If only your bathroom looked like those in high-end interior design magazines. You dream about long vanity counters, freestanding bathtubs, and an expansive walk in showers with jets jutting out of every wall!
But for most homeowners, this is NOT reality.
You may have a small 5’ x 8’ hall bath where your kids are fighting over time to get their turn (unless you have stinky young boys!). Or maybe you have a 5’ x 8’ master bathroom which is so cluttered it could be featured on a hording show.
And while it’s nice to dream about knocking down walls to make your bathroom bigger, in many ‘space-efficient’ bathrooms (this is the politically correct term for a smaller than you’d like bathroom), this isn’t a practical reality.
And assuming you’re ‘stuck’ with this 5’ x 8’ space, the question is how can you make it look, and live, better for you – and whomever else you’re (reluctantly) sharing it with?
And the good news I’m here to share ways to make this ‘impossible dream’ a reality.
I’ll focus first on 12 ideas to make your bathroom ‘live bigger.’ Because if it doesn’t live bigger, simply making it look bigger won’t do much to ease your frustration, or the elbow banging experience which is your bathroom today.
Next, I’ll present 9 ideas to make your bathroom ‘look bigger’ (and more stylish if you can believe that).
At the end I’d love your opinion on which idea(s) sound smart (or not so smart) to you, and additional ideas you’d like to add to the list.
Let’s dig in.
How to make a small 5’ x 8’ bathroom live bigger
Idea #1 – Make a small bathroom live bigger with a tub to shower conversion
When you (or worse yet your elderly mom or dad) steps into their combo tub/shower with its sloped sides, you may not only worry about how tight it feels, but more importantly how safe it is to step in and out of the tub.
If so – you’re like millions of Americans every year who do a bathtub to shower conversion. Not only will the space inside feel bigger than standing in a tub/shower, but it’ll also live far bigger. And the bigger bonus, it’s so much safer because the #1 place falls occur is in the bathroom.
Image Credits: BEC Properties
Idea #2 – Make a small bathroom live bigger by putting your storage into the wall vs. on the wall
If you have bruised elbows because you’re constantly banging them into shower shelves or your molded fiberglass one piece surround which juts into your tub/shower, you’re living with a typical problem of a 5’ x 8’ bathroom.
But there’s a secret way to solve this problem. And I’ll tell it to you if you promise to keep it our secret. And that is when you’re remodeling put your storage ‘inside’ the walls (using recessed niches) vs. storage onto the walls which eats into your limited space and makes the tub/shower live smaller.
Idea #3 – Make your small bathroom live bigger by NOT compartmentalizing your spaces
We have a weird ‘custom’ in the United States. We insist on ‘shower enclosures.’ And if you don’t know what an enclosure is, it’s a separate space which has a shower pan and glass enclosure. And while enclosures are nice – they keep water in, and the shower warm, their downside is they create a separate ‘box’ in your bathroom.
If you want your 5’ x 8’ bathroom to live bigger, convert to a one level wet room bathroom which does not have a separate shower or tub enclosure. With a ‘wet room’ there’s no barriers between the shower and bathroom floor.
However, if you do choose a wet room you’ll want to waterproof the entire floor. Also make sure the bottom of your cabinetry will not get with a wall hung vanity.
Idea #4 – Make your small bathroom live bigger by insisting on pull out bathroom vanity drawers
If your vanity is a ‘mosh-pit’ of stuff, you have NO IDEA what’s lurking in the back. I wish I could tell you’re the exception to the rule, but you’re not. And the reason this is a problem is because most vanities don’t have pull out drawers. This causes you to buy the same item multiple times because you can’t see what’s stored in the back. It’s a similar problem to what many people have in their kitchen pantries.
The solution to a better bathroom vanity storage are pull out drawers. They’re a godsend. They bring storage to you. Now only if you can get your spouse to pull out the toilet paper from those pull out drawers and install a new role, that’d be pure magic!
Idea #5 – Make your small bathroom live bigger with a recessed medicine cabinet
Anything you can do to increase the ‘volume’ (or ‘square-inchage’ – although I’m not sure that’s a word) of a small bathroom is a win. And if your medicine cabinet is bulging into your bathroom, this is another opportunity to gain space.
Idea #6 – Make your small bathroom live bigger by replacing fixed shelving inside your linen closet and eliminating dead space
When it comes to closets, the linen closet in the 5’ x 8’ bathroom is NOT on the top of the list for new home builders when it comes to efficient space planning. So, what they do is install cheap wire or painted wood fixed shelves which leave dead space at the top. These shelves are as ‘fixed’ as your Dad’s politics, there’s no opportunity to make them fit what you have.
A way to ‘grow’ storage without increasing the size of the room is to use adjustable shelving with deeper shelves at the bottom of the linen closet. Then use shallower shelves at the top (so you can also use the storage space above the bulkhead of the closet door).
Idea #7 – Make your small bathroom live bigger by using a smarter type of sink
If you (or the previous owner) thought a drop in sink was the way to go – but you hate the space it takes away from your limited counter space, there are better options.
Or maybe worse yet – if someone jumped on the ‘vessel sink’ rage used in homes in the mid to early 2000’s because they thought it ‘looked cool,’ you’re likely paying the price in wasted counter space, the vessel sink being a pain to clean, and it’s also hard to use. Using vessel sinks in powder rooms (if your home is fancy enough to have one) is cool, but this type of sink is NOT a good for your everyday bathroom!
A way to make your highly used hall bath or master bath counter/sink easier to use AND more spacious is to convert to an undermount sink or an integrated countertop/sink made in a single mold.
Idea #8 – Make your small bathroom live bigger by improving your lighting
While bathroom lighting is a huge topic itself, here’s a few ideas which’ll help your small bathroom live bigger with improved lighting
Use vertical sconces on both sides of a bathroom vanity mirror.
Add layered lighting – including an overhead (ceiling) light, task lighting (where you shower/shave), and accent lighting (under cabinets, inside niches etc.)
Idea #9 – Make your small bathroom live bigger by changing the type (or swing) of a bathroom door
Bathroom doors can (literally) become a pain in your butt. This is especially true if a family member swings one into you while you’re standing at the vanity getting ready. OUCH!
The good news is there are ways to improve this dilemma which do not include cutting the door so it can swing around the toilet (like you’ll see in this hilarious picture below).
Here’s a few ideas to consider to take the pain out of your in-swing bathroom door:
Replace your swing door with a pocket door.
Using a barn door if you have room on an outside wall for it.
Reverse the swing of the door.
Use a narrower door.
Idea #10 – Make your small bathroom live bigger by using the prime ‘real estate’ above your throne (‘err toilet)
While adding storage space on the ceiling of your small bathroom would (likely) NOT be recommended, looking for unused wall space for storage is smart.
And this is where the wall above your toilet is a prime small bathroom ‘real estate’ find. Because who wouldn’t benefit from more bathroom storage?
Idea #11 – Make your small bathroom live bigger by putting your vanity on a diet
While it’s nice to have a deeper vanity (especially if it has pull out drawers), when it comes to small 5’ x 8’ bathrooms, the common 25” deep vanity can make the bathroom too crowded.
Better options are 18” to 21” deep vanities which still work with undermount sinks. And for ‘bonus points,’ follow idea #4 and add pull out drawers.
Image Credits: www.todaysdesignhouse.com
Idea #12 – Make your small bathroom live bigger by installing a taller sliding glass shower door – or pivoting shower door, especially if you’re tall
If you’re tall – and (somewhat) used to banging your head on the top of the sliding glass shower door rail, it can make your small bathroom even more frustrating.
However, this is a ‘fix’ which is easily fixable. Look for a sliding glass shower door where the door rail is higher, or change to a pivoting shower door with no hardware above the door.
So, now that we’ve looked at ideas to improve the ‘function’ of your small bathroom, let’s look at ‘fashionable’ elements – and how to make your small bathroom ‘look bigger,’ and more stylish.
How to make a small 5’ x 8’ bathroom look bigger
Idea #13 – Make your small bathroom look bigger by choosing large format tiles – or larger format shower wall surround patterns
There’s nothing ‘Dumb or Dumber’ (as Lloyd Christmas would say) to make your bathroom look smaller than with teeny-tiny mosaic tiles.
Open your space up visually. Use large format tiles. Popular sizes include 24” x 12”, 24” x 24”, and even large slab materials.
And if you want to get in the ‘double-bonus’ (as they’d say in basketball), use better looking grout free wall panels like you’ll see below to get rid of nasty tile grout joint maintenance also create a larger feeling space.
Idea #14 – Make your small bathroom look bigger by installing a wall hung vanity and/or a wall hung toilet
Why have your vanity or toilet break up the continuous flow of your floor? When you choose a wall hung vanity and/or a wall hung toilet you’ll see more floor, and it’s simpler to clean as well.
Image Credits: www.Zitrocs.com
Idea #15 – Make your small bathroom look bigger with clear glass shower doors. No curtains and no frosted glass doors, please.
While there are privacy advantages of curtains and frosted glass shower doors, they also ‘close-off’ your shower from the rest of the bathroom (and make the shower darker, and more dangerous).
To make your bathroom look bigger go with clear shower doors. They’ll make the space feel continuous – and you’ll enjoy seeing your stylish shower walls (of course that’s assuming they don’t have old, moldy, tile grout joints).
Idea #16 – Make your small bathroom look bigger by using glossy paint and/or glossy wall surround materials.
If natural lighting is either non-existent, or at a premium in your small bathroom, you need to do whatever you can to make the bathroom look bigger (which can also make it feel better).
Idea #17 – Make your small bathroom look bigger by moving the eye up with vertical patterns
This is a trick fancy designers know well. To make a space ‘feel taller’ use vertical patterns in wall surrounds or tiles and move the eye upward. This is especially smart if you have soffits which are causing your small bathroom to feel even tinier.
Idea #18 – Make your small bathroom look bigger by eliminating bulky shower door hardware
If you have a framed glass shower door you know there’s a lot of metal around that door. To (visually) expand your bathroom, a frameless glass door will create a sleek appearance, more unobstructed views inside your tub or shower, and frameless doors are thicker and sturdier.
Idea #19- Make your small bathroom look bigger by using low profile shower pans
If the concept of the one level wet room discussed in idea #3 is too radical for you, here’s a common (and less costly) alternative which’ll help your small bathroom look bigger and be safer. That idea is to install a low profile shower pan.
Low profile pans are excellent for age in place showers and give a sleek and contemporary appearance.
Idea #20- Make your small bathroom look bigger by using white, earth-tone, or light gray colors
Dark colors – while fun and bold– do have the negative effect of making a small space feel smaller. A smarter choice for small bathrooms is to choose white, lighter earth-tone, or light gray color schemes.
This is one the reasons you’ll see lighter (blonde) walls and furniture in Scandinavian countries because they have so much darkness. This is why I love this light wood shower wall panel system below.
Idea #21- Make your small bathroom look bigger by adding, or using larger mirrors
A substantial mirror behind your vanity, or on the backside of your door can reflect light and make the space feel bigger. The only negative to larger mirrors, is if your ‘6 pack abs’ more closely resemble an old guy with a beer belly, you’ll need to keep that in mind – ha! ha!
Image Credits: www.livingetc.com
So, has this article helped you with practical ideas for your small 5’ x 8’ bathroom to look and live bigger? Do you need help with your project?
I’ll be honest and say it’s simpler to design a large bathroom than a small one. With a small bathroom you not only need to be ultra-thoughtful about it’s function (‘er living bigger), but you also don’t want to sacrifice it’s style (and looking bigger).
Which of these small bathroom ideas do you like? Do you have others to add to the list? Please comment below.
President of Innovate Building Solutions a nationwide supplier and regional (Cleveland and Columbus) remodeling contractors. Some of our product lines include glass counters, floors, backsplashes, glass blocks and grout free shower and tub wall panels
Robert – yes we can make a 71 1/2 x 36 shower pan with a right hand drain. I’ve included a link to the web page which’ll show you the line we’d recommend. Give us a call and one of our team can go over the specifics with you about cost, and availability. We will need to know where it’s shipping to – Mike
Mike Foti
Robert – yes we can make a 71 1/2 x 36 shower pan with a right hand drain. I’ve included a link to the web page which’ll show you the line we’d recommend. Give us a call and one of our team can go over the specifics with you about cost, and availability. We will need to know where it’s shipping to – Mike
https://innovatebuildingsolutions.com/product/solid-surface-shower-wall-panel-base-kits/
Robert Becker
Question about shower base sizes. Is a 71 1/2 by 36 with curb available? Also color options. Right hand drain.
Cost?
Thanks