Your home’s bathroom should be a quiet, relaxing place where you can escape from life’s daily stressors for a while. But when you have to gingerly step around obstacles or look at a cluttered vanity top while trying to decompress in the tub, it’s not very relaxing. Fortunately, there are several reliable ways to make a smaller bathroom appear more spacious and inviting without breaking your budget. What follows are 5 of the easiest, courtesy of the room design experts at Willow Lane Cabinetry.

Why Does My Bathroom Look Small?

In addition to its dimensions and layout, these can all make your bathroom feel cramped and claustrophobic:

• Vanity top clutter
• Dark color scheme
• Not enough natural lighting
• Flooring that’s dark and dreary
• Bulky old light fixtures or medicine cabinet

If this sounds like your bathroom, transforming it into the warm, relaxing space you’ve always wanted may be much easier than you think!  

5 Ways to Make a Bathroom Feel Bigger  

Without having to replace your toilet, shower and/or tub, try these 5 space-creating ideas to make your bathroom look and feel bigger:

• Soften the Color Scheme

Painting the room in softer hues won’t physically increase bathroom space, but it will create the visual illusion that it’s larger. No matter your décor, using neutral or pastel colors as the main palette in a smaller bathroom will instantly make it look more spacious. If your theme is modern, use bright-colored towels and accessories to introduce eye-pop. If your old floor looks dark and dreary, consider installing some lighter flooring instead.

• Put Up Mirrors

Mirrors reflect light which makes a room look larger and brighter, so add some large mirrors to your bathroom. Most medicine cabinets physically and visually make a room feel even smaller, so switch out that cumbersome old cabinet for some flat mirrors above the vanity. Installing a glass shower door instead of that dingy shower curtain will also visually expand the room.

• Add Natural Lighting

Your bathroom window’s privacy blinds or shades keep natural light from filtering in. Replace those with an easy-to-apply privacy film that’s available at most home improvement stores. Opaque film products come in numerous patterns that allow sunlight to enter your bathroom while keeping curious neighbors’ eyes out. If you have wall cabinets above the sink, place recessed lighting or light strips underneath those to illuminate the tasking area. You can also switch out bulky old light fixtures for slimmer, more decorative wall sconces.

• Install a Corner Sink

Vanities with drop-in sinks are popular, but that combo will also eat up a lot of your floor space. Placing a pedestal or wall-mount sink in the corner instead will increase the room’s square footage. To make up for lost storage space, hang some wall cabinets or open shelves above your new sink.

• Other Storage Solutions

If clutter is the problem, try these storage-adding solutions:

• Cabinetry. Going vertical with some luxurious custom cabinetry will add organization, storage and an elegant feel to the room while leading the eyes of onlookers upward.

• Shelving. Maximize available wall space by installing some shelving above the window, over the toilet, or in a corner.

• New vanity. If your old vanity doesn’t have pullout drawers or shelves, find a new vanity that does. This will allow you to keep your once-cluttered vanity top free of toiletries and grooming supplies. A floating vanity is another space-saving option.

FREE Online Space-Creating Experts at Your Disposal

Finding creative ways to increase space in a small bathroom can be frustrating. When you need a hand, contact a FREE online room designer from Willow Lane Cabinetry. One of our design experts will not only work with you when you have the time, they will patiently walk you through the planning process until all your objectives have been met. If you need some top-quality supplies for your bathroom makeover project, we also carry bathroom vanities, handcrafted custom cabinetry, sinks, flooring, bath hardware and a whole lot more.

And, not only will we deliver your luxurious bathroom products right to your door, our prices typically beat the big box stores! To get started now with a FREE design pro from Willow Lane Cabinetry, or to browse our amazing selection of home improvement supplies, please visit us at: www.willowlanecabinetry.com.