Tips for Remodeling a Small Bathroom
The first thing you need to do when remodeling a small bathroom is decide on a primary reason that you are remodeling. Focusing in on your reason behind the remodeling project will help you to stick to a plan during the remodel and come out with a more cohesive, usable space in the end. Are you working to provide more storage in your bathroom? Would you just like to update the look to a more modern one than it currently is? Do you want to focus on creating a space where you can relax after a long, hard day? Choose whatever is the most important result that you want from your bathroom and then keep that in mind during every phase of the remodel to ensure you are sticking to the plan.
Next, you need to take inventory of both the space and of any items in the space that you plan to reuse. Start by measuring the length, width and height of your bathroom. This will help greatly when you are shopping for fixtures since you will be able to easily judge if they can fit in your space. Try drawing the dimensions of your small bathroom to scale on a piece of graph paper. Then, take a sheet of overhead transparency paper and place it over the top of the graph paper. Sketch in different layouts for your bathtub, sink, shower, toilet and any other features you are putting in your bathroom with a dry erase marker. You may find that by buying a shorter tub and putting it on one end of the room you can open up a lot of space.
Also, be sure to take a look at the overall floor plan of your house. For instance, if there is a closet that you aren’t using butted up against the bathroom you may be able to knock down the wall and convert the closet into part of your bathroom to expand the space. Try to be creative since when it comes to bathrooms every square inch can help them to feel much bigger.
Shop around for smaller sized items like bathtubs, sinks and toilets. Often times these items can be found in space saving designs that are still plenty large enough to be usable. By placing smaller items in your bathroom you can help the space to feel bigger. You may also want to check out manufactured or mobile home supply stores since the bathroom fixtures they sell are generally sized smaller that standard items and often times will work perfectly in a small bathroom while opening up more space.
Also shop for creative storage solutions that make the most of the space. Storage pouches that hang on the back of the bathroom door are great for storing small items like brushes and makeup. Shelving that goes over your toilet can help to maximize the wall space while not taking up any space on the floor. There are many products available today designed to make the most of every inch of space in your bathroom, so be sure to check them all out and see what will work best for your situation.
Most importantly, buy items that you love and that will make your small bathroom feel comfortable and beautiful to you. If you love the space then the size becomes less important and you can still get a great deal of enjoyment out of your bathroom no matter how small it is.
