcelain tiles to reflect the light.

The author has written and published articles on a wide range of topics including Small Business Advice, Tax and Accounting, Interior Design, House Renovation and Project Management.