How to make your bathroom look bigger

The bathroom is our own personal space to freshen up, groom and think. No matter what the size, we all wish our bathroom was bigger, could store that extra magazine or had some more foot-space. Try these space enhancing tips and see the bathroom expand itself, because there is always room for improvement.

Get stingy on storage

Reduce the clutter and keep the closed storage minimum. Floating, Hanging and tiered storage always works well. Use Baskets, top open boxes, ladders and glass jars to contain the clutter.

• Stock up small buckets or top-open boxes and hang them on hooks.
• The bathroom door and cabin doors can be used on the inside for storage like in a fridge,

• The empty wall spaces can be used by building shelves or pull out cabins

Let there be light

Natural light flooding in can transform the look of the bathroom. Bring in as much light as possible and illuminate all the dark corners.

• Use Skylights and Glass Windows wherever possible. Replacing bulbs with CFLs will help.
• A clever use of Mirrors can reflect light wonderfully
• A light colour scheme of paints also enhances the light

Work the corners

We all have 4 corners, use them to your advantage

• You could put triangular vanities and sinks to make the most of the space

• Add glass slabs for storage and Illuminate them for aesthetics

Mirror, mirror on the wall

Mirrors can change proportions like nothing else can. Use as much light around them as possible, they pick it up and can add both height and depth to the room.

• Mirrors need not be only on the vanity, they can be placed on the doors of storage cabinets
• Mirrors can be placed facing each other to create an Infinity setup

A touch of glass

Glass in the bathrooms gives a very clean and glossy look; they are unobtrusive and increase the sense of space.

• Glass shelves could be used for storage, the invisibility increases the sense of space
• Replace the shower curtain by glass doors or shower screens to give a frameless spacious look
• Glass bricks allow natural light without much intrusion of privacy

Tile-on

Blending the tile with the wall makes the room very spacious, the right choice of colour, texture and grout can make a lot of difference.

• Use rectified tiles for a seamless look; else keep the colour of the grout and the tiles same
• Avoid using small tiles, the bigger the better, to keep the transitions looking minimum
• Choose a light colour for the tiles; a glossy reflecting finish is even better

Sink it

Hours are spent grooming around the sink, one place where we need both leg space and storage, so this is how to get both.

• The sink should be either pedestal or wall hung and heavy base units should be avoided.
• The under sink area can provide ample storage space if stocked with baskets and racks

To be continued

Continuity is the key, the idea is to expand the line of sight and not break the spaces, keeping the transitions minimum.

• Keep the colour of the walls and ceiling (and if possible floor) the same and as light as possible
• Same tiles can be used all the way up to the ceiling for a more expansive finish
• Avoid using Floor mats, dark coloured shower curtains or the use of partitions