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By T Agee
When people think about rooms they want to remodel, often the
bathroom is last on the list. We use our bathrooms all the
time, of course, and so this is a little strange that it often
gets left out of the make-over plan. One reason for this may
be
that bathrooms tend to be smaller than other rooms, and so
even
though they get used and even abused more than other rooms,
they often get left behind.
Even though bathrooms are smaller than other rooms, there are
still countless things you can do with them. In fact, because
there are so many different elements involved in even the
smallest of bathrooms, they are often one of the most
interesting (and most challenging) rooms you could choose to
redecorate. If you have the challenge of a small bathroom, one
of the first things you're probably going to want to do is
make
it seem larger.
Because we do spend so much time in our bathrooms, the quality
of this space can affect how we view the quality of our homes
overall. A nice, clean, large bathroom can improve the quality
of your life. The problem, of course, is that some of us don't
have nice, large bathrooms to play with. Not to worry. Below
are some tips for making any bathroom seem larger.
As was mentioned earlier, even a tiny bathroom has loads of
things to play with, redecorate, move around, or simply get
rid
of. There are vanities and tubs and showers and lighting and
tile and mirrors and sinks and storage spaces and on and on
and
on. There are also a multitude of accessories that can be
found
in any bathroom, even accessories that you may not even
consider as an accessory, things such as bathrobes hanging on
the back of a door, towels hanging on towel racks, and even
little washcloths. All of these things are "exposed," if you
will, and so whether you want them to or not, they go into
making up the overall design of your bathroom. The good news
is
that once you start thinking of them in this way, they give
you
more elements to play with in your design.
Although older homes have lots of character and lots of
advantages, one of the biggest curses of an older home is
usually, of course, a small bathroom. If you don't have the
time or finances to rip out walls and simply make the place
bigger, there's still hope. Even a little bit of color can
help
change the perception of a bathroom's size.
One general rule about color and size perception is to stay
away from very bold colors and very dark colors. A very bold
or
dark color is going to make any room seem smaller that it is.
However, a few splashes of color in a room that is overall
light and soft can go a long way in brightening it up.
Therefore, in general, a good idea for a small bathroom is to
use neutral colors for the walls, and then liven it up with
carefully chosen bright accessories - a nice, flashy shower
curtain, or a few bold, bright towels. A relatively
light-colored floor is also usually a good idea if you're
looking to enlarge the feel of your room.
Another thing to always consider, especially for a small room,
and even moreso for a bathroom, is lighting. Because bathrooms
are built for privacy, this often translates into rooms with
few windows and little natural light. There are exceptions, of
course, but it usually takes a lot of forethought to get the
proper balance between natural light and privacy, and unless
you're living in a modern, extremely well-designed home,
you're
probably going to find that your bathroom doesn't live up to
that idea. Fortuanetly, of course, you can simply add more
lighting to your room by putting in extra fixture. Some could
increase the lighting in their bathrooms dramatically by
making
sure they're using the highest watt bulb possible. That seems
like a no-brainer, but many simply don't think about it.
Another element of your bathroom that can cause smaller spaces
to seem even smaller is the size of your fixtures. Of course
we
want comfort, but if your toilet and your vanity are
hulking pieces that dominate the room, then you're going to
feel cramped every time you go in there. Some changes, while
they may seem major, are not that big of a deal once you
commit
to them. One idea is to change out a large, cabinet style
vanity
for a pedestal sink. A pedestal sink will immediately slim
down
the whole sink area, and as a result, open up the whole room.
Of course, if you switch to a pedestal sink, you will need to
then find extra storage space
somewhere else, but there's a good solution to that too -
metal
racks. Metal racks make great storage areas, and they have the
advantage of feeling open, airy, and light. In addition,
because the materials stored on them are open to public
viewing, you can use their colors and shapes to add character
to the room.
The last tip for making a small bathroom seem smaller is an
old
one - mirrors. Mirror have been used in this way for as long
as
they've been around, and they will always be used in this way
for one simple reason - they work. Use more mirrors in your
bathroom. You don't have to limit yourself the one, simple
mirror above the sink. Get creative. Use them as decoration.
Use them in places that you won't even be able to see yourself
in. Once you've added a few mirrors around the room, every
other element will be able to reflect it's uniqueness over and
over again.
About The Author: This article on bathroom design was brought
to you by www.BathroomAnswers.com. Bathroom Answers has
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net.
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