Simple tricks can make small bathrooms seem larger
It’s one thing to turn a 12-by-15-foot space into a luxurious bathroom.
But a 5-by-8-foot space? Now that’s a challenge.
For most Americans who live in homes built before 1970, bathrooms are more cozy than cavernous. The home-design website Houzz says 5 feet by 8 feet is the most common bathroom size in America.
“In the older neighborhoods, there just wasn’t as much space dedicated to bathrooms or kitchens,” said Monica Miller, a designer with J.S. Brown & Co. in Upper Arlington. “For many of those homes, architecturally, it’s ridiculous to make the space larger, and homeowners don’t necessarily want it larger. They just need it to function.”
Miller and two other central Ohio designers — Jennifer Kubik of Dave Fox remodeling and Laura Watson of the Cleary Co. — offered 10 tricks to do just that.
■ Swap a tub for a shower. Standard built-in tubs are 30 or 32 inches by 60 inches and can be more than a foot high. A comfortable shower may take up the same space, but it will make the room seem larger, especially if surrounded by clear glass.
■ Look for hidden space. Tucking a medicine cabinet into a wall cavity is the easiest way to gain a few inches of storage. When Miller tackled a 4-foot-3-inch by 7-foot-10-inch Bexley bathroom a few years ago, she discovered that one wall was 10 inches deep because it hid a drain stack. She sank a custom medicine cabinet into the wall; it was deep enough to hold a tissue box, electric toothbrushes and even some switches and outlets.
■ Keep it light. The bathroom doesn’t need to be clinically white, but lighter colors will help make the room seem larger. Likewise, a unified color theme will help prevent the room from feeling choppy.
■ Keep it bright. Along the same lines, a bright space seems larger, so strong lighting is crucial in small bathrooms. Designers have installed waterproof can lights above the shower and Watson has even placed sconces directly on mirrors to boost the brightness. “Increasing the lighting will really help a space seem bigger,” Kubik said. “Usually we space can lights every 4 feet, but in some baths they’re every 2 feet.”
■ Avoid large vanities. Pedestal sinks take up less space than vanities do. For those who need a vanity for storage, experts suggest a wall-mounted one that hovers above the floor or a furniture-style vanity with legs. In both cases, pulling the vanity off the floor can visually help expand the space and may provide a useful nook for slippers or a scale.
■ Mount the sink faucet on the wall. Wall-mounted faucets can save counter space and provide room for a larger sink.
■ Shrink the counters. Standard bathroom counters are 22 inches deep overhanging 21-inch vanities. In really tight spaces, designers cheat by narrowing the vanity, so the counter can be as shallow as 20 or even 18 inches. (Smaller vanities can be found, but they are best kept to powder rooms.) Designers might also extend a narrower counter strip over a toilet or along a wall to provide more shelf space.
■ Enlarge the mirror. A mirror is a simple trick to make a room seem larger. In a bathroom, a larger mirror has the added advantage of making the room more functional, especially if the bath is shared. “Even if it’s only over a single vanity, I would add the biggest mirror possible to enlarge the room,” Watson said.
■ Lay on the trim. This may seem counterintuitive, but strategically placed trim can help unify a small space and make it seem more luxurious than its size would suggest. For a German Village bathroom roughly 7 by 7 feet, Kubic installed both ceiling trim and narrow wainscoting. “Those different textures really distract from the small size of the space,” she said.
■ Add some tools. When all else fails, add a few spaceenhancing tools, such as double towel racks, shower nooks or a hair-dryer caddy.