The bathroom is usually the smallest space in the house, this is particularly true for some people more than others. Whether you have a small downstairs toilet or your main bathroom is looking a little cramped up, most people that bigger is better. So what can be done to add something extra to your bathroom?

Here are a few ideas:

Showers and Tubs

Baths and shower tub combos come in all different sizes, so if you’re looking to refurbish your bathroom and save space, ask yourself if you could buy a smaller bath. You may find that you can get your hands on something slightly shorter than one you already have. If you have a bath and a shower combo, are you using a glass screen or a shower curtain? If there isn’t much room to move in your bathroom, you’ll want something that doesn’t open outwards into the room. However, a shower curtain tends to put a barrier up in the middle of the room and make it look smaller than it is, so to make the room look bigger, a glass screen is the way to go.

Sinks

Just like Bathtubs, sinks come in all sorts of shapes and sizes – you may be surprised at how small some sinks are! Whether you should buy a pedestal or a vanity sink depends on your needs. A vanity sink with a cupboard or open shelves underneath can give you storage space so you don’t need to hang a cupboard on the wall. However, if there isn’t much room to move you might prefer a pedestal because these can take up a little less floor space. To save space, and if you can manage with a small basin, consider a corner sink. Or if your space is particularly narrow you could install a trough sink. These are very narrow and can be wall mounted so they also free up floor space.While we’re thinking about things we can wall mount, how about taps? Wall mounting your taps puts them out of the way so your sink can be a little narrower and give you some more room.

Storage

Aside from under the sink, there are other ways to strategically place storage in your bathroom. Wall cabinets are a good option, and if they have mirrored doors you are killing two birds with one stone. You can get cabinets that are not too deep so they don’t stick too far out of the wall.

Does everything in your bathroom need to be there? Can you move anything out of your bathroom and into a different room? For example, maybe your scales could go in the bedroom instead.

Is the space above your toilet going to waste? Consider extending the counter top over the toilet, or installing shelves above it (just beware of dropping anything into the bowl).

Going back to the sink, you could mount a vanity unit a few inches above the floor to make the bathroom appear bigger and to store small items underneath it- perhaps bring the scales back in from the bedroom?

You could also use accessories such as toilet paper holders, and nooks inside the shower for soap or shampoo. This can help to make your room look bigger as it creates a storage level with your walls instead of making things stick out of the walls and intrude into your space.

Another more unusual idea is over the door storage, which hooks over the top of your door and provides small storage boxes where you can keep your toiletries without taking up wall space.

No wall room for towel rails? Opt for a shower door with a towel bar so you have a convenient place for your towel that doesn’t take up too much room. Alternatively, you could put a towel bar on your bathroom door.

Colours and Patterns

If you can’t free up some space with a new, smaller bathroom suite, you can at least try to make your bathroom look a little bigger visually. Use soft, neutral shades of one colour to help to make your bathroom look bigger. Think white, cream, beige, and light brown. While you’re thinking of colours, don’t forget about your storage too, and consider lighter wood for cabinets. Wide vertical stripes can make the room look taller, and horizontal stripes can give the impression of a wider room. If you’re adding patterns using wallpaper or tiles, go for bigger patterns rather than small, narrow ones, otherwise you’ll create the opposite effect and make the room look smaller.

Mirrors and Doors

Mirrors are a great way of adding the illusion of space to a room as they reflect the light. Think about where you want to put your mirror and place it strategically – if you put it opposite a window it will reflect more light and make the room look more spacious as it reflects the outside scenery.

Finally, does your door swing into your bathroom? If possible, consider changing it so it opens out into the hallway instead. This is useful if the bathroom is particularly small and you find yourself maneuvering around the door and the sink or toilet every time you try to walk in the room.