Small Bathroom Renovation

Creating the look and feel of airy luxury during a small bathroom renovation is not as difficult as it sounds. It requires a few creative ideas, but you can make any small bathroom look bigger, have more storage and exude elegant ambiance.

Take inventory of the good things about your bathroom. Does it have a great architectural feature? Is that vintage tile in good condition? Try to incorporate the existing features you like into your renovation plan, because using these positive features leaves more money in the budget to spend on small designer touches.

Small bathrooms look best if they are not cluttered. Consider replacing the tub with a shower to open up more space. Some toilets are smaller than others. Large cabinets can be replaced with streamlined pedestal sinks or smaller vanities to make the space appear roomier. Fixtures that take up less space visually increase the size of your bathroom. In vintage homes, consider recessing medicine cabinets and other items into the wall. This was a popular technique in homes during the era when bungalows were popular. You may even want to consider shaving a foot or so off of an adjoining room and adding the additional footage to the bathroom. It may not make much of a difference in the bigger room but can make a big difference in your bathroom.

Next you may want to look at images of other small bathrooms. Try spending an afternoon at your local library with their decorating books and magazines. There are also many ideas on the Internet. By looking at what others have done, you can get an idea of what you like, and make a list of possibilities for your own bathroom. Once you know what you want, and how much you have to spend, you are ready to get started.

Now that you have an idea of what you want, you can get started. Experts often suggest that you stick with white and very light colors in a small bathroom in an effort to project a sense of roominess. While this trick works, there is no reason you can't choose bright, dramatic colors for accents. A white bathroom with small black and white floor tiles is classic and beautiful. Add a red towel for a splash of color.

It is usually best to keep the walls a plain color or use a subtle wall paper. An exception to this would be using a bathroom mural on one wall to create the illusion of more space. Another way to make a bathroom look bigger is to extend the tile all the way up the walls rather than having it stop part way up the wall.

Consider the following ways to add light during your small bathroom renovation:

• If you have a large window consider using frosted glass to allow light while maintaining privacy.
• A skylight provides natural overhead lighting.
• Mirrors added to more than one wall reflect light back and forth into each other giving the room a sense of increased space.
• Add recessed lighting in the ceiling.
• Using a frameless glass shower door also makes the bathroom seem bigger and lighter.
• Use higher wattage light bulbs in the light fixtures.

Drawing the eye up to the ceiling is one of the best ways to make the small bathroom appear larger. This can be done a number of ways:

• Stencils
• Wallpaper border
• Crown molding
• A painted border

The more floor that shows the bigger your bathroom will seem. During a small bathroom renovation, you should try to uncover as much floor as possible with the use of wall mounted cabinets, sinks, and other items.

Large tiles with small grout lines also helps the bathroom appear larger. Keep the floor light in color to help it reflect light and create the illusion of a large space.

Finding pictures of how others have updated their small bathrooms can help you make design choices for your bathroom. Browse the following image galleries for ideas.

• HGTV Small Bathroom Gallery
• Small bathroom remodeling projects

With careful planning and creative solutions, your small bathroom can look spacious and inviting.

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