When decorating a small bathroom it is possible to fool the eye into seeing openness and a sense of space. One of the easiest ways to give the illusion of a larger room is the generous use of mirrors. Reflections of the outdoors or other walls enhance the sense of being in a larger area. If your window faces a brick wall or other uninviting view, or if it is on a dark side of the house, consider hanging a mirror in front of it.
A glass shower or tub enclosure will add to the openess of a small bathroom. Corner shower stalls and sinks free up some additional floor space.
Rather than mounting shelves and medicine cabinets on the wall, consider shelves built into the walls between the studs to make the room look more spacious.
Using light colored paint, paper, and tile surfaces in your bathroom decorating will help to visually expand the space. If it is the master bathroom, carrying the same color scheme from the bedroom into the bath will also make the space seem larger.
Efficient storage should be considered in your bathroom decorating plan
An overstuffed medicine cabinet or cluttered sink counter can be irritating and a hindrance to starting the day off in a stress free environment. Cleared off counter tops add to the sense of space in your bathroom.
Go through the cabinets, drawers, and under the sink storage. If you are like most people, there are probably items in these areas you haven't used in years. Throw out that $40.00 bottle of perfume that smelled great on your best friend, but made you smell like skunk cabbage. Get rid of the marvelous creams that were going to make you look 10 years, but needed 10 years worth of applying to work. Old medicines, half-filled band-aid boxes, and dirty bent Q-tips are of no use to anyone. Once this is done, you'll find you've eliminated half of your clutter. Now as part of your bathroom decorating ideas, start thinking of efficient and decorative storage solutions. Here is a list of storage ideas:
- Keep small items separated with draw dividers
- Hang a shower caddy in your shower or over the rim of the tub
- Hang clothing hooks on the back of the bathroom door
- Mount an antique corner cupboard in an unused niche
- Place baskets on the toilet ledge to hold small items or soaps
- Use wire baskets under the sink area to keep items organized
- Use wicker shelves over the toilet area for towels and linens
- Hang a child's toy net to hold shower and bath items
- Hang a peg rack on the wall and give everyone their own bag for personal items in order to keep the counters clear
Look for ideas about bathroom decor in books, magazines, and the Internet
There is an abundance of decorating books and magazines available. Check out your local library or the Internet for more ideas. When looking at the pictures, don't look at the whole room. You are looking for original bathroom decorating ideas. Look for a new way to use accessories, or what type of containers you might like to use for holding all your makeup brushes. Look at how mirrors and art are used as wall decorations. Notice how towels are stored, and what type of lighting is utilized.
By visually taking a room apart, you can find many bathroom decorating ideas to stimulate your creativity and inborn sense of design. You'll soon have friends asking you how you came up with such a clever way of using accessories or what made you think of that interesting window treatment or storage idea.
Experiment, have fun, enjoy
If you are held back by budget considerations, go ahead and decorate anyway. Think in your mind what you would do if money was not an option. Plan your room down to the last detail. Enjoy the process. Once you get your bathroom decorating ideas on paper, you may find several ideas you can use right away. In the meantime, you are developing your design sense and creativity. After all, how can you make a mistake if it's all on paper?
So go ahead, have fun, push the limits, and you just might end up with an incredible bathroom!
Gloria Daniels has worked in many areas of the home decorating field and has been helping clients decorate their homes creatively for over 20 years. For more help and hints on creative ways to decorate you home, visit her website at Home Decorating Room by Room While there sign up for her ezine Home Decorating Workshop Each month receive a dozen home decorating tips along with a lesson in how to develop your creativity when decorating your home.
