Pro Tips for Making a Small Bathroom Feel Bigger
6th May 2025
Is your home’s primary (or only) bathroom tiny? Thankfully, the right design tricks can make even the smallest bathroom seem larger than it actually is. We’ll go over decorating hacks at a range of price points, but all with the same goal of making your compact restroom look and feel more spacious than it truly is.
1. Minimize or reduce barriers within the space.
If your bathroom is already low on space, the last thing you want to do is subdivide it into more, even tinier, areas. However, this is generally what happens if you hang a shower curtain. However, there is a valid reason to separate the shower area from the rest of the room since you don’t want water droplets everywhere! Replacing the curtain with a barrier made of clear glass and unobtrusive hardware will dramatically impact the room by visually including the bathing area in the total size of the space. There are a few options for doing this while leaving your tub/shower combo in place.
- Put in a sliding shower door system. This option is especially attractive if the toilet or vanity is near the shower entrance and would impede the functioning of a swinging door. Modern sliding systems allow for the use of frameless glass and require no more space than a shower curtain.
- If there is some clearance around the shower entrance, you could choose an in-line door and panel enclosure. In this configuration, you have a fixed panel and a door beside it that swings on glass-to-glass or wall mount hinges.
- Maximize an open feel with a splash guard. Also known as a shower screen, a splash guard is a single piece of glass that provides a partial barrier while leaving an open entrance to the shower. It can be hinged or held in place with clamps. This option is wonderful for creating a sense of space, but it may require additional waterproofing around the tub in case some water droplets escape!
2. Decorate with mirrors.
Most every bathroom has a vanity mirror, but you can be intentional and really decorate your small bathroom with one or more mirrors. For instance, you could replace a small stock vanity mirror, with a custom item that extends from wall to wall and/or from the vanity counter to the ceiling. A second mirror can be hung across from the vanity mirror or across from the window to create an illusion of depth. You can also surround a small vanity mirror with a variety of other framed and unframed mirrors to a create a gallery wall. This is very decorative and draws attention away from the room’s narrow confines.
3. Use colors and patterns wisely.
In a small bathroom, each color and pattern should be chosen with care. Generally pale tones visually expand a space, so light colored wall paint and flooring options are typically preferred. Also, vertical patterns on wallpaper or curtains can make ceilings seem higher, as can installing curtain rods well above the tops of the windows. On the other hand, horizontal patterns and stripes can make a wall look wider. You can even paper one wall with funky peel and stick paper to draw attention away from the room’s tight dimensions!
For glass shower projects in a bathroom large or small, you can shop a range of hardware styles and finishes from Glass Simple. Browse our site and give us a call at (571)707-7760!