8 Ways a Great Vanity Can Transform a Small Bathroom
Don't let a limited floor area prevent you from making your bathroom feel more luxurious – take a cue from these 14 examples
Amanda Jayne
25 December 2018
Houzz Singapore Contributor
A pen (or laptop) for hire, Amanda's usually out and about town sniffing out new stories and ideas to pitch to publications. When not working, she likes to play The Sims to dream up beautiful mocks of her soon-to-arrive BTO flat. (Well. If you count 5 years soon.)
Houzz Singapore Contributor
A pen (or laptop) for hire, Amanda's usually out and... More
It’s no secret that many apartments in Singapore are burdened with tiny bathrooms. But that’s no excuse to keep your bathroom from looking its best. In fact, switching up your bathroom vanity is probably all you need to do to create an airy, spacious bathroom.
These great examples showcase some key pointers that might help you pick the perfect vanity for your small bathroom:
1. Opt for wall-mounted cabinetry
Wall-mounted cabinetry helps keep the floor clear and easier to clean, and they give the illusion of a larger floor space. This bathroom vanity has the added feature of a light under the cabinet, allowing it to appear as though it’s floating.
Wall-mounted cabinetry helps keep the floor clear and easier to clean, and they give the illusion of a larger floor space. This bathroom vanity has the added feature of a light under the cabinet, allowing it to appear as though it’s floating.
If your concern is exposing the piping, do what this owner did: match the classically inspired decor of the bathroom to a curved (bottom) panel that hides the piping from view.
To avoid distraction from the patterned wall tiles and other interesting design features such as the pendant lamps and round mirror, a simple wall-mounted vanity was installed. The wooden top also helps add a soothing feel while bringing a touch of nature into the space.
2. Mirror image
Ah, the oldest trick in the book: Employing plenty of mirrors to reflect what little light might be available in a tight corner. Mirrors placed above the mounted counter top, which also face another mirror, help the space appear bigger. Note the illusion of endless doorways reflected in the mirror.
The light colour scheme of the room makes it appear larger too.
Ah, the oldest trick in the book: Employing plenty of mirrors to reflect what little light might be available in a tight corner. Mirrors placed above the mounted counter top, which also face another mirror, help the space appear bigger. Note the illusion of endless doorways reflected in the mirror.
The light colour scheme of the room makes it appear larger too.
The expansive mirror helps brighten this wood-panelled bathroom. A space like this would usually appear a lot smaller than it actually is. But the large mirror helps reflect light and give it a brighter, cheerier appearance. The clever use of a wall-mounted vanity and toilet helps too!
3. Create a single continuous surface
Yann Follain, Managing Director of design studio WY-TO shares a tip: “The sink can be moulded within a solid surface counter top. By doing so, the sink is one single continuous surface that blends all together.”
This bathroom puts this tip into good use, with little recesses in the wall offering open shelf space. The smooth, continuous lines help create a minimalist look.
Yann Follain, Managing Director of design studio WY-TO shares a tip: “The sink can be moulded within a solid surface counter top. By doing so, the sink is one single continuous surface that blends all together.”
This bathroom puts this tip into good use, with little recesses in the wall offering open shelf space. The smooth, continuous lines help create a minimalist look.
4. Make it do double duty
By creating a built-in shelf of sorts, like in this home, you give your bathroom a clean, modern hotel-like appearance. There is space for toiletries and a small washbasin, while concealing the toilet cistern at the same time.
This home also cleverly made use of the space under the sink for storage. Keeping it open, and the using the same material as the walls, it gives the bathroom a cleaner, more spacious appearence.
By creating a built-in shelf of sorts, like in this home, you give your bathroom a clean, modern hotel-like appearance. There is space for toiletries and a small washbasin, while concealing the toilet cistern at the same time.
This home also cleverly made use of the space under the sink for storage. Keeping it open, and the using the same material as the walls, it gives the bathroom a cleaner, more spacious appearence.
5. Pick the right colour scheme
This bathroom used a gorgeous marble to cover vertical and horizontal surfaces, giving it an elegant, bright appearance. The sheen of marble helps it appear slightly more reflective than wood or simple tiles. To break the monotony of the marble, the shower area is tiled in contrasting blue mosaic tiles.
This bathroom used a gorgeous marble to cover vertical and horizontal surfaces, giving it an elegant, bright appearance. The sheen of marble helps it appear slightly more reflective than wood or simple tiles. To break the monotony of the marble, the shower area is tiled in contrasting blue mosaic tiles.
6. Opt for open shelves and clean lines
There’s a certain elegance to open storage, as long as the shelves are kept neat and tidy, and the frame well-taken care of. Keeping to the clean elegance of this bathroom, the silver frame of the open shelves fit in nicely, bringing an airy, open appearance to the bathroom.
There’s a certain elegance to open storage, as long as the shelves are kept neat and tidy, and the frame well-taken care of. Keeping to the clean elegance of this bathroom, the silver frame of the open shelves fit in nicely, bringing an airy, open appearance to the bathroom.
7. Choose a freestanding washbasin
A small bathroom doesn’t have to be plain and boring. If you find that there’s little need for storage in your small bathroom, invest in a freestanding washbasin instead. It brings a classic elegance to the bathroom, and allows you the option of choosing your bathroom’s statement piece.
A small bathroom doesn’t have to be plain and boring. If you find that there’s little need for storage in your small bathroom, invest in a freestanding washbasin instead. It brings a classic elegance to the bathroom, and allows you the option of choosing your bathroom’s statement piece.
Take this bathroom for example: the space has a quirky, classy look from the jazzed-up black-and-white colour scheme using patterned tiles, striped wallpaper, an oval mirror and a freestanding washbasin with old-fashioned mixers. The tall, narrow pedestal takes up less floor space, which then gives the appearance of a more spacious bathroom.
8. Lighting is everything
The soft glow you see behind the mirrors don’t just help illuminate all your pores and reveal blemishes that need attention, it also adds a warm touch to the bathroom.
Reflected against the white walls of this narrow bathroom, it helps the room appear more spacious too.
The soft glow you see behind the mirrors don’t just help illuminate all your pores and reveal blemishes that need attention, it also adds a warm touch to the bathroom.
Reflected against the white walls of this narrow bathroom, it helps the room appear more spacious too.
The lights in this bathroom also draw attention to the mirror, turning it into a statement piece in an otherwise simple and unadorned bathroom.
TELL US
Got a small bathroom? We’d love to know if you’re adapting any of these tips to make it look larger – share in the Comments section.
MORE
Questions to Ask Before You Renovate Your Bathroom
See Inspiring Bathroom Designs
Find a Bathroom Vanity
TELL US
Got a small bathroom? We’d love to know if you’re adapting any of these tips to make it look larger – share in the Comments section.
MORE
Questions to Ask Before You Renovate Your Bathroom
See Inspiring Bathroom Designs
Find a Bathroom Vanity
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I'm so sorry those bathrooms you featured are called "small"!