Visually Expanding Bathroom Space: 7 Tips

How to arrange everything necessary in a bathroom without turning the already small space into a cramped and uncomfortable one? We asked designer Anna Elina to share her tips and life hacks.

Anna Elina — designer, founder of ElinaProDesign studio

Pay attention to finishing

An unusual combination of tiles or color visually changes the dimensions of a bathroom. Look at the photos below: a narrow and elongated space upwards was transformed due to colored lines transitioning from wall to floor. They are positioned at a certain angle and visually expand the tiny space.

Design: Anna Elina

Use mirrors

To enhance the effect, you can decorate a mirror wall or place a mirror in a narrow passage — this trick visually 'opens' walls that are too close to each other.

Design: Anna Elina

Glass surfaces

If you want to zone a small bathroom, glass partitions for the shower area and curtains with transparent inserts — an excellent solution. They are virtually invisible in the interior but help define functional zones.

Design: Anna Elina

Add more light fixtures

Light should evenly fill the bathroom without leaving dark spots, so that the room appears spacious. Place light fixtures at different levels: on the ceiling, above the mirror and sink, and also additionally illuminate the ceiling. The most effective trick is perimeter floor lighting.

It's ideal if there is a window in the bathroom. Natural light creates an impression of larger space.

Plan storage

An abundance of items will clutter the space and visually reduce it. Use every centimeter usefully: built-in cabinets, niches, and vanities help maintain order and hide unnecessary bubbles and tubes.

Design: Julia Chernova

Choose compact furniture and fixtures

Choose furniture with minimalistic design — such items look compact and neat. To save space, replace the bathtub with a shower cabin, and a regular toilet and sink with wall-mounted or built-in installations.

Place the right accents

Focus on color in finishing — properly placed color or texture accents divert attention from the modest size of the room.

For example, a low ceiling can be painted the same color as the walls, and its boundaries will literally dissolve into space. Visually enlarging a room can also be achieved by transitioning one color from floor to wall.

Don’t be afraid to choose large-format tiles — in a small bathroom they will only benefit you. On the other hand, small tiles or mosaic visually reduce the space due to the large number of grout lines.

Pastel and light shades help expand space. Bright furniture and decor items will draw all attention and make the room seem even smaller.

Life hacks

Laid vertically, tiles can lift the ceiling but narrow the space. Conversely, horizontally laid tiles will lower the ceiling height but expand the bathroom.

Also, a slight 'opening' of walls can be achieved by laying floor tiles diagonally.

On the cover: Anna Elina's design project