A top home improvement question around here:

How to make a small bathroom look and feel larger?

This post was firsts published in early 2020, but since then I’ve gone back and updated a few of these ideas…

Image from our beach house remodel.

How To Make a Small Bathroom Look Bigger

At one point or another, you’ve probably had a home with a very small bathroom.

This is an incredibly common pain point for most homeowners.

It’s likely that your home has at least one bathroom that feels like a small cupboard.

But that doesn’t have to be the case!

There are a few easy ways you can make a small bathroom look and feel so much bigger.

The best part?

These strategies and design tricks can easily be applied to other areas in your home as well.

image via Serena and Lily

Keep it clean and tidy.

For starters, keeping the floor space clear and avoiding extra clutter is such an easy way to make any small room feel bigger.

A neat and orderly space will maximize the usable areas in your home and keep you from feeling boxed in if the entire room is quite small.

It’s also just a lot more functional and easier on the eye.

A sparkling clean bathroom, regardless of size or design, will always look and feel larger.

Design to create space.

When it comes to small spaces, optical illusions are your friend!

They can help draw the eye to different areas that make a small bathroom feel much larger.

A mirror which also doubles as a medicine cabinet, is a great solution as it’s a classic space saving trick.

Even better, these days they come is some really great looking options.

Regardless of how much square footage you’re working with, sometimes just knowing the right tricks to create the illusion of space is all you need.

Using a small bathmat and hooks for towels rather than towel bars or bulky towel racks, will help make the room look as large as possible.

Adding hooks for robes and towels to the back of the bathroom door is another great space saving trick.

These popular adhesive hooks are my go to brand.

I also always use a few on the back of closet and bathroom doors throughout our home.

In addition, using larger floor tiles helps to make the space feel more open, regardless of the size of your bathroom.

Whereas smaller tiles could make the whole room look more confined.

Finally, my favorite optical illusion is to use a large mirror.

This will always give the illusion of more space.

In fact, you don’t need to limit yourself to just one mirror.

If there’s enough wall space, try to optimize any natural light sources with mirrors.

Not only do they bounce the light around the room, but mirrors add the illusion of more space.

This is another great tip for any room in your house, mirrors always add the illusion of depth and space.

Choose a small sink.

If you have a small bathroom, you don’t want to overwhelm the tiny space with a very large and bulky sink.

Instead, you’ll want to choose a small sink that will complement the proportions of the room, rather than anything that will dwarf the space.

Manufacturers are responding to consumer demands for more streamlined sinks with an array of new smaller sinks on the market.

This one, in particular, is a personal favorite.

As you can see, smaller sinks can be both chic and minimal.

Additionally, a pedestal sink takes up a lot less space than a vanity.

A great idea to consider in a tiny bathroom, if you don’t need the extra storage underneath.

Opt for minimal style.

One of the worst things you can do in a small room is over design it.

The same holds true for a smaller bathroom.

Cramming tons of bric-a-brac or lots of storage into the bathroom is going to make the room feel cramped.

Instead, opt for light-colored walls and ceilings and if possible, use the natural light from a window.

When it comes to wall paint color, remember light colors tend to open a space up, whereas the inverse of this is true for dark colors.

If it’s a windowless bathroom, a great looking, bright light fixture is essential.

Ideally, a fixture with more than one light bulb.

Keep everything clean and sleek is an effective way to make the space feel as large as possible.

Streamline any window treatments (if you’re lucky enough to have a window.)

You’ll want to stay away from anything too heavy or over powering to the eye.

Keep it light.

If your bathroom is a full bath with a shower, think about using a glass shower door in your bathroom design.

This sliding glass shower door is the one we prefer.

We used it in several recent bathroom renovations, including the beach house we recently sold.

A shower curtain, while pretty and functional, will cut off the space by blocking your eye off from the rest of the walls and ceiling.

Something you’ll want to avoid in a small bathroom set up.

image from our beach house remodel

Choose space-saving designs.

There are certain parts of your bathroom design that will definitely need to be there for the sake of utility.

However, you don’t need to sacrifice as much space as you might think to make sure the room serves it’s purpose.

If you’re looking for space-saving options, medicine cabinets, a sliding door or pocket door, and wall-hung toilets all give you a little bit more space to play with.

You can also use cute boxes or floating shelves to store what you need but keep it tucked out of sight when you aren’t using it.

Open shelving is a great way to save space and add a bit of style.

Speaking of open shelves, these adhesive shelves are an easy and affordable way to add some sleek storage to any small space.

In addition, I also love this live edge bath caddy for creating an extra surface in the bathroom.

Perfect for a candle or small plant, this handy caddy is the best way to make a little extra room on the counter, where you really need it.

Also, when looking to save space in a small bathroom area, a convenient shower caddy is a must.

Stash away all those unsightly bottles of shampoo and conditioner as well as soap and razors.

Finally, if you have under the sink storage,I love this useful little product.

These under the counter shelves are a quick and inexpensive way to extend your storage space two fold.

bathroom vanity poweder room image via Megan Rae Interiors

If you get creative with your interior design and strategize each room carefully, you’ll be able to create spaces which feels open and roomy.

One that suits your aesthetic and meets your needs.

Which is really what great home design is all about after all…

Lastly, if you’re wondering which, if any wallpaper patterns are ideal for maximizing space? This post can help you nail down some great looking wallpapers for your home.

I had a lot of fun putting together this list of space saving, bathroom optimizing ideas.

Let me know in the comments if you found these small bathroom tips helpful.

If you use any of these ideas in your own home, I’d love to see the results – so please feel free to share them with me!

And, if you have any great ideas which I haven’t mentioned, I’m always looking to learn, so feel free to let me know.

Additional Inspiration

Finally, for even more great bathroom decor and design inspiration, be sure to check out these posts by clicking each title below:

Beadboard Bathroom Design Feature Ideas.

Quick and Easy Ideas to Spruce Up Your Bathroom Counters.

Our Primary Bathroom Remodel With Before and Afters

Our Blue and White Bathroom Remodel With Before and Afters

Bathroom Renovation Wallpaper Ideas

The Best Paint Colors For Small Bathrooms

Guest Bathroom Remodel With Before and Afters

A few more things…

Design lovers! Have you joined our fun and VERY helpful design Facebook group?

In this group – members share photos with their design questions and dilemmas from their own home.

We all chime in with our best advice! We also spill our best sources and tips – so it’s great for sourcing hard to find items and pieces.