How to make a small bathroom look elegant?

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Answer
To make a small bathroom look elegant, consider the following tips:
  1. Countertop Accessorizing: Focus on functional items like hand soap dispensers and hand towels. Add decorative embellishments sparingly to avoid clutter. Ensure that only aesthetically pleasing items are left on the countertops, and store other items away
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  2. Use Larger Wall Art: Instead of small wall art, use larger pieces to create a sense of visual flow and make the space feel bigger
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  3. Curves Over Angles: Use curved edges on baths, showers, and furniture to create a more visually appealing and spacious feel2.
  4. Frameless Glass Screens: Install clear glass shower screens to reflect light and create the illusion of more space2.
  5. Mirrored Furniture: Use mirrored furniture and a large mirror above the sink to visually double the size of the bathroom23.
  6. Light Colors: Paint the walls, ceiling, and floor in light, soft colors to make the space appear larger3.
  7. Strategic Tiles: Use larger tiles in softer tones to create the illusion of a larger space. Avoid black grout and patterned tiles3.
  8. Custom Cupboards: Invest in custom cupboards to maximize storage and create a neat aesthetic4.
  9. Frame the View: Use metal framing to create a luxurious feel and make the most of available space4.
  10. Blur Lines with Color: Carry the same color tones over multiple surfaces to blur out awkward angles and create a sense of warmth4.
By incorporating these design elements, you can create an elegant and visually spacious small bathroom.




Author: Julie Khuu



Key insights

  • The goal is to make your small bathroom feel bigger, brighter, more functional, and downright fabulous.
  • Understanding scale in relation to the size of your bathroom is crucial for optimizing space and choosing the right fixtures.
  • Choosing a wall mounted faucet can free up countertop space and create a stylish, modern look for your small bathroom.
  • Frameless glass doors for the shower can make the bathroom feel more open and spacious, while also adding a modern touch.
  • Tiling all the walls from floor to ceiling can give small bathrooms a big wow factor and make them appear larger.
  • Extending floor tile into the shower can make the whole room feel larger by drawing the eye into the whole space.
  • 🪞 Using a mirror to create the illusion of a window can visually expand the space in a small bathroom, doubling the impact of color or pattern.
  • Bold design elements can make the hugest impact in the tiniest of rooms.

Timestamped Summary

  • 00:00 Julie shares 8 design tips to make small bathrooms feel bigger, brighter, more functional, and stylish without major remodeling.
  • 01:33 Implement design tips and tricks to make small bathrooms look larger, such as understanding scale, using leggy fixtures, and opting for floating vanities, and choose a sink that fits your needs and play around with finishes, colors, and patterns.
  • 05:04 Choose a wall mounted faucet to free up countertop space, use light colors for a larger look, and dark colors for depth in a small bathroom.
  • 07:37 Use high gloss paint, frameless glass shower doors, and a tension rod with a shower curtain to make your small bathroom look larger without remodeling.
  • 10:01 Use large scale patterned wallpaper or mural to make small bathrooms look larger, and consider tiling all the walls from floor to ceiling for a big wow factor.
  • 12:10 Use different types of tile, extend floor tile into the shower, and mirror a wall to make a small bathroom look larger.
  • 14:06 Use mirrors to visually expand space, add a ledge for extra storage, and use closed storage to keep things neatly tucked away in a small bathroom.
  • 16:09 Make the most of your small bathroom with bold design elements to create a brighter, more spacious, and inspiring space.

Video Full Text

  • 00:00 Hello everyone welcome back to my channel I'm julie and if you're just joining us we are in the middle of the small space. Series make sure you check out my previous videos on big ideas for your small living rooms and small outdoor spaces. Today we'll be talking about my top 8 design tips to implement into your small bathroom. The goal is to make your small bathroom feel bigger brighter more functional more stylish and downright fabulous if you're looking for small bathroom ideas that will make the whole space feel bigger. This video is for you raise your hand if you have a teeny tiny bathroom in your home that needs a complete major makeover you guys might remember from. Late last year. I was desperate for a makeover in my guest bathroom. I had been living with these ugly black and white checkered tiles that are lining the entire wall for as long as I've lived in here. I really just took the time and dived right into this diy makeover that you can check out on the channel now and I have never been happier. I mean we're slowly starting to phase out a quarantine right. Now and covet restrictions are lifted which means we're having more friends and family come over but aside from that guest bathroom. I have another teeny tiny bathroom in my home. It's actually in my husband's home office but we share a walkway because it's on the way to my walk-in closet. So every day. I have to walk past this itty-bitty ugly bathroom and I just thought you know what it's really time for a makeover.
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  • 01:33 I started pulling some inspiration online and that is how I came up for the inspiration for this video. I just found so many cool design tips and tricks that have been implemented in small bathrooms and these are the tips that I want to share with you without further ado. Here are the best ways to turn your powder bathroom half baths tub shower combos and those windowless bathrooms into uber fabulously designed spaces. First step is to understand scale in relation to the size of your bathroom toilets need a minimum of 36 inch clearance which means when you're seated on the toilet. You will need 18 inches of clearance on the left and 18 inches of clearance on the right. Once you have that space allotted. Then you can play around with the footprint of the bathroom and specify the right vanity for a powder room or tub shower combo for a small full bath opt for leggy fixtures like pedestal sinks or vanities with legs so they lift off of the floor and allow for more visibility into the small space. Floating vanities are also an option to make the small bathroom look. Larger. There really is no minimum measurement for a sink. This is your home your needs you figure out the way you want it to function. If all you have room for is a tiny vessel sink or a wall mounted sink then go for it. A functional powder room only needs two things a sink and a toilet everything else is a bonus once you understand the minimum allowances you have in the bathroom for fixed needs like the toilet and the sink you can then start playing around with finishes colors and pattern to make the small bathroom feel bigger.
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  • 05:04 While we're on the topic of fixtures always choose a wall mounted faucet to free up countertop space. There's a domino effect when you choose a wall mounted faucet. You can source a smaller sink use less countertop material and the countertop can actually be more shallow in depth. You've shaved off a good three or four inches from the countertop with a wall mounted faucet. This look is stylish modern and bonus points for being super easy to clean. Since gravity will help water drip down and not collect on the countertop like a deck mounted faucet would if you specify a deck mounted faucet choose a faucet with a single lever versus two separate handles to free up even more countertop space let's talk about how to use color in your small bathroom to make it look larger. The goal here is to keep it very low contrast keep the color palette light bright and airy or deep dark and moody light walls. Light fixtures and light finishes add brightness to the space if you love color opt for a lighter tone like sky blue versus a darker royal blue breezy. Lightweight window treatments add to the feeling of an airy open space on the flip side. Dark walls add depth and creates the illusion of a larger space. Dark. Colors are perfect for windowless bathrooms when it's already very dark in the space.
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  • 07:37 High gloss paint reflects light and helps to bounce it around on all of the surfaces remember that dark and moody doesn't have to be all black. It can be just as dramatic with pattern wallpaper rich woods and low lighting I love. This look for a small moody powder room. If you choose dark walls remember the importance of a fabulous light fixture. Let's talk about shower doors and the right ones to specify for your small bathroom. My preference is frameless glass doors. You could have a fixed panel on one side with a frameless glass door on the other or you can simply have a fixed panel and remove the door completely. This allows you to have full access to the shower remember that no doors require a sloped drain. Maybe 1 8 to 1 4 inches more than the recommended slope if you have a tub shower combo get rid of those builder grade sliding doors not only does this add bulk to the room. It's not that functional you can only access one side at a time think sliding closet doors and the extra metal frame to hold it. All in place adds visual weight to the room when you want it to feel light bright and airy. You can mix the sliders completely and add a tension rod with a shower curtain that you can pull all the way to one side instead.
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  • 10:01 Another trick to making small bathrooms look larger is by sourcing large scale patterned wallpaper or mural the larger the pattern. The larger the space will actually feel. Smaller. Patterns can visually clutter a small space unless the pattern is tone on tone and doesn't have much contrast. Then the small pattern can have the illusion of a solid color if you fall in love with the busier pattern consider adding wayne scott into the bottom half of the walls paint it bright white and layer with the chosen wallpaper. Up top you will raise the visual weight of the room and still provide the visual impact you crave from wallpaper this next tip is all about those tile tricks. It's a two-parter where I'll be talking about floor tile and wall tile a trick to make your small bathroom. Appear. Larger is to tile all of the walls from the floor to the ceiling tiling. All the walls gives small spaces a big wow factor if you're worried about wetness penetrating wallpaper think about investing in wall-to-wall tile.
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  • 12:10 Instead you can use any type of tile for the project you can specify floor tile tiny shower pan mosaics don't relegate your search to just wall tile. Another budget conscious and renter-friendly option is to use peel and stick wall tile that looks like full mosaic sheets instead moving on to tile on the floors. If you want your small bathroom to appear larger extend the floor tile right into the shower. Since there are no flooring transitions. This will draw the eye into the whole space and make the whole room feel larger. The same rule applies to extending floor tile to the shower make sure your shower pan is sloped with proper drainage that runs away from the opening of the shower stall if you go for this look if you don't have a shower but a tub instead run the floor tile up on the tub face for a seamless look. Another tip to make your small bathroom appear larger is to mirror the entire length of a wall.
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  • 14:06 The reflection will help visually expand space and double the impact of color or pattern in the space if you don't have a window. The mirror acts like a window furthering the effect that light has in the room make sure you specify the largest mirror that fits the wall or custom cut a mirror to install. I love the look of stone or tile on the bottom half of the bathroom and a full mirror on the upper half of one wall remember not to mirror all of the walls. The hall of mirror's effect is dizzying. You lose the impact not to mention that it's bad feng. Shui with all of that energy bouncing back and forth use a ledge or a deck to create more space. A narrow ledge along the entire length of the bathroom is the perfect spot to place a mirror toiletries. Candles and bathroom essentials with one simple move you just doubled your surface storage space. This tip is borrowed from my years designing hotel suites. Long ledges look sleek and modern granted. They're only used for daily essentials and not all of your costco toiletries. Back stock if you have bottles and tubes scattered all over the counter tops. It's guaranteed to distract you and clutter. The space use closed storage such as a linen closet or a vanity with drawers and doors to keep things neatly tucked away.
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  • 16:09 These small bathroom ideas are really about making the most of what you got. I want to show you that bold design elements can make the hugest impact in the tiniest of rooms. The lack of square footage plus no windows plus builder grade blah fixtures can make a small bathroom one of the more challenging spaces to design because there's not a whole lot to it. But that's exactly why you should rise up to the challenge and let this itty bitty bathroom become the showpiece of the entire home when you get it right. The whole room can seem brighter more spacious more inspiring and it might just be the catalyst to help you get your entire home on an elevated wavelength remember to always start by measuring your space understand. The clearances involved the function that you need for the room and plan accordingly if you like this type of content and you've been enjoying the small space series so far give this video a thumbs up if you have any issues when it comes to space planning. I am all ears let me know in the comments below and I'll give you my best design. Advice share this small space series with anyone struggling to design their small space and don't forget to subscribe to my channel if you haven't already thank you for watching. I'll see you next week you.
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