Thursday 28 July 2011

Smaller Bathrooms Look Larger With the Right Decor and Bathroom Furniture

If your bathroom looks quite small and cramped, there are a number of ways of improving its appearance and making it appear larger than it actually is. Certain colours and types of bathroom furniture can make the room seem perceptually larger, similarly, the wrong colour palette and furniture can create a small and overcrowded look in the bathroom. Here are some tips you can use to make your bathroom look and feel as spacious as possible.

When it comes to flooring and walls, keep the colour tones light and soft. The colours you choose for the flooring and walls of your bathroom will have a significant impact on how spacious or cramped your bathroom appears. Colour choices will also affect the overall 'mood' of the room. If you have a smaller bathroom, avoid wallpaper with too much detailing or painting walls in contrasting colours. Soft, simple patterns are best and walls in neutral tones will help in making the most out of a small bathroom space. If you love bright colours, you can always spice up the room later with coloured towels, curtains or other bathroom accessories.

Lighting is another important factor in creating as large a space as possible. The right kind of lighting can make your bathroom appear far more spacious than it actually is. If it is available, natural lighting can do wonders; a skylight is especially flattering to the size of a bathroom. But if you have small windows or even none at all, there are other lighting tricks that can help. Pendant lights and lower level lights will help to create a wonderful ambiance in the bathroom and make it feel more like a spacious luxury spa than a modestly sized room.

Mirrors are yet another issue one must think about when trying to open up the bathroom space. If you have a window, placing a mirror opposite it will help to bounce the natural light around, as well as giving the illusion that there are two windows in the room. Making sure the mirror is frameless will also help in maintaining this illusion of space.

When it comes to choosing bathroom furniture that will enhance the space you have available, make sure to choose long, narrow shelving and cabinets instead of wide, low furniture and storage. This will make the room look as if the ceiling is higher than it actually is. Remember to go for light coloured furniture. Heavy, dark and fussy bathroom furniture can work very nicely in a large bathroom but in a smaller space, it will create a cramped and somewhat dismal appearance.

Another area that can make or break the look of a bathroom is the use of 'knick-knacks', that is, small decorative items that are usually used to make a bathroom feel cosy and pretty. Again, these are great in larger bathrooms, which can look a bit cold and harsh without them, but their presence should be kept to a minimum in smaller bathrooms. Anything fussy or crowded will only make the room look even smaller than it really is. You can still make your small bathroom look inviting by adding a small vase of flowers, or by placing some colour coordinated candles around the room.