How to Make Your Bathroom Look Bigger Without Changing its Footprint

Bathroom renovations can be expensive, costing homeowners $15-20,000 or more for a complete update. Change the bathroom’s footprint to enjoy more room and your cost can easily double. In this market, homeowners may not be willing to invest huge sums of money in a room they use less frequently than a kitchen or bedroom.

A bathroom renovation can be handled for a fraction of the price if you strategically plan the best way to maximize your project. This means working with your existing footprint, but making some changes which will give your bathroom a fresh, larger-looking appearance.

Let’s take a look at how you can renovate your bathroom on a budget:

Remove clutter – Swapping out a large hamper for a smaller hamper might be ideal especially if the new hamper fits underneath your sink or placed in some other accessible area of the bathroom. A larger hamper may mean fewer trips back and forth to the laundry room, but if a smaller hamper makes everything more manageable, then the choice is obvious.

Smaller vanities – Double sinks are popular and a good selling point with any home. But some two sink vanities are large, even cumbersome and can be replaced with a smaller unit. With a smaller vanity, you may be able to gain more space between the sink and the toilet, allowing you to place a trash can receptacle or even that bulky hamper in the newly opened space.

Swap out the mirror – My, what a big mirror you have! Although a large bathroom mirror can come in handy, its bulkiness can overwhelm the room, especially if it has a solid border around it. Consider a much smaller mirror, one that allows for enough room for light sconces to be placed on each side. You might instead hang artwork to personalize the room.

Build it up – If you’re pressed for room, consider installing a floor to ceiling open faced cabinet to house all of your bathroom needs. Install a shelf above a cabinet and place a water resistant cabinet in one section of your shower stall if room permits. That cabinet can contain your shampoos, conditioner and liquid soaps. Your poufs can hang on an adjoining wall.

Go light – Light paint will give your bathroom a larger look as will crown molding which redirects the eye upward, making the bathroom look larger and more elegant.

You might also find that retiling the floors, replacing a bulky toilet or large tub with a smaller unit are other steps to take to make your bathroom look larger. Of course, whatever work you can do yourself will keep your expenses in line with your budget, providing you with a more comfortable bath, a room that makes good use of every square foot wisely.
 

Additional “Bathroom” Information:

• view our bathroom product gallery
• see how Moen can help with their DIY suggestions

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