Even if you can't increase the square footage in your bathroom, you can still help it look and feel larger. The average person spends a full
in the bathroom during their lifetime, and you don't want to spend this time in a bathroom that feels cramped and uncomfortable.
Read on to learn four bathroom design tips that can make any small bathroom appear and feel more spacious.
1. Install a Sink/Toilet Combo
You can save bathroom space while helping the environment by installing a sink/toilet combo. These bathroom fixtures are similar to traditional toilets, yet they have bathroom sinks located directly on top of them. Typically, the water used at the sink of a toilet/sink combo (called grey water) flows through the sink drain and directly into the toilet tank.
When your toilet tank is filled with recycled grey water instead of fresh water, you cannot only help reduce water waste that takes a toll on the environment, but you may even be able to shave a few bucks off your water bill, as well.
2. Choose a Glass Shower Enclosure
Unless you take baths on a regular basis, then skip the bathtub in your small bathroom and install a stall or walk-in shower instead. The average bathtub occupies 13 square feet of bathroom space, while the average shower only takes up about 9 square feet of space. When you choose a shower instead of a bathtub, you gain 4 extra square feet of bathroom space.
Also, be sure to choose a glass shower door for your stall shower or have your walk-in shower encased in clear glass to provide the illusion of a larger bathroom. Opaque shower curtains and/or opaque shower walls provide visual breaks in a bathroom that can make it look and feel smaller.
3. Install Plenty of Windows
To help a small bathroom look and feel larger, install plenty of windows. A room that is filled with natural light appears larger than it is. To help preserve bathroom privacy, install windows in strategic locations and choose the right window glass.
Transom windows are small, rectangular windows typically used as accent windows. To allow plenty of
light into your bathroom without sacrificing privacy, install a row of transom windows well above eye level on your bathroom's exterior walls. By placing these windows high on the wall, it will be difficult, if not impossible, for outsiders to glance into them.
One type of window that is underused in bathrooms is a skylight window. Install a skylight window on your bathroom ceiling to help illuminate the bathroom naturally during the day and provide a great view of the sky after the sun sets. The view outside of this window can help you avoid a cooped up feeling in your small bathroom.
While you can install traditional safety glass in transom and skylight windows, choose textured glass or glass blocks when selecting glass for windows closer to eye level. These glass types obscure the view inside of your windows while still allowing plenty of natural light through them.
4. Don't Skimp on Mirrors
Every bathroom needs a mirror, but don't think that since you have a small bathroom, you should install just one small mirror. Consider installing several mirrors or other mirrored surfaces to help your small bathroom look and feel larger. Both natural and artificial light bounce off mirrors to brighten the room even further. Mirrors also add visual depth to a room that can help it appear larger.
While you can simply place mirrors on your bathroom walls, also consider installing mirrored cabinets and a full-length mirror on the interior side of your bathroom door instead of allowing this space to go unused.
If you are remodeling a small bathroom, then keep these four small bathroom design tips in mind to help your bathroom look and feel more spacious than it is. Contact the glass professionals at City Glass of Bloomington, Inc., for all of your
window and custom mirror needs
today.