Small bathrooms are a reality in many Lehigh Valley homes, especially in older colonials, row homes, and Cape Cods. You cannot always add square footage, but you can make the space feel larger through smart design choices.
Use Large Format Tile
Smaller tiles create more grout lines, which can make a room feel busy and smaller. Larger tiles on the floor and walls reduce visual clutter and make the space feel more open. A 12 by 24 inch tile on the floor and a similar size on the shower walls creates a clean, spacious look. At Black Forest Home Improvements, we recommend large format tile in most small bathroom remodels for this reason.
Choose a Light Color Palette
Light colors reflect more light and make walls feel like they are receding. White, soft gray, and light warm tones work well in small bathrooms. This does not mean the room has to be plain. A single accent wall or a band of decorative tile adds visual interest without closing the room in.
Install a Frameless Glass Shower Enclosure
A shower curtain or framed glass door creates a visual barrier that divides the room. A frameless glass enclosure lets the eye travel through the entire space, which makes it feel larger. The transparency also allows light to move freely through the room.
Float the Vanity
A wall mounted vanity shows more floor space underneath, which tricks the eye into seeing a bigger room. Combined with floor tile that runs continuously under the vanity, this creates a sense of openness that a standard freestanding vanity does not.
Recessed Storage
Recessed medicine cabinets and shower niches provide storage without taking up space in the room. We build niches into shower walls during construction so they are flush and integrated, not afterthought add ons.
The Houzz small bathroom ideas section offers a wide range of visual examples for maximizing compact spaces.
Working with a small bathroom? Contact us to discuss design solutions that make your space work harder.