Ace of Space
Amplify itty-bitty bathrooms with tips, tricks and simple secrets
Image courtesy Kohler
During the hectic morning routine, or when you want to take that relaxing, sudsy bubble bath before bed, the last thing you need is to feel cramped by a tiny bathroom.
If your master bath feels more like a closet and less like a room, experiment with these eight tips from expert designers to gain yourself some space - and sanity. With a shelf here or some fabric there, you can clear some clutter, fool your eye and even add some much-needed storage.
Skirt the Issue
If you have a pedestal sink, dress it up with a skirt, suggests Libby Langdon, New York City-based interior designer and author of "Libby Langdon's Small Space Solutions: Secrets for Making Any Room Look Elegant and Feel Spacious on Any Budget" (Knack, 2009).
"In a small bathroom you really need storage, so it gives you all that area underneath the skirt to put things," she says. Chances are the skirt you're picturing features a bad floral pattern and some dingy lace, but it doesn't have to be your grandma's Victorian throwback. "You can do one that's really tailored," Langdon says.
Up the Ante
"Go in and look up, and you'd be shocked at how much space you can really capitalize on," Langdon says. She suggests mounting a shelf above a closed bathroom door and using it to store extra linens and towels.
Stay Single
Stick with a monochromatic color scheme, says Carol Boyles, principal designer at Carol Boyles Interiors in Prior Lake, Minn. "You're creating a lot of impact with your color, but not dividing the space with it," she says.
Rack 'Em Up
Wire racks typically used in pantries and kitchens can make great back-of-the-door storage in a bathroom. "They don't take up much space at all. They really only stick out about four or five inches," Langdon says. Try storing toiletries or styling tools in a metal spice rack, especially if you don't have the room for a cabinet.
Go Diagonal
If you're installing a new floor, Boyles says it's important to lay tiles on a diagonal. Larger tiles also work best because smaller options break up the room too much. "Your bathroom will feel much larger," Boyles says.
Mirror Your Mirror
"Hang adjacent mirrors," Langdon says. "It tricks the eye, so you can't really see where the walls begin and end. It can make the room look so much bigger." She also suggests placing mirror tiles behind shelving. The tiles will reflect light and visually open the room.
Get Cornered
Langdon likes corner storage units, the kind that typically hang on a tension rod. "Those are fantastic because they're these little pie-shaped metal shelves, and you can hang metal hooks off the little racks and hang your washcloth or loofah or all kinds of things," she says.
Reach for the Sky
"I encourage people to think vertically," Langdon says. "Look at the walls in your bathroom. Maybe you have one medicine cabinet but maybe you could hang another." Don't be afraid to double up for extra storage and mirror space.
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