What Colors Make a Small Bathroom Look Bigger?

By Blake Lockwood | Curated by Blake Lockwood | Reviewed by Blake Lockwood

Blake Lockwood, the seasoned interior designer behind Decor Snob, has made a name for himself with over 30 years of industry experience. As a member of esteemed associations such as the NCIDQ, CIDA, NAAB, and CCIDC, he upholds high standards in his work.  His content is always people-first, reliable, and engaging.

white small bathroom tile size

So, what colors would make your bathroom look bigger? Light colors will make your small bathroom look bigger. Light-colored paints such as white, cream, pink, icy blue, soft green, pearl grey, aqua, and yellow are effective in reflecting light, which will make a room look more airy and open.

A lot of people dream of having a spacious and luxurious bathroom with beautiful His-and-Hers sinks and even a separate bathtub and shower to boast. However, because of some physical limitations and other reasons, most of us get disappointed and eventually ends up having a small bathroom inside our house.

Luckily, there are still other ways to make our small bathroom look bigger without needing to physically expand its area. Simple techniques like utilizing mirrors, applying bright lights, with paint, and using glass panels can make our bathroom look and feel bigger than it actually is.

However, if you want the most efficient, practical, and cheapest way to make your bathroom look bigger then painting it with a light color is the best way to go to make it appear larger.

According to a study published by NCBI, colors are important tools that are used to modify the visual perception of people towards interior surfaces. Its effect can alter the perceived layout of a room, making it look wider and deeper, which creates an impression that it is bigger than its actual size.

To help you choose the color that you can use to make your bathroom look bigger, here are a few tips and recommendations that you can follow:

Tip 1: Use Bright Light Colors

Based on the information provided by the Sciencing website, the lighter the color is the more reflective property it possesses. This means that light-colored paints like white, cream, pink, icy blue, soft green, pearl grey, aqua, and yellow are more effective in reflecting light, which in turn can make any room look more airy and open.

In addition, bright-colored walls help in enhancing the effect of natural light which can make your bathroom space look much bigger and wider than it naturally is.

Tip 2: Use the Same Color Tone for Your Tiles

Applying a single color for your entire bathroom will make it look quite boring and monotonous. Although using a single light-colored paint is recommended, it is better to utilize a different color with the same tone contrast with your primary wall color for your tiles in order to add some surface texture and make your bathroom not only look bigger but also more interesting and attractive.

On the other hand, avoid using dark-colored tiles because it can clog up your bathroom space and make the room showcase its real size.

Tip 3: Make Sure that the Tiles and the Wall Color that You Select Matches

Making sure that the tiles and the color of the paint that you use for your bathroom walls blend well together will make the room look more like one continuous space, which will make it appear as a larger room than what it actually is.

If you have an existing ceramic tile that doesn’t match your selected wall color, then you can just paint over it instead of replacing it with a new one to minimize expenses.

Tip 4: Paint Your Bathroom Walls and Ceilings Using the Same Color

Utilizing a similar principle that we applied with your walls and bathroom tiles, using the same light-colored paint that you used for your wall in your ceilings will help the eyes of your guests travel smoothly throughout the entire room, giving him or her the impression that he or she is inside a larger and more spacious bathroom.

Tip 5: Add Vertical Stripes to Your Walls to Make it Appear Taller

If you have short bathroom walls, it is advisable to add vertical stripe accents to make the walls look taller. Painting vertical stripes on your walls help guide the human eye up and around your bathroom space, making it appear larger and taller than it is.

It is recommended that you use the same color tone but slightly lighter or darker than the other for your vertical stripes to make it more seamless and uninterrupted.

Tip 6: Add Horizontal Stripes to Your Walls to Make it Appear Wider

Using the same idea with short bathroom walls, you can add horizontal stripes to narrow bathroom walls to make it look wider. However, it is not recommended to use vertical and horizontal stripes at the same time because it will obstruct the view of your bathroom space and will make it appear smaller.

Tip 7: Use Lighter Colors on Your Wall Trims, Doors, and Windows

Painting your window covers, wall trims, moldings, and door with a lighter color than what you use in your bathroom walls will make your walls appear much farther than it is, making your bathroom space look bigger and more spacious.

 

Want More Small Bathroom Inspiration?

 

Final Words

Obtaining a larger bathroom doesn’t necessarily require you to extend its physical space. Following some or all of the tips mentioned above will help make your bathroom space look and feel much bigger than it is.

Making sure that you use the recommended color settings mentioned for your bathroom will make you one step closer to achieving your dream of having a spacious and attractive bathroom that you and your family will love and enjoy.

Photo: weetu

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