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The Small Bathroom, Reimagined: 4 Ways to Create Openness
A small bathroom can feel like a cramped, dark box. But it does not have to. With a few key design choices, you can change the entire feeling of the space, making it feel open, bright, and airy. It is all about tricking the eye and creating clear, uninterrupted sightlines. Kitchen Traditions designers are experts at this kind of spatial magic.
First, imagine your vanity. Is it a heavy, dark cabinet sitting on the floor? See how it stops your eye and makes the floor feel small. Now, picture a "floating" vanity, mounted to the wall. Your eye can now travel all the way underneath it, across the entire floor. The room instantly feels more expansive, and the floor itself appears larger.
Second, look at your shower. Is it hidden behind a billowy, opaque curtain? That curtain is a wall, cutting your small room into even smaller pieces. Now, picture a clear glass panel. Suddenly, your eye can see all the way to the back of the shower. The room's perceived square footage just doubled. The light from the main room can now fill the shower, and the shower's light can fill the room.
Third, think about your mirror and lights. Is a small, builder-grade mirror hanging over the sink, with a dim "hollywood" light bar above it? Now, imagine a large mirror that extends all the way to the ceiling, or one that stretches across the entire wall. See how it reflects the light and the room, creating an illusion of depth. Pair this with bright, layered light from wall sconces and ceiling fixtures.
Fourth, visualize your storage. Is it a jumble on the countertop or the back of the toilet? Picture a tall, narrow cabinet, drawing the eye upward and making the ceiling feel higher. Imagine a recessed medicine cabinet, its mirror-face flush with the wall, hiding all the clutter inside the wall, not on it. For those planning a bathroom remodeling redding homeowners find that this vertical, hidden storage is the key to a calm, uncluttered feeling.
You do not need to add square footage to make your bathroom feel larger. You just need to let your eye travel. These four pictures—a floating vanity, a clear shower, a large mirror, and vertical storage—are the key.
To see how to visually open up your space, learn more from Kitchen Traditions. Their gallery of small-space solutions is at https://kitchentraditions.net/
