Bathroom designs can be tricky to design. Unless you have a massive master bathroom, it’s difficult to have your bathroom laid out in a way that it doesn’t seem cramped all the time. That’s why it is important to try and design your bathroom in a way that optimizes space and makes it feel bigger than it is. If you’ve ever been in a bathroom that felt spacious, you know how much more relaxing it is to not feel cramped. Here’s some renovation ideas that will help your bathroom feel less cramped.

Change or Remove Your Shower Stall Walls

One of the easiest ways to optimize the space of your bathroom is by removing the bathtub and replace it with a standing shower that takes up less space. However, let’s take that a step further — you can make the bathroom feel much more spacious if you install clear glass walls for the shower with doors that slide horizontally rather than swing in or out. The clear glass makes it seem like the wall isn’t there, which makes the bathroom feel bigger. Alternatively, you can also keep part of the shower stall without any walls at all.

Install a Sliding Door

If it always seems like your bathroom should have more room than it feels like, one of the culprits is likely your bathroom door. Most bathrooms have doors that swing inwards, so they actually take up a fair amount of space as long as the door isn’t closed.

You can get around that by putting hooks and other storage accessories hanging on either side of the door, but you can also install a sliding door for the bathroom. That way, whether your door is open or closed, you won’t feel as cramped. There are some great styles for sliding doors, and it also makes cleaning a lot easier!

 

Install a Floating vanity

Aside from the shower or bathtub, the vanity is likely what takes up the most space in your bathroom. One way to optimize the visual space of the room is to install a floating vanity where it doesn’t go all the way down to the floor. You still get some of the storage from the vanity cupboards and drawers, but having that gap does make the bathroom look and feel bigger. As an added bonus, it also makes cleaning the floor easier.

Install Built-In Lighting

Anything that sticks out from the walls and ceiling will make it feel more cramped. So if you want to make your bathroom feel more spacious, remove any lights that stick out from the wall or hang down from the ceiling. Replace them with lights that are built into elements of the room to get the amount of lighting you want: into the ceiling, the wall, the vanity mirror, and so on.

Install Built-In Storage

Installing cabinets and storage shelves that are built into the walls of the bathroom is another way to clear up the space on your walls so there is less sticking out. You can do it with your medicine cabinet, your mirror-storage above the sink, and any shelving you use for towels, toiletries, toilet paper, and other things.

When the storage is built into the wall so it doesn’t stick outwards, it makes the bathroom look and feel far less cramped. You can build a section of shelving or cabinets in the wall as large as you want, so you get the storage you need without it affecting the spaciousness of the room.

About the Author:

Matt Doyle is the Vice-President and Co-Founder of Excel Builders, a custom home building company serving Delaware and Maryland. The company specializes in ICF and custom-built, energy efficient homes. Matt grew up in the construction industry and he has a Bachelor of Science degree in Entrepreneurship from the University of Alabama. He also has an extensive background in internet marketing and has worked with some well-known international companies such as Best Western, McGraw Hill Construction, Sharp, and Canon. Connect with Matt on Twitter.