Decorate An Elongated Bathroom

Apartments, townhomes and old homes are notorious for long, narrow bathrooms. Decorating schemes that work well in the wide, spacious bathrooms of newly designed homes will only serve to make a small, narrow space appear even smaller and narrower. Depending on your time, budget and your home improvement skills, you can take several steps to make your bathroom appear larger and more proportionate. If your budget doesn't allow you to make all the changes at once, begin with the things you can afford and work your way through the list until you've transformed your bathroom.

Instructions

1. Choose two complementing colors for painting the walls. The colors should both be light, but one should be slightly darker than the other to create a contrast. Paint the slightly darker color on the two narrow end walls and the wall over the vanity. Paint the long wall with no fixtures with the lightest color. If possible, select a light-reflective paint. Paint all the trim in bright white.

2. Hang a large mirror over the vanity. For the most visual size impact, use a mirror with no frame. Make the mirror as long and tall as the vanity will allow and still look proportionate. The mirror will reflect the lighter color from the other wall and make the room appear larger.

3. Choose the perfect shower curtain to make the room appear wider. If the bathtub is parallel to a long wall, choose a shower curtain with a solid color or light bright and keep the shower curtain tied back to the narrow wall. If the shower curtain is closed, it will make the room appear narrower. If the tub is parallel to a short wall, choose a shower curtain with horizontal strips and keep the shower curtain closed.

4. Place striped rugs on the floor with the stripes running perpendicular to the long walls. This will visually push the walls out and make the room appear wider.

5. Clear vanities, toilet tanks and other surfaces of clutter. A minimalistic approach to decorating will keep the room looking wider. A cluttered, overdecorated room will look smaller.

6. Replace dim lighting with bright lighting. Dim lighting will make a room appear smaller.

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