Remodeling your bathroom is one of the smartest investments you can make in the future resale value of your home. You are likely to regain 52-58% of the remodel cost when you go to sell your home, making it one of the home improvement projects with the biggest bang for your buck. Even if you only updated the lighting in your bathroom, you could increase your home’s value by 1-3% with that small investment.
Small Bathroom Remodel
There are a lot of tactics that can be used during a small bathroom remodel to make it look bigger. From small design changes to major layout changes, there are options that fit every budget.
Layout. Being creative with the floor plan in a remodel will help take advantage of the small space. Maybe the sink makes more sense in the corner or as a wall mount instead of a vanity cabinet. Maybe storage can move from a counter to a cabinet concealed behind the mirror. Perhaps a bathtub could become a walk-in shower.
Design. To make a space seem bigger, you want it to be as light and bright as possible. Use light-colored tiles and paints. Shiny, reflective metal surfaces or high-gloss paint can help bounce light around the room, making it brighter. Mirrors will also grow the room, so consider an entire wall of mirrors or use multiple mirrors in the room. The use of proper lighting can help enhance the space as well! Design professionals can help determine the best design for your bathroom remodel.
Optimize Shower Space. The bathtub and shower have the largest footprint in the bathroom, but there are ways to make them feel less obtrusive in the room. One is replacing shower doors with clear glass and continuing the floor and wall tile from the bathroom into the shower. At a glance, this gives an impression that there is no shower and gives an illusion of more square footage. For bathtubs with shower curtains, use curtains that go all the way to the ceiling to add height to the room.
Lighting. Updating your bathroom lighting makes all the difference in a bathroom remodel and can be done at a fraction of the cost of many remodeling projects. In a small bathroom, use a backlit mirror to save space on the need for sconces. Or, consider a pendant light or small chandelier over the bathtub. Having lighting in the shower will also make the room look larger by eliminating dark pockets of space. Lighting is a chance to add style to your bathroom, whether modern, farmhouse, industrial, traditional, or eclectic is your personal style. Design professionals can help determine the best design for your bathroom remodel.
Natural Light. When natural light is possible, use it to brighten your bathroom. Remove curtains or shades on windows, and swap them for frosted glass instead. And, if possible, consider adding a skylight to the bathroom or above the shower.
Decor. In a small space, the fewer the decorations, the better. Be choosy about your decor. Don’t over-decorate the bathroom. Pick a select few decorative items to make a statement, like our curated selection of items from Salt Market.
Smart Bathroom Remodel
No smart home is complete without a smart bathroom. There are so many new bathroom gadgets that can turn your dated bathroom into a smart bathroom of the future, all controlled from a mobile or voice-activated device of your choosing. Having even one or two of these features in a bathroom can give a future homebuyer an emotional attachment to a showing they wouldn’t have otherwise had.
- Interactive LED Mirrors (smart mirrors) are touch-screen mirrors that allow you to adjust the lighting of your vanity and can even display time, weather, traffic alerts, and information about your upcoming calendar events. These can be color temperature tunable, dimmable, anti-fogging forward, back lit, any may other options!
- Smart toilets are self-cleaning, and have touch-free lids, seat warmers, and even speakers to play your favorite tune while using the bathroom.
- Smart showers allow you to set your preferred water temperature, flow, and shower duration from their mobile app. Your smartphone can even act as a shower remote.
- Radiant floor heating heats the floor tiles and feels like luxury while also being more energy efficient.
- Smart faucets have preheated and precooled water, allowing the temperature to instantly be perfect when it comes out of the faucet, saving water and your time. Whether you want to make your small bathroom look bigger or want to install smart features, a remodeled bathroom will be something you can enjoy now and get paid back for when you go to sell your house.
Finish the look. If you are updating your bathroom to ultra-modern smart technology, complete the look with these trendy modern lighting options. Run LED Flex Tape lights under your vanity cabinet for a sleek, modern look that doubles as a nightlight or sets the spa-like mood for bathtime. Another option is to trade those traditional vanity lights for the super trendy vertical sconces. Our lighting and home design services can help you finish that look to give your bathroom remodel the ultimate impact.
Find more bathroom lighting inspiration on our website and our Pinterest page.