small bathrooms | Kitchen Cabinet Value

Small Bathroom Ideas

Remodeling a small bath has several challenges. Finding good small bathroom ideas, however, is much easier than many homeowners think. Whether the makeover involves a master bath, a powder room or any other smaller area, it is possible to find great ideas to make the space optimally functional and attractive.

Challenges

Small baths present both typical challenges for remodelers and unique issues. The first issue in any remodel is cost. Regardless of the size of your bath, the basic plumbing fixtures must be included, as well as ventilation, lighting, electricity and accessibility, before exploring other small bathroom ideas.

A second significant challenge is finding small bathroom ideas for fitting everything into a small space. Fortunately, today’s remodeler can find a broad range of plumbing fixtures designed for small bathrooms. You might choose any of the following:

Install only a shower (no tub)
A tub that is smaller and deeper
A lower toilet
Smaller sink designs
Pedestal or wall-mounted sink to open more floor space
Spa shower designed on a small scale
Combination toilet and bidet

A third challenge is to find good small bathroom ideas for decorating. There are ways to decorate that will make the small space appear larger and more spacious.

A fourth challenge is to provide adequate lighting. Natural light is always to be preferred over artificial light, but it is often very difficult to add windows in a small area. Tube lights (which bring light through a tube from the roof to the ceiling admit a surprising amount of natural light. Skylights are also an outstanding choice among small bathroom ideas if you are working on the top floor of the house.

Finding Small Bathroom Ideas

Most homeowners are relieved to discover abundant sources of small bathroom ideas for design and decorating. These include:

Books on bathroom design or remodeling
Home decorating and design magazines
Books of house plans
Visit model homes in new neighborhoods
Ask your neighbors what they have done
Displays at home improvement stores and kitchen and bath stores
Talk with a remodeling designer or a home planner
Check remodeling websites
Explore websites for manufacturers of fixtures and other materials

Planning your Renovations

In working with a small area, planning each aspect of the remodel is critical. You will want to ensure every decision fits with all other choices and decisions. Any mistakes in choosing items you will use in your remodel or colors will be exaggerated in a small bathroom. Finding the right small bathroom ideas for every detail is crucial.

Begin with your budget. Know how much you can spend, because you will almost certainly need to compromise in selecting fixtures and other materials. Then, set priorities for your design and the materials. For example, is it more important to have a spa shower or to have a heated floor?

Shop carefully for every item you need. Shop the sales and compare prices carefully. Consider buying overstock or discontinued styles (if they fit your plan).

Small Bathroom Ideas for Design and Décor

There are many tips and tricks you will discover for decorating small bathroom ideas that make the space seem larger. Here are a few of the top tips

Use vertical stripes or borders at the top of walls to draw the eye upward
Introduce as much natural light as possible
Magnify the natural light with well-placed mirrors
Use lighter and brighter colors
Don’t install a vanity
Put as little as possible on surfaces

Storage and Small Bathroom Ideas

A major challenge for the creativity of many designers is providing adequate storage while also taking advantage of small bathroom ideas to make the room appear larger. Once the vanity is sacrificed to spaciousness, storage is typically lost. Many homeowners find it helpful to call in a local cabinetmaker for help.

If you have no storage space inside a small bathroom and little or none immediately outside it, you must think creatively and find innovative solutions to your storage needs. A good cabinetmaker can help you with small bathroom ideas like opening a second point of access to a hall linen closet or add open shelves over the tub or outside the shower for towels. Your cabinetmaker can also customize stock cabinetry to fit into recesses he or she cuts into walls for a variety of storage needs. Small niches also can be cut into the wall for decorative items.

Small bathroom ideas are abundant when you are remodeling. Working with a good local cabinetmaker in the planning stages of your design will result in a beautiful bath with adequate and innovative storage solutions that will further enhance your room design. Modifying stock cabinets will save money and allow you to do even more with small bathroom ideas.

One of the great joys of larger bathrooms is the space for beautiful and functional bathroom vanities. Whether you want the traditional vanity designed to hide those unsightly pipes and fittings while also providing a bit of storage space or you want a magnificent piece of cabinetry, you will find adequate space in the spacious bathrooms homeowners are choosing today. So what are the basics of bathroom vanities you should know before you start planning your new extra bathroom or an enlargement of an existing bathroom, or even just a pleasing remodel.

If you have looked at a bathroom design or interior decorating magazine lately you will have certainly noticed that there is much greater variety in bathroom vanities than ever before.

1. More sizes. The days of one size fits all are long gone. Today you can choose an 18-inch depth if you want to preserve floor space (ideal in a small bathroom) or 24-inch depth for a larger bathroom and to provide more storage.

2. More heights. Everybody is not the same. Now you can choose bathroom vanities in the best height for everyone. Standard vanities and cabinets come in heights ranging from 28 to 36 inches.

3. More material and finish varieties. Whether you want a traditional white vanity or a piece of antique furniture, it is all available. Particularly if you want custom or semi-custom bathroom vanities, you can choose the wood, choose the finish and choose a cabinetry configuration unimagined thirty years ago.

4. More styles. Whether you want something contemporary and sleek or something reminiscent of Victorian elegance, you can have any style you want. Custom and customized bathroom vanities can match any style in your home.

5. More price options. Whether you buy wholesale and assemble and install yourself or you have each piece of cabinetry custom-made, you can find bathroom vanities in every possible price range.

6. Even stock cabinet sizes offer many options. Standard stock cabinet dimensions (in inches) are:

7. Accessories. You can find the perfect accessories for your cabinetry to meet any need. From drawer inserts to organize makeup, toiletries, and hair care items to pull-out shelves and baskets for easy access to towels and washcloths. If you want it, you can get it.

8. The same variety in cabinet materials, finishes and styles that you choose from for your kitchen is also available for bathroom vanities. Beautiful custom cabinetry can be as elegant in the bathroom as the kitchen. And, because you are buying the same quality, you will also get cabinetry with the same protective coatings you expect in the kitchen.

9. There is no need to confine your choices to traditional cabinets. You can even choose from bathroom vanities that resemble costly antiques.

10. Absolute freedom to combine pieces in ways that best suit your needs is yours. You can combine open shelves with drawers and doors. You can mix cabinet heights for ultimate comfort and accessibility. Today, bathroom vanities can be whatever you want.

Maple bathroom vanity

When you finish selecting your fine cabinetry for bathroom vanities, you can then choose the perfect sink and counter top, accessorize with stunning mirrors and lighting, and select the ideal fittings and knobs to complete the design and style for the bathroom vanities of your dreams.