As one of the most used rooms in the house, it’s important for the bathroom to be relaxing and comfortable. Even larger bathrooms can feel cramped and cluttered if they’re organized or designed the wrong way. Luckily, there are a few tips and tricks to making even the smallest of bathrooms feel spacious.
Ahead, interior designers share the top reasons a bathroom may feel cramped, and how to easily fix the problem.
Too Many Items on Countertops
Too much clutter on your bathroom’s countertops, whether it’s by the sink, bathtub ledge, or shower niche, can look messy. This visual clutter can make it hard for your body to relax.
“Much like the kitchen, counter clutter makes a space look smaller,” says Candis Stratton, the owner and principal designer at Stratton Interiors.
She recommends having a linen closet in your bathroom to store personal items and bathroom items like towels. If your bathroom doesn’t have the space for a linen closet, you can purchase specific shelves to help efficiently organize your under-counter storage.
Choosing Small Tiles
When selecting tiles for your bathroom, it’s important that they don’t be too small or busy, which would visually shrink the space.
“This can be difficult for the brain to process,” says Chasity Centeno, an interior designer and owner of Riese Design. “This is why in many spas you will see monotonous, large format tiles, because it’s soothing to the eye and easy for the brain to process, making it easier to relax.”
Stratton recommends opting for tiles in a large format, like 12 inches by 24 inches, to help visually expand the space. Neutral colors will also help make the area soothing.
Using the Wrong Mirrors
Mirrors are incredibly important in bathrooms, not only for providing you with your reflection, but also for helping to expand the space. A mirror that is either the wrong size or hung incorrectly can shrink the space and make it feel claustrophobic.
“It’s important to hang mirrors at the correct height. If the mirror is too low, it can make the entire vanity area feel cramped,” Stratton says.
Centeno recommends finding a mirror proportionate to your bathroom and hanging it with equal distance between the vanity light and the sink.
“This will help in the way it reflects light to make the space appear larger,” Centeno says.
Not Using Proper Lighting
Bad lighting isn’t just a nightmare for doing your hair or makeup, it can also seriously affect the perceived dimensions of your space. Having a light fixture that is too big or too small can make the bathroom feel cluttered or too dark.
“Without proper lighting, spaces can feel smaller than they are,” Centeno says.
She recommends prioritizing natural light whenever possible. Adding a decent-sized window in your bathroom will help provide plenty of natural light.
Discarding Laundry On the Floor
While laundry on the floor is not the worst thing in the world, it can take up a lot of valuable floor space, especially if you have a smaller bathroom. “Use a nice laundry hamper to corral the clothes and keep the space clear,” says Stratton. If your bathroom isn’t large enough for a laundry hamper, consider using a separate space for your laundry.