Smoke and Mirrors
Create the illusion of space in a cramped bathroom with warm light, soft color and a jeweled focal point
In the name of space: When demolition and remodeling aren't viable options, consider tweaking a bathroom's color, light and accessories to create space. Image courtesy of Krista Watterworth
Your powder room may barely have elbowroom, but there are plenty of ways to make the space seem larger than it really is - without knocking down any walls.
"A powder room is kind of like a museum. You only use it when you have guests, but the upside of that is there's not much need for storage and functionality, so you can go for impact instead," says Peggy Deras, CID and owner of Kitchen Artworks in San Francisco, specializing in kitchen and bath renovations in smaller homes.
The main impact you want to achieve is that of spaciousness. "Light is the first consideration for making a room look bigger," Deras says. "If the room is landlocked, with no natural windows or skylight, then lighting is even more important."
Krista Watterworth, host and designer of HGTV's "Save My Bath," says recessed or track lighting is perfect for a small bathroom. "Lighting should be warm and inviting so people feel beautiful and sexy when they enter and leave the space. Your guests should want to return."
A close second behind light is color. Light colors reflect light, while deep, dark colors absorb light. "Don't paint everything white, because it's too severe and all the light bangs up against you," says James Martin, owner of The Color People, a specialty company in Denver that provides color design services to builders and homeowners nationwide. "Choose a soft pastel color instead."
Martin says you should paint the ceiling the same color as the walls. "Don't have a different ceiling color, because that's just one more busy thing in the room. You want to create a color envelope around yourself that's light, but not involving."
"Unless there's a skylight," Deras agrees, "the ceiling shouldn't be an attention-getting part of the room. The bathroom isn't a room you want to be looking up in."
A light, monochromatic color palate doesn't mean the room has to be boring. Watterworth says you can use texture in the fabric of your window treatments, shower curtain and linens, and use textured natural stone tile and natural granite countertops to create visual interest. "Keep everything in the same color family, and the room will have a more open feel," she says.
The final trick for maximizing light is reflecting it. "Put a huge mirror in, because it effectively doubles the space. Plus, people will be looking at themselves and they won't even notice the bathroom," Martin says.
Margaret Chambers, ASID, owner of Dallas-based Chambers Interiors, recently finished an Italian-style bathroom complete with a carved marble pedestal sink and backsplash. "Because the sink had a tall backsplash, we did large diamond mirror pieces on a diagonal on the entire wall behind the sink," she says. "It's sometimes hard to get large mirrors into a small bathroom, and the diamond pattern created a lot of interest and gave the room a whole new sheen."
Underfoot, think light again. "If you're trying to bounce light, go with light floors, but if you have dark floors throughout the house it's more important to use something that flows from the hallway outside," Deras says. "You might want to put a detail pattern around the perimeter to jewel it up a bit."
Above all, keep the pattern simple and small, Martin says. "If you choose a large tile pattern in a small room, people will notice the room is small when the pattern only goes three tiles across."
Also consider contrast. Black and white tiles, for example, are high-contrast and they tend to break up a space, Watterworth says. One or two light colors from the same family will keep the floor looking spacious and open.
Cabinets also tend to break up a seamless visual line. "You don't need a lot of storage in a small bathroom, anyway, and what you do have should be lighter and preferably the color of the walls," Martin says.
Deras loves to use floor-to-ceiling recessed cabinets with touch-latch doors that you tap on to open, painted to match the rest of the room. "Recessed cabinets give you a little storage but don't take up precious floor or wall space," she says.
The same goes for pedestal and wall-hung sinks. Since you're not using the room for makeup, a full vanity isn't required.
Finally, can the clutter. "It goes without saying, right? Clutter makes a small space feel even smaller," Watterworth says. "Hang one piece of art instead of lots of small pieces. Pare down on towels. Everything should have its place, and that place is called 'hidden.'"
"Overall you just really need to simplify," Martin says. "The less busy the room is, the more spacious it will feel."
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