How can I make a small bathroom look larger?
There’s a lot you can do to make a small bathroom look larger with the right colors and materials. The advantage of this approach is lower cost than a full-scale remodeling, but you’ll still be stuck with the same size space. If you’re able to remodel, you’ll have the added potential to borrow adjacent space to give you more room in your bathroom.
The first rule of thumb to make a small space look larger is to use light surface colors. So your maroon plastic wall tiles have got to go! You’ll probably want to replace them with light-colored ceramic tiles, but you could also use one of the fiberglass bathroom tub surround kits. Busy mosaic floor tiles don’t help either, so I would suggest that you use either large ceramic tiles or resilient flooring. Then brighten the room with a white semi-gloss paint.
If you’re able to spend a little more, replace dark-color fixtures with white, and if you have a big, blocky vanity replace it with a pedestal sink. If you think you might have space to expand the bathroom, talk over your ideas with a NARI professional remodeler and ask for an estimate. That approach will open up all sorts of possibilities. See our slide show on this subject for some starter ideas.
