Ways to visually expand the space in a small bathroom.

Light color scheme

The best way to cope with the problem of lack of space is with cool light shades:

• pearl gray;
• pale blue;
• soft pink;
• light turquoise;
• smoky lilac;
• lemon;
• light green.

However, not all people feel comfortable surrounded by cool walls. A small bathroom can also be decorated in warm tones: cream, peach, olive, coral, but it is better to choose the lightest shades possible. Snow-white tiles are a win-win solution, but if you don’t add something interesting, you’ll get a “hospital effect”.

Decorate a small bathroom with porcelain tiles that look like light marble with veins – even a room completely covered with the same tiles won’t look boring and formal.

It’s best to avoid dark colors, colorful patterns, sharp transitions, and expressive motifs. The interior of a tiny bathroom should be as holistic, streamlined, and soft as possible. It is critically important to follow the principle of a light floor, because it is the floor that determines the visual perception of the room to the greatest extent.

Correct tile layout

Let the flooring in a small bathroom be either monolithic or composed of large fragments. By placing them diagonally, you will “expand” the space a little. In a very narrow room, it would be good to resort to a transverse layout of wall tiles according to the brick principle or to give a discreet horizontal strip along the perimeter, but this solution requires a high ceiling. If it is low, and the configuration of the walls is acceptable, it is better to lay rectangular tiles lengthwise and form vertical accents.

The finish in a cramped bathroom should not be fragmented, so contrasting grout should be avoided. Let the grout completely merge with the tone of the tile or mosaic.

Rejection of floor-standing plumbing

A wall-hung toilet and washbasin mounted in a storage cabinet that does not touch the floor will make the interior of a small bathroom lighter and airier, making cleaning even easier. Any plumbing equipment that does not need to be placed on the floor is recommended to be wall-mounted. If possible, “move” the washing machine to the kitchen.

The largest item is the bathtub, and it is also necessarily located on the floor. In case of extreme lack of free space, it is better to refuse it or at least finish the side “screen” with the same tiles as the floor or walls.

Glass shower area

To get the most out of boycotting the bathtub, instead of a ready-made shower stall with a bulky Use a tray to create a transparent shower area or a corner made of tempered glass with a drain in the floor. The fewer fasteners and metal frames the glass walls have, the better.

If you are not ready to do without a bathtub, but plan to take a shower there, do not hang a bright curtain with an expressive pattern. Use a transparent partition or curtain.

Hidden storage systems

A real salvation for tiny bathrooms are narrow tall cabinets that reach up to the ceiling. Such storage is easy to place above the toilet so that it seems built-in, or put in the corner of the room. The cabinet should not stand out too much against the walls, and its doors should be without handles. The absence of fittings also adds a few points to the visual expansion of the space.

In a small bathroom, you can’t allow the effect of clutter, it’s better to keep the number of open shelves to a minimum, and hide things out of sight in a cabinet or tall cabinet.

Large mirror

Don’t be stingy with free space for a mirror above the sink – huge and shining, it will fill the room with space and light, duplicating part of the interior in the reflection. Square and rectangular models with narrow frames or without them at all are preferable. LED strip around the perimeter will not spoil the impression, although it is better to avoid clear boundaries.

A bold, but extremely effective solution is to make a mirror wall in a tiny bathroom or install a furniture set with mirrored doors.

Competent lighting

A dark room always seems smaller, so you need to carefully consider the placement and number of lamps. Bright lighting is required in the washbasin area, while it is not needed above the bathtub and toilet. At the same time, the light in a small bathroom should be diffused, which means we cannot do without a chandelier or several halogen spotlights in the ceiling.

You cannot allow one corner of a tiny bathroom to be illuminated, while the rest of the space is immersed in semi-darkness.

These are just the basic principles of arranging small bathrooms. You can always deviate from the canon if such a step is justified from the point of view of ergonomics and design. Planning programs allow you to evaluate the future interior impartially and make sure that everything possible has been done to visually expand the room. Many of them are distributed free of charge, so why not use them?