Dawn Falcone:
* Avoid having anything that sticks out from the walls especially in very narrow bathrooms. This means that maybe you forgo a towel bar and mount one on the back of the door. Go with built-in toilet paper holders and magazine racks. Even try to avoid decorative shelves. All of this takes away precious square footage.* Open up the room with glass. If your bathroom only has a shower stall consider not only a glass door but partially taking out another wall & replacing it with glass. Even a small tub area will benefit from some clean, clear glass doors. If glass is not an option then use clear shower curtains that will allow light in.
* Choose smaller vanities. Many companies now make "apartment" size vanities. Or go with a simple pedestal sink or wall mounted sink.
* Place floor tiles on a diagonal. This will give the room the illusion of being larger. Larger tiles with thin grout lines will also give the appearance of more square footage.
* Pay attention to lighting. Dark bathrooms look smaller. Recessed or ceiling lights and something placed over the sink area are a must.
* Tiling the walls all the way up to the ceiling will make the ceilings appear higher. Place a colored or decorative tile near the upper wall and ceiling line to draw your eye up.
* Many designers will suggest lighter, pastel paint colors or whites or grays for small bathrooms. Yes, these colors are easy to work with and will make the space feel light and airy. But, you can choose a deeper hue as long as you go with a semi-gloss finish. The sheen in the semi-gloss paint will reflect light and help the room look bigger.
* Keep it simple. Busy wall paper, too many paint colors, patterned fabrics and accessories will make the room feel cluttered and smaller. Two colors will work great in a small bath. One for wall color and another for accessories.
