shutterstock_265469240At first glance, your small bathroom may seem like nothing more than a box with no purpose other than that provided by your porcelain fixtures. But, with a little clever designing, you can turn your tiny bath into a storage-friendly, functional bathroom.

4 Tips to Making Smaller Bathrooms More Useful

The key to creating a functional space in a small area is understanding that everything in that area needs to have a purpose. So, for small bathrooms, that means even your decorative knick-knacks should function as something valuable.

Here are four ways to transform your little bathroom into a more functional one, with lots of storage space:

1. Be Functional

Every design element within your tiny, little bathroom needs to be functional. If it doesn’t serve an actual purpose, it can lead to unnecessary clutter - which can make any room look smaller.
  • Store personal products, rather than displaying them on counter and shelves
  • Install a clothes hamper under the sink, and add stackable baskets under cabinets
  • Install floating shelves and store little items on them in glass jars

2. Add More Storage

Add some floating shelves to your little bathroom for added storage space. If your bathroom sink doesn’t have a connected cabinet, add a sink skirt. You can hide cleaning products there instead. Drill wooden crates into the bathroom wall, and store towels and other items there. Or, you can stack them up against a wall or in a corner.

3. Choose the Right Color Palette

The right color palette will help your small bathroom seem bigger. You want to create an aesthetically pleasing, calm feeling. Neutral colors do just that.
  • Create the base theme color using a neutral color palette
  • Add patterns and textures with neutral tones for depth and creativity

4. Allow Colors to Pop

If you don’t want to add color to your walls by painting them, add things with color that pop around the bathroom. Stack your colorful bath towels on a shelf for, or hang them for an eye-popping display.

Add splashes of color using bath rugs or even bathrobes hanging on hooks or behind the door. Even your soap dish, trashcan, mirror frame and other accessories can help to add color and style to your bathroom. Just make sure everything has a purpose of keeping your small bathroom fully functional.

Choosing the Right Shower for Small Bathrooms

The shower you choose for your small bathroom also determines its functionality and storage-friendly abilities. Showers with glass door enclosures create the illusion that the bathroom is larger than it is in real life. If you must go with a shower curtain, try hanging it higher than head-height. This helps the room feel elongated.