Here’s How to Make A Small Bathroom Feel Bigger, According to Joanna Gaines

Waleed Shah/Shutterstock ; via @JoannaStevensGaines/Facebook

While we not-so-patiently wait for Chip and Joanna Gaines to launch their new TV network, we have to rely on former videos to get their clever DIY tips. In a former episode of HGTV’s Fixer Upper, Joanna Gaines shows viewers how to make a small bathroom space feel much, much bigger. Her tips are surprisingly simple and easy to do if you’re looking to make a smaller bathroom feel even bigger than it actually is.

Here’s what Joanna did to the bathroom on this particular episode.

Use lighter materials

In the video, Joanna explains that she uses lighter colored flooring, countertops, the cabinets, and the paint color on the wall. The tiles and cabinets are white, the countertop is a lighter marble, and the wall is a light green.

“It’s really important to make this space feel really light and airy because it’s only 45 square feet,” said Joanna.

She also likes to play with the different colors to give the tiles contrast. Instead of using a white grout for the tiles, she used a natural grey grout. However, with the amount of white she chose for the bathroom, it gives more light and makes the bathroom feel lighter and bigger. The grey grout gives it a nice balance. If you’re looking to clean up your grout, this magic pen will clean your grout for good.

Give the shower curtain some texture

Joanna uses a ruffled white shower curtain for this bathroom, which she points out how this will make a statement in such a small space. However, choosing lighter colors still makes the space feel bigger.

Add extra lighting

One of the things that Joanna encourages people to do is make room in the budget for extra lighting. In the bathroom she designed, Joanna uses a vanity as well as an antique chandelier to give the space plenty of light.

“And what does light do?” Light makes things feel bigger so that’s the trick,” said Joanna.

If you want to add a chandelier in your bathroom as well, here’s how to hang a ceiling light fixture.

Add a vanity mirror

Along with the ruffled shower curtain, Joanna says a vanity mirror can make a huge statement in such a small space. In the bathroom she worked on, repainted an antique mirror she found, leaving some of the wood unpainted to give it the distressed look. Here are 12 astonishing DIY bathroom vanity makeovers to get you inspired.

Try a vessel sink

Since the counter top is smaller, Joanna decided to use a raised vessel sink to make the bathroom feel larger. She says this helps to give the sink and counter the illusion that it’s bigger than it actually is.

Maximize your space

Joanna points out that working with a smaller vanity means not being able to fit all of your bathroom items within one space. She says the trick is to try and maximize your space by containing things in a creative way. One of the ways she did this is by hanging a small basket above the toilet. This basket holds extra hand towels, jars that have Q-tips and cotton balls, and a small floral decoration. On the floor opposite of the toilet there’s a small white wire basket to hold the extra toilet paper.

Keep the counters clear

This goes with her las point about maximizing space, but keeping the counters clear and the bathroom tidy will help giving that bigger illusion you’re going for. Smaller objects could be placed in jars, which can go in hanging baskets, and hand towels could be hung by a ring holder or a bathroom towel bar next to the vanity.