13 Big Ideas for Small Bathrooms

Photo: via TOHA few things all old house lovers are familiar with: drafty windows, less-than-perfect plumbing, squeaky floors - and small bathrooms. While new home baths have nearly doubled in size over the past 30 years, old home bathrooms average about 5- by 8-feet.

Not to worry, though: you can combat the claustrophobia by scaling down to physically save space. (Pedestal sink, anyone?) And, with the right colors and lighting, you can create the illusion of a roomy bath

Here, we dig into the National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA) Design Competition archives to deliver great ideas from Certified Kitchen Designers that you can use in your next remodel. 

Photo: via TOH | Designer: Debbie R. Gualco, California

#1 Rich, Asian-Inspired Design

This homeowner wanted to bring her home out of the 1980s with contemporary Asian design, so the powder room vanity was inspired by a Japanese kaidantansu (stepped chest), which contributes fluidity of design in the cramped quarters. The use of rich and dark colors makes the walls of the small space recede.

Photo: via TOH | Designer: Erica S. Westeroth, Ontario

#2 Day at the Beach

These homeowners opened up their space by getting rid of two small closets and adding task and ambient lighting to help create the illusion of a larger room. Little width remained after incorporating the tub and toilet, so a shallow cabinet was incorporated. Our favorite detail? The playful "dry riverbed" of stones in the floor. 

Photo: via TOH | Designer: Gary Hentges, Illionis

#3 His-and-Her Bath

The use of continuing horizontal lines, a large, frameless mirror, and well-placed task lighting helps to create the illusion of a larger space. The marble-clad dividing wall lends modesty to the toilet area, while creating a recessed storage opportunity. A must in every small bath, the shower has a curbless entry to eliminate demarcation of the limited footprint. 

Photo: via TOH | Designer: Gary Henteges, Illionis

#4 Small and Simple

These homeowners wanted to "keep it simple and do it well." This cherry and limestone bath replaced a tiny, cluttered space meant for guest use. The curved-front vanity maximizes usable space with two deep drawers on double extension drawer slides.

Photo: via TOH | Designer: Holly Rickert, New Jersey

#5 Zen Escape

The size of this room called attention to an eyesore: an off-center, aluminum-framed window. A floor-to-ceiling Shoji screen took care of that by concealing the flaw, while letting light through. A 7-foot framed mirror, hung horizontally, spans the entire length of the room and reflects the ladder towel rack, which adds storage without taking up floor space. 

Photo: via TOH | Designer: Keri Davis, Oregon

#6 Small Spa Retreat

This bathroom was constrained by bedrooms on either side, so it wasn't possible to increase square footage. To make the space feel roomier, white marble tile and several mirrored surfaces wrap the room. Floor-to-ceiling cabinets add height, while a glass shower wall eliminates the visual barrier of a shower curtain or doors. Rich wood tones add warmth and create balance. 

Photo: via TOH | Designer: Leslie Ann Cohen, California

#7 Hacienda-Style Bath

This guest bath features a custom miniature sideboard topped with a rich red travertine counter and copper vessel sink. Rich shower draperies and handmade tiles add to the charm of this space, showing that patterns used selectively as accents will not overwhelm a small room.

Photo: via TOH | Designer: Lori Carroll, Arizona

#8 Tone and Texture

It's not uncommon to create attention-commanding focal points in compact spaces. This powder room vanity is crafted with smooth, flaxen veneer and is topped with a cast bronze basin and patina counter. Recessed lighting around the large mirror illuminates any reflection.

Photo: via TOH | Designer: Leslie Thompson, Florida

#9 Modern Makeover

This vanity continues the lesson of creating a bold focal point in a small space. The upper walls of this ultra-feminine retreat are upholstered in padded silk, but the stainless steel backsplash adds a rugged accent.

Photo: via TOH | Designer: Margie Little

#10 Compact Commode

This teeny, tiny full bath features a wall hung toilet; the tank is hidden inside the 2x6 stud wall, allowing for 9 inches of extra space in the center of the room. Clear glass shower doors eliminate visual barriers and a skylight floods the space with natural light.

Photo: via TOH | Designer: MaryLou Kalmus

#11 Glass Grandeur

A curved glass countertop provides a sense of spaciousness, while hand-applied 1-inch Bizazza glass tiles mimic the swooping curves of the fixtures. The high ceiling features a deep amethyst color wash to visually lower the height of the room, which felt "like a tunnel" to the homeowers.

Photo: via TOH | Designer: Sheila K. Tilander, Washington

#12 Retro Redo

This homeowner wanted a nostalgic style with a contemporary twist. Trumpet-shaped sconces flank an oval mirror that conceals a medicine cabinet. A frameless shower door extends the visual expanse of the space, while allowing unobstructed views of oversized subway and amber glass tilework. 

Photo: via TOH | Designer: Tiffany De Tomasi, California

#13 Eastern Oasis

A freestanding vanity with elongated fixtures, a custom bamboo mirror, and ladder towel rack create the illusion of vertical space in this small guest bath. A soft color palette accented with dark woods, balances the space. Artistic relief panels add visual interest without completely walling off light. 

(You are reading an article originally posted on This Old House)

Emerald: 2013 Color of the Year

Every December, designers of all creeds impatiently wait for Pantone's (the world leader in color) announcement of its new color of the year. Whatever color is announced is present in all the fashion and decor of the following year. For 2013, Pantone® chose emerald as its color of the year.

Here's what the Pantone® press release has to say about emerald:

Photo: Emerald Steps | Uploaded by Pinterest User: Donita Paul via Decorative Communications

"Most often associated with brilliant, precious gemstones, the perception of Emerald is sophisticated and luxurious. Since antiquity, this luminous, magnificent hue has been the color of beauty and new life in many cultures and religions. It's also the color of growth, renewal and prosperity - no other color conveys regeneration more than green. For centuries, many countries have chosen green to represent healing and unity."

So, for all you fashion-minded decorators out there, how should you use emerald in your home decor? Here are some suggestions:

Emerald in the Kitchen

What rooms of the house would use emerald at its best? The kitchen, for one, is one of the best places to use shades of green. Thinking of redoing your backsplash with a pretty mosaic (all the rage these days)? Choose one that uses emerald in its color scheme, along with other warm shades of green and yellow.

If you need to add to your dinnerware, emerald is a good color choice. Not only will it make your food look more appetizing, but it will also add a dash of sophistication to your table. Green dinnerware will look great on a white tablecloth, but will work just as well with yellows, grays and even turquoise.

For the more daring, an accent wall in emerald will do wonders for your kitchen or dining room. It will inspire calm and bring back nature to meal times.

Emerald in the Living Room

Emerald can be used in different moods and styles, depending on the colors it's paired with. To enhance the sophistication of emerald, use it with neutrals like gunmental, pewter and beige. Paint an accent wall in emerald with a grey couch in front of it, along with emerald accessories all over the room.

Emerald can also bring you back to your childhood's country cottage. Remember that old dark green couch that squeaked every time someone sat on it? Paired with colors such as red and blue, emerald inspires the quiet and "old but loved" feeling of the country cottage. Green, red, blue and yellow are typical colors of the traditional tartan; use this to inspire a decor that gives you a sense of heritage.

As an accent color, emerald works well with brown, burgundy and warm yellow. It adds a daring splash of nature-inspired color to any neutral-based decor.

Emerald in the Bathroom

Another room where green has a great place is the bathroom. Along with shades of blue and gray, emerald will bring a instant touch of freshness and sophistication to the bathroom. Keep the blues muted and mixed with gray, and use emerald as an accent in the backsplash or shower tile, with plants (I love to add one of those small potted bamboos on the counter) or with hand towels. 

Emerald is a great color for your soap tray-glass-toothbrush holder kit. I like to use these accessories to change the mood of my bathroom periodically, without spending a fortune. If you add a shower curtain that uses emerald, you can transform your bathroom for less than $100.

Emerald in the Bedroom

It's easy to add a dash of emerald in your bedroom, especially if your decor already uses neutrals. Emerald bed linen, a few cushions or even a new coat of emerald paint on your furniture will give your bedroom a dash of sophistication or of nature, depending on your style. A potted plant with dark green leaves or emerald curtains will make any bedroom feel more organic.

If you want to go all in and redecorate, using emerald as a main bedroom color is a great choice if you value calm, healing and renewal. No wonder green is a popular color in hospitals! (Not that we want your bedroom to look like a hospital room.) If you decide to plant your walls in emerald green, keep one of the walls in a neutral beige to avoid the "oppressive forest" feeling. Use colors found in nature, like brown and sand as accents. A few pops of bright colors like pink, blue and yellow will remind you of flowers growing on the forest floor.