Unless you live in a custom-built home, you probably wish that your bathroom were a little bit larger. While it’s not a problem for homeowners to completely remodel and redecorate, apartment renters are rather limited in their bathroom decorating decisions.
There’s still a lot you can do to upgrade your apartment bathroom without replacing tiles, removing fixtures or knocking down walls. These simple apartment decorating tips can make your bathroom look and feel larger quickly, easily, and best of all, cheaply.
Choose the Right Colour Combination
You might not be able to tear down the wall – but if your landlord gives you approval, you might be able to paint over it. Choose pale, soft colour schemes for your bathroom, as they tend to give the illusion of more space. Bright, strong and exciting colours (such as red) should be saved for accessories and towels that will make the white, pastel or neutral background “pop”.
Just like the walls, the floor will appear to open up if it’s done with a light or neutral colour. If you’re renting an apartment, you won’t be able to replace the flooring – but you can put down a large, light-coloured rug if your bathroom has dark or unflattering tiles.
Mirror, Mirror …
Mirrors provide the illusion of expanding a small space without adding a single square foot. You might want to consider a couple of smaller mirrors arranged artistically throughout the bathroom to really open up the space.
Cut Out the Clutter
A clean, neat bathroom will always look bigger than a cluttered bathroom. Yes, this means you’ll have to spend some serious time organizing your stuff, and as most apartment bathrooms are already short on space, you’ll have to get creative with your storage in order to make the most of what you have.
First, cut down on the number of towels, rugs, pieces of art and decorative accessories. Then, store everything you don’t need out of sight. Consider keeping any supplies that aren’t frequently used in closets and drawers – tall and thin cabinets always come in handy when space is at a premium.
This doesn’t mean you have to hide everything out of sight, though. There are plenty of attractive smaller storage options that allow you to put your items in place and on display at the same time, including over-the-door racks and suction-cup-mounted trays.
Keep the Visual Pathway Open
Finally, here’s a simple way to increase the amount of space in your bathroom with a single swoop of the arm – push back the shower curtain to one side when it’s not in use. If you can see all the way to the back wall (instead of just to the curtain), your eye will think the room is larger.
Work With What You’ve Got
Remember, if you’re living in an apartment rental, decorating the bathroom can be a challenge because you ultimately have to work with what you’re provided, not against it. You can’t tear everything down and start completely fresh – but with a little bit of planning, some creative organizational skills and clever use of colour, you can easily make your apartment bathroom seem more spacious than it really is.
