Jun 10, 2014

Seven Big Decorating Ideas for Small Bathrooms

We've written before about the challenges of decorating a small bathroom challenges of decorating a small bathroom. It's a common problem, as house builders are apt to trim space from the bathroom floor plan to make more room in adjoining bedrooms and other areas in the house. Assuming that building your house from the ground up is out of the question, then what are homeowners' options when it comes to making the most of a cramped bathroom space? As it turns out, there are more than a few options available.

If your bathroom feels a bit too small, consider leveraging the following big ideas for small spaces:

1. Add texture
Small bathrooms have limited real estate—especially when it comes to areas where you can take decorative license. To counter this, look for unexpected opportunities to add textures or patterns to spaces that are already in use. For example, textured tiles along a portion of the wall will catch and refract light differently than smooth surfaces would. This is an ideal way to add eye-catching appeal without sacrificing any space.

2. Leverage Natural Light
It's not uncommon for small bathrooms to have little—if any—natural light pouring in. If the room has no windows (or only a very small one) consider installing a new one. Otherwise, take a look at the curtains that you have been using in the bathroom. The best curtains provide a secure screen against peeping Toms without blacking out the room. Beige or cream-coloured curtains provide a good balance of natural light and privacy. Finally bear in mind that north-facing windows in Australia can let in nearly twice the natural light of those on east or west faces of the house.

3. Waste no space.
This is actually an exercise in the economy of design. Be intentional in your quest to make use of every space available, and look around the bathroom for surfaces that could double as design mantles or wall-hanging space. One oft-overlooked bit of real estate is the window ledge, which could double as a place to place a vase with fresh flowers, an arrangement of bath salts or a host of other decorative items.

4. Add a tiled backsplash.
The backsplash is a functional bit of décor, as it protects the wall above the sink and below the mirror from water damage. While there are several budget options for a backsplash, a strip of decorative tile is perhaps the most attractive. The good news is that it does not cost much to implement. After all, it only takes a relatively small number of tiles to create a backsplash. If you are undergoing comprehensive kitchen or bathroom renovations in Sydney (or anywhere else, for that matter), you may even find that you have a few tiles left over. Why not put these to good use in your cosy bathroom space?

5. Go with a wall-mounted sink
You'll probably be surprised how much space a wall-mounted sink can free up in a cramped bathroom. Beyond that, sinks that are mounted into the wall have a distinct, modern feel. It's a simple step you can take to boost the aesthetic appeal and free up a bit more space at the same time.

6. Emphasise colour in decorative displays.
When you don't have much space to work with, finding ways to express your inner designer becomes more of a challenge. One of the most important steps you can take is to be meticulously intentional with colours. Look at your tiles, curtains walls for subtle splashes of colour that offset your overarching design scheme, then use those colours when selecting decorations, pictures and even hand towels.

7. Understand the power of contrasting colours.
It's not worth recommending the use or avoidance of contrasting colours. Instead, what really matters is that you understand how to use contrast to your advantage. To begin with, stark contrasts can actually make the room appear more cramped than it actually is. Opposite this, pops of colour can create a pleasing contrast and remain one of the easiest ways to create a bit of drama in a cramped space. With that in mind, if you are dealing with a relatively neutral colour scheme, look for opportunities to splash out with a few surprise colours here and there. 

1 comment:

Wilson said...

Hi,
that's really great tip about Seven Big Decorating Ideas for Small Bathrooms, I was searching around to get some ideas about Bathroom Renovation and then got your website. It is really so much useful tip for me. Thanks for sharing this topic.

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