12 BRILLIANT POINTS TO MAKE YOUR SMALL WASHROOM LOOK BIGGER
How to make a small bathroom look bigger? Read the post below if you are looking for ideas small bathroom.
01-Work on the washroom layout first
When you are working in small washrooms, the washroom layout plays a very vital role. The interior design of a small washroom can get very tricky if the washroom fixture layout has not been done properly.
In fact, the layout of any space plays a very important role, and it should be given proper time because it can ruin the utility of the space.
Here, we are talking the sizes which are somewhere near 4’6″x6’0″, 5’0″x5’0″, 5’x6′ or 5’x7′ , etc.
Generally in Indian washrooms washing of clothes also takes place there and sometimes people like to sit on low height stool while taking a bath and use a bucket and mug. So if the layout is not crisp and well thought out, people using the washroom will face uncomfortable situations.
Architectural planning of small washroom- If you are at the architectural planning stage of your house, try to keep the minimum size of the washroom 5’6″x5’6″ and then you can place the WC and wash basin in front of each other like you can in the image below. By doing this, you can get an ample amount of space for bathing.
In fact, it will be better if you will take the minimum washroom size of 5’6″x5’6″ than taking the size of 4’0″x6’0″. While preparing the layout you should consider the point that wall tiles will eat 2″ of your width. So if you are taking 4’0″ width and it will become more cramped after wall tiling.
And in case you are working in the washroom, having the size of 4’0″x6’0″, then the best layout would be keeping the WC and washbasin side by side, or you can place it like the image shown below. The minimum distance of the WC center from the wall must be 1’6″. Otherwise, the person using the WC won’t be comfortable.
You have to keep in mind, that in washrooms of these sizes, you can’t segregate the wet areas (bathing area). It will be right in front of the door, so you have to wipe the floor every time you take a bath. And it will be better if you won’t try to create one because a wet area requires, minimum width of 3’0″, otherwise, bathing will become a task.
After the preparation of a good washroom layout, the selection of the right sanitary fixtures plays a very important while the interior design of a small bathroom.
Don’t select bulky WC or washbasins for your small washroom. Go with branded products, Brands like Kohler, Grohe, Jaguar, etc. have a varied range of WC and washbasin designs. Chose the sleek one with fewer curves.
They are very easy to clean and maintain, also they will not make your washroom look cramped.
At the time of selecting the WC, use wall-hung WC and not a floor-mounted one. It will give your small washroom an airy feel.
And at the time of selecting washbasins, don’t go with sizes, bigger than 18″ in width. You can go with countertop washbasins, but don’t keep the counter depth more than 18″- 20″ finished and width max. 2’0″ to 2’6″ finished depending on your space. In this case use, wall mounted diverter for your washbasins and not countertop diverters or mixers because you don’t have much counter depth.
You can choose a countertop washbasin or under counter. Vessel washbasins also work well in small washrooms, but floor cleaning around it becomes a challenge.
Generally, every washroom requires a fan these days, so in small washrooms, don’t go with a rain shower which our mounted in the ceiling. In fact, go with shower heads that are at the height of 7’0″ from FFL.
03-Choose the Right Color Palette
Small bathroom design ideas
Going with white or beige or any other neutral color palette is the safest and very sophisticated color palette for small washrooms. Along with that wood and metal looks great.
Use a monochromatic color palette. And to break the monotony you can choose wood. As you can in the image below. It will give your space a feel of airiness.
You can play with any color palette, but keep in mind, too many colors and patterns will take away the calmness of the space. So it will be better if you go monochromatic.
04-Selection of the tiles on both floor and walls
Choosing the right tiles for walls and floors is very significant in small washrooms. Use tiles that are bigger in size. This will give less number of joints on walls. By doing this you can attain a seamless feeling.
Bigger tiles like 24″x48″ or in fact, you can opt for 32″x64″ size tiles. You need proper workmanship and it will additional cost, but it will be definitely worth it.
Use high gloss or satin finish tile and not rough finish tiles for your small washroom. Because the wet area is not segregated here, there will be water splashes on the walls, which will be very difficult to clean and maintain.
For floor tiles, you can choose 1’0″x1’0″ or 2’0″x2’0″ size tiles. It will be difficult to maintain the slope if the tile floor tile is more than this. Your bathroom floor tile should be anti-skid.
For small washrooms, you can choose one big tile and run it all over the walls and similar kinds of tiles for the floor as well. It will give you a sense of space.
05-Play with Lighting
Small bathroom decor ideas
Lighting has the capability to transform the space. Good lighting can increase the space’s beauty whereas poor lighting can ruin everything, no matter how good tile you choose or how expensive sanitary fixtures you use.
While designing your small bathroom, be very meticulous about lighting. Two- three lights of 10 watts each will work. Other than that, use mirror lights and cove lights, and pendant lights to create beauty through lighting. You can also add lighting below the vanity.
Use IP-rated lighting. IP-44 is for washrooms. For color, you can choose warm white.
06-Create a Focal Wall using a Large Mirror
Every space deserves a focal point. Generally, in small washrooms, it’s the vanity with a mirror. Use a big-size mirror with cove light. In fact, you accentuate one wall using one accent tile, it can be a mirror mosaic or any other beautiful tile which goes well with the color theme of the space.
This accent wall can be one wall right in front of the door or the mirror wall.
07-Keep it Simple (Less accessorize)
Too many items in your washrooms can take away the airiness of your washroom. Because the space is really small, accessorization will be difficult to maintain.
Avoid any small items that you want to use for decoration and focus on utility. Use a designer washbasin, designer mirror, designer faucets, tower rail, etc. You can add a few planters if you want to add them, other than that keep it simple.
At the time of architectural planning, if possible, locate your washrooms in such a place where there is a possibility to add big windows. Just because it is a washroom that doesn’t mean, you reduce the size of the windows.
Use frosted glass rather than using plain or tinted glass. Maximize natural light. You can also use glass slits starting from the skirting level to the beam bottom level having a minimum width of 10″-12″.
09-Avoid a lot of patterns and lines
Go with subtle patterns or designs. Huge patterns will make your small washroom look more cramped and suffocated. Avoid too many lines by using big tiles and not small tiles.
If you want to use mosaic tiles, you can use them on one wall. In case you want to use it on your entire wall, keep in mind, mosaics have 4mm- 5mm grout and they will require proper cleaning on a regular basis. An unmaintained mosaic wall looks really bad.
10-Add drama through lighting
Yes, you can play with dark-colored tile too in your small washrooms. Go with a subtle pattern and create drama through lighting.
Because the tiles are dark, you have to use more lighting. The wood looks amazing with a dark tone as you can see in the image below.
Use mirror lights, pendant lights, and lights in open cabinets. Play with natural white and warm white colors.
11-Deliberate design of the vanity
In a small bathroom design, don’t start the washroom vanity from floor. Give it a floating look, by raising it a minimum of 8″-10″ from the finish floor level. It will not only make the cleaning easy but will also, add airiness to your small washroom.
Also, while choosing the vanity finishes, give it a high gloss finish look. It will keep the cleaning easy as water splashes will be there as well while taking a shower.
Don’t use any fluted material as they require regular maintenance and cleaning and practically it’s not possible as everybody is busy. If it’s possible for you, go ahead. They will definitely add a new texture to your space.
12-Smart Small Bathroom Storage Ideas
Play smart while designing your small washroom storage because you don’t have a lot of storage space to work with. Use a mirror with storage or you can deliberately design your WC ledge wall and add some more storage as you can in the image below.
Washbasin vanities can also be designed in such a way that you can keep your bucket and mugs after use. This will keep your washrooms neat and clean.
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