Practical Small Bathroom Design

Small bathroom design is very challenging, especially if you’re starting from scratch and are given the option to choose everything from toilet to cabinet, sink, and shower/tub size. So designing a small bathroom can be divided into two parts: 1) determining the basic layout of the main items 2) working with color and accessories to maximize the remaining area and create a sense of style.

So let’s be realistic; if you have a tiny bathroom, the most practical move would be to invest in a toilet with a shorter projection, small sink (which can either be grounded on the floor or smalller and attached only to the wall), and probably a shower minus the bath tub. You can include a bathtub, but be prepared for the consequences in terms of losing extra space that could be very useful for storing items such as towels and other knicknacks.

I would hold off on the traditional bathroom cabinets in favor of more modern storage, which tends to be highly compact and uses vertical space more effectively and creatively.Since these cabinets take up less space and are more flexible, I would begin with sorting out the location of the sink, toilet, and shower first in relation to eachother and the door. A word of advice; make sure that you take your measurements correctly so that entering and exiting the bathroom or even the shower is comfortable and not a challenge.

Once you’ve sorted out the basic layout and measurements, we can begin to look at ways to enhance the bathroom design. A major element in creating an illusion of space is the use of lighter colors, so consider painting your bathroom in a light color scheme and also working with natural light. If you do choose to go with darker, warmer, colors, make sure you have enough lighter colors in the bathroom to contrast to keep the bathroom from becoming too suffocating.

Accessories such as colorful flowers, candles, and soap, in addition to creative shelving are very important in creating the actual style of the bathroom. Many stores sell sets of bathroom accessories so that there is a consistent feel in the design which helps reduce the impression of clutter.

You can find beautiful soap holders, toothbrush holders, trash cans, tissue holders, and much more. Themed towels (in various colors or white, depending on the color scheme you chose for the walls), perfumes, lotions, and even a well-chosen painting can also contribute immensly to the overall look of the small bathroom. And last but not least, choose a elegant, simple, mirror that will be noticable but not dominant.

By combining an effective layout with an attractive color scheme and the right accessories, you can be proud of yourself for creating and implementing a gorgeous small bathroom design.

Decorating Your Bathroom on a Budget

You might think that turning your bathroom a place you’d actually want to spend time in requires a complete renovation.  The truth is that there are many budget-friendly ways to give your bathroom a beautiful and fresh look.

One way you can decorate your bathroom on a budget is by adding flowing fabrics.  Just like in your living room, the right fabrics can enrich your bathroom making it seem much more elegant.  Fabrics can be used on windows and your shower- just drape and fasten them over regular plastic shower curtains.  You can get creative with fabrics and use them to cover tissue boxes, toilet paper roll holders and trash cans.  You will have instantly have added a lot of character to your bathroom without spending a lot of money!

Flowers and plants are great for freshening up any bathroom.  Although they demand care, they add fresh air and beautiful colors.  Adding a few scented candles enhances the relaxing feeling.  Just make sure to keep flowers and plants to a minimum in order to avoid your bathroom looking like an indoor garden.

Another bathroom decorating idea that can be done on a budget is changing your fixtures.  You may not be able to spend a whole lot on retiling or buying a new sink, but changing light fixtures, faucets and handles can really change your bathroom’s look.

Placing your mirror in a beautiful colorful frame is another way to add dimension to your bathroom.  Placing a mirror over the bathtub adds to the illusion of space.  Inexpensive frames are not hard to find and can look great when placed over a mirror.  We decorated one of our mirrors with small spare tiles which gave it a frame that was both colorful and unique.

There are many more ways to decorate your bathroom on a budget.  You can hang stylish towels, buy new toothbrush holders and update your soap dish.  With enough creativity and attention to detail, your bathroom can look lavish and relaxing without overspending.

Bathroom Decorating Ideas: The Essentials

My husband is a plumber and he’s been in a lot of bathrooms.

He can go on and on about the most exquisite tiles, classy faucets and stunning sinks he’s seen. He always looks online at sites selling luxury bathroom accessories drooling over the latest technology and designs. So when I asked him what essentials really define a nice bathroom I was surprised that he answered “cleanliness and functionality”.

His reasons were as follows: people pour thousands of dollars into their bathrooms, only to find them covered with clutter and mold a few months later. Because bathrooms contain so much breakable hardware, they need to be treated with extra care to prevent major messes. Also, people decorate their bathrooms with intricate fittings and designs that often take up a lot of space making it harder to keep things clean and organized.

When designing your bathroom, making sure it’s functional means ensuring that nothing is too complicated or space-consuming. Everything should have a place and preferably, a built-in place. For example, bathtubs can have a ledge for soaps and shampoos and toilet tanks can be built into the wall with a shelf left on top. Bathroom cabinets should be used to hold only essential items and not as storage space to put all sorts of odds and ends. Clutter is thereby kept to an absolute minimum.

Although an orderly bathroom is easier to clean and maintain, keeping it in proper condition is hard work. Fighting mold, bacteria and drainage problems requires more than just a good scrub now and then.

To prevent mold from growing, make sure that the bathroom is well ventilated. Leave a window open to let the moisture out after taking a shower. This way the paint doesn’t start peeling and the tiles won’t collect mildew. Remember to wash your tiles frequently to prevent any type of buildup. It is also important to change the sealant around the bathtub or shower basin whenever it starts getting green and funky looking. Definitely don’t let that sit for too long!

To avoid needless visits from the plumber, my husband suggests constantly removing hair from your drain. Hair is always building up and causing blockages. Also make sure you use a good strainer so that hair is caught before it can get down the drain. But it is still a good idea to have a plumber come once a year to snake out your pipes. This prevents surprise blockages at unwanted times (they have the tendency to get blocked up at the worst times possible).

So before coming up with elaborate bathroom decorating ideas, keep in mind that cleanliness and functionality come first!