Small Bathroom Design Ideas

When you're trying to create or remodel a small bathroom, focusing on small bath design is critical. It ensures the completed bathroom will be functional, convenient to use, and meet all of your needs. Careful planning is needed to ensure the design and layout will also meet your needs for many years to come.

First to consider is how many people will utilize the bathroom space you're designing, on a regular basis-and what it will be used for.

Will your small bathroom design plan simply serve as an extra half bath off of your laundry area? Is it attached to a master bedroom to be shared by husband and wife at the same time? Or is it the one and only bathroom in your family home? And how many people are in your family? The answers to these questions are essential to creating a functional design.

Creating a design that works for a half bath that really only requires a toilet, sink, and storage area is significantly different from coming up with a design for a bath attached to the master bedroom that both husband and wife will need to utilize simultaneously.

Likewise, it is very different from a design for the home's only bathroom that will need to be used for everything-from every person in the house showering or bathing to all of those same people brushing their teeth or putting on their makeup daily. And it is important to remember that it will also be used by guests in your home.

The purpose and the number of people the bathroom will serve will help you determine the small bathroom design required in the space, such as a bathtub and/or shower unit, toilet, sink and vanity or double vanity.

With small bathroom design, placement of these items is very important. You want the bathroom to be easy to navigate within, the door needs to be able to open without hitting anyone standing in front of the sink or getting out of the shower, and-if you're designing for a remodel-you may need to utilize existing plumbing lines.

When working with a small bath design, it's a good idea to purchase all matching fixtures in a light color-preferably bisque or white. These colors will not go out of fashion quickly and they tend to make the room look larger and brighter than dark colors. You may also want to use a light neutral color of tile or paint on the walls with small bathroom design to make the space appear bigger, as well.

Another way to open up a tiny space and make a small bathroom design seem more spacious is to be sure the bathroom is very well lit. This can be a very important part of your small bathroom design-especially since you'll need to plan for electrical wiring wherever you plan to hook up those lights and the necessary switches, as well. And good lighting is another key to making your small bathroom design functional and practical.

When considering the electrical components, don't forget to wire in and purchase a bathroom fan.. A tiny space needs to be well ventilated to prevent the growth of mold or mildew. A bathroom fan is essential.

Finally, don't forget to plan for storage in your small bathroom design. The amount of storage necessary will also relate to how many people will use the bathroom and for what purposes. A bathroom with a shower or bathtub, for instance, requires more storage space for large bath towels. A bathroom adjacent to the master bedroom probably requires storage for a wife's hair products and makeup in addition to a husband's shaving products and supplies. A small half bath may only require minimal storage space for a few cleaning supplies, a couple of hand towels, and some extra rolls of toilet tissue.

Try to use all of your space in the small area wisely. Consider shelving or cabinets that go from floor to ceiling to maximize the use of the space or high cabinets over the toilet if you have high ceilings. Then try to think outside the box as you're working to get in all of the amenities and functionality you need in your small bathroom design. For instance, towel rings may be more practical and space saving than towel bars. And wicker baskets sitting on the floor can look decorative and provide valuable storage space for clean towels. Chrome towel racks that will fit in open wall space-like the ones you see in many hotel bathrooms-are also incredibly practical for small bath design.