Small Bathroom Remodel Ideas

By: Glenn Whitehead

A small bathroom remodel poses some unique challenges. Due to the restrictions of space there are limitations as to what you can do. Through the years, the concept of baths has changed. The room has gone from being strictly a necessity to becoming an amenity that people now use as a sanctuary to relax and have some private time. For this reason, the tiny spaces that were allocated for bathrooms in homes many years ago, make renovations a more complex process. However, there are still options available to make them more user friendly and add a little personality at the same time. Here are a few ideas for working with these confined spaces.

• Eliminate the Tub-This may be sacrilege to some, who enjoy a long, relaxing bubble bath. But, if everyone in your house takes showers, you can pick up a lot of space by relpacing it with a shower. This can be an especially effective way to gain space in the guest bath.

• Corner Shower-Whether using a custom built or pre-fab unit, these will provide an attractive and effective use of space. Going with an all glass enclosure eliminate the extra space required for framing walls.

• Recessed Cabinets And Shelves-Utilizing every inch of available space is crucial to a small bathroom remodel. Check to see what's on the other side of your bathroom walls. If you've got a closet or spare room, it may be possible to recess a shallow cabinet or some shelving. This way you can pick up some valuable storage space without losing a lot in the other room (since 6" of the space you'll be using is inside the wall cavity).

• Pedestal Lavatories-You can eliminate bulky cabinets and, in most cases, you're not losing a lot of storage space because the under sink area is generally taken up by plumbing.

• Utilize Shelving and Fixtures-There is a wide variety of decorative shelving, towel bars, hooks, and other hardware that provide attractive storage and eliminate the need for space hogging cabinets.