Bathrooms are often the darkest rooms in a house, so if you want to create a light, bright and expansive atmosphere, then you'll need to employ some clever design tricks to maximise the available natural light.
Whether you're looking at decorating a small bathroom upstairs or a cloakroom off your hallway, creating a space that feels inviting and as bright as possible will make everyday ventures a little bit more enjoyable.
After speaking to interior designers, I discovered this one simple (and affordable) styling trick that instantly enhances the look and feel of your bathroom - here's what they had to say.
A mirror often feels like a natural inclusion in a bathroom design, from a practical point of view. However, what you might not choose a bathroom mirror for is the clever visual illusion it helps to create in a small space.
'A brilliant trick is to install a large mirror opposite or adjacent to a window; it doesn’t just reflect the light but also amplifies the sense of space and can even double the view outside,' explains interior designer, Laura Stephens. 'It’s a simple, elegant way to make a small or dim bathroom feel instantly brighter and more uplifting.'
When you're in the bathroom design process, consider planning your layout so that the mirror and vanity area is situated closely next to the window. This will ensure the natural light from the window reaches the mirror, bouncing off it and, in turn, making the bathroom feel larger and brighter.
If you want to enhance this look even further, you don't have to stop at an actual mirror. Carina Raymond, interior designer and founder of Studio Raymond, explains 'If your bathroom is particularly dark, try adding mirrored surfaces or pale gloss tiles opposite the window — they bounce light around and make the whole space feel brighter without any harshness.
'Frosted or reeded glass is another subtle trick; it softens direct light, creating a gentle glow that feels calm and spa-like,' Carina adds. The trick to making a small bathroom feel larger is to still ensure that there's plenty of texture and visual interest in the design - even though you want to maximise natural light, this will add a soft and dappled effect.
'When a bathroom is short on natural light, the materials you choose can work harder to make every bit of daylight count. Tiles are brilliant for this because their surface can completely transform the way light moves through a space,' Grazzie Wilson, head of creative at Ca’ Pietra, adds.
'When a bathroom relies on a small or angled window, the key is to think about how tiles capture and scatter light. Glossy or glazed ceramics, especially in pale or mid tones, will help bounce light around the room without it feeling sterile, while hand-glazed or lightly rippled finishes scatter light in a way that feels far more natural.'
Every design choice in a small bathroom counts. Whether it's adding gloss tiles, choosing a tactfully placed mirror or adding glass shades to your bathroom lighting ideas, all of these features combine to create a much more open look and feel.
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