Thinking about making a switch that delivers those ocean breezes to your day-to-day? Begin with one or two pieces that you are attracted to and proceed with creating your coastal retreat slowly. No sooner than you know it, you will have your very own oceanic getaway each day without the need to go through a passport.
Blue is magic in tiny spaces like bathrooms since the color deceives the brain to think that the room is larger. The natural light is reflected in light blues and attractiveness is built through a mixture of darker blues. I know the secret to blue being so perfect in such small (cramped, in my case thanks to city living) bathrooms, having recently refurbished three of them.
Light Blue Paint for Space Expansion
Powder Blue Walls for Airy Feel
Small bathrooms are instant breathing rooms with powder blue walls. My powder room is a 30-square foot room that I painted in soft powder blue and guests can always comment on how much the room feels like it is large. The hidden key is in selecting blues with white undertones as opposed to choosing gray blues.
This shade works particularly well because it:
- Reflects available light instead of absorbing it
- Creates visual continuity with white fixtures
- Pairs beautifully with chrome and brushed nickel
- Photographs gorgeously for those before-and-after shots 🙂
Pro tip:Have your powder blue tested under varying light styles. What may appear glorious at noon may give one a totally different experience under the bathroom lights in the evening.
Sky Blue Ceiling Tricks
How many times have you wondered why sky blue ceilings create the perception of rooms that are taller? It is all in psychology-our thoughts give a feel of blue as open sky and unlimited space. I experimented with this in a basement bathroom with 7 foot ceilings, and all of a sudden the room did not feel like a cave.
The key lies in choosing the right blue tone:
- Soft sky blue for subtle expansion
- Slightly deeper blue for dramatic height
- Avoid dark blues that create cave-like effects
- Coordinate with wall colors for cohesive flow
Strategic Blue Tile Placement
Vertical Blue Subway Tiles
Vertical subway tile installation makes walls and, by extension, the ceiling seem a little taller and does the same thing with the eye. This design trick, I acquire from a designer friend who put down vertical pale blue subway tiles in tegenovergestelde small bathroom– seams gorgeous.
Wall looks shorter and broader with standard horizontal installation, but mounted vertically..
- Creates the illusion of higher ceilings
- Makes narrow spaces appear less cramped
- Adds sophisticated design detail
- Works with both light and medium blue tones
Blue Mosaic Accent Strips
Using small mosaic tiles can lose small areas, but with careful decorative strips, the color is produced, not the chaos. My guest bathroom has one strip of blue mosaic tiled in a horizontal line at eye level around the room, providing focal interest instead of making the room look smaller.
Best placement strategies include:
- Single horizontal strip behind floating vanity
- Vertical accent line in shower alcove
- Border treatment around mirror or window
- Subtle backsplash behind pedestal sink
| Tile Size | Best Application |
|---|---|
| Large format (12″+) | Walls and floors for seamless look |
| Small mosaic (1-2″) | Accent strips and borders only |
Space-Saving Blue Vanity Solutions
Floating Vanities in Navy
Navy vanities are floating and make space under while offering the needed storage. The dark blue earths the room without overloading it, and the fact that you can see the floor continuing beneath it makes the room larger.
I added a extra floating navy vanity, 36 inches, to a small bathroom and instantaneously it felt more spacious. The major advantages are:
- Floor space remains visually uninterrupted
- Easy cleaning underneath
- Modern, sophisticated appearance
- Storage without bulk
Corner Vanities with Blue Accents
Floor installations make the best use of awkward floor layouts. There is a blue hardware/accessories white corner vanity that will allow for functionality without compromising design. This is a terrific way to go when wall to wall vanities cannot fit.
Smart corner vanity features:
- Curved fronts that don’t catch clothing
- Multiple drawers for organized storage
- Integrated towel bars to save wall space
- Coordinating blue mirror frames
Maximizing Light with Blue Elements
Glossy Blue Tiles for Reflection
Tiles made of shiny blue material reflect light in small rooms as mirrors. In a windowless bathroom, I chose glossy pale blue runner tiles, which reflected light miraculously contributing to the tremendous difference in the sense of the lightedness of the place.
The reflective quality works because:
- Glossy surfaces double available light
- Creates depth through reflection
- Maintains color impact without darkness
- Easier to clean than matte finishes
Blue Glass Shower Doors
Transparent glass shower doors do not pose sight problems, but a tint of glass helps avoid noticeable color and still deal with transparency. This will especially be effective in cases where in the small bathrooms, the appearance of a conventional shower curtain makes a mess of the bathroom decorum.
IMO, bluish-glass provides the conveniences of a fine trade off between privacy and exposure. You can achieve color effect, with none of the space shrinking attributes of clear shower enclosures.
Compact Storage with Blue Style
Blue Ladder Shelves
Vertical storage by way of narrow ladder shelves does not consume floor space. I do love the white toilet and vanity cabinet centered by the existing blue ladder shelf donated to me, as it isn t new, but acknowledges a natural blue tone and complements the blue tile with blue towels and toiletries.
These work well because they:
- Utilize vertical space efficiently
- Create visual height through repetition
- Offer open storage that doesn’t feel heavy
- Add architectural interest to plain walls
Over-Toilet Blue Cabinets
The area above your toilet makes an excellent storage real estate. Your color scheme can be preserved with blue over-toilet cabinets that give you some hidden storage. Select cabinets which do not stretch too deep into the room to give an impression of a crowded room.
Built-in Blue Niches
The recessed shower niches, covered in blue tile offer needed storage without taking up valuable shower room space. I put blue glass tile niches in my tiny shower and they serve well as well as look pretty.
Smart niche considerations:
- Multiple small niches work better than one large one
- Coordinate tile color with overall scheme
- Include proper waterproofing during installation
- Position at comfortable reaching height
Blue Lighting Solutions for Small Bathrooms
Blue-Toned LED Strip Lighting
Ambient Lighting is done with cool-toned LED strips behind mirrors or under floating vanities to help complement blue color schemes. The blue tint of the walls makes the small spaces look more transparent as the spa.
I have applied some LED lighting behind my bathroom mirror and the effect is overwhelming as it creates the transition of the cramped area to great sophisticated area. The trick is selecting the strips that are dimmable in order to make them flexible.
Blue Glass Pendant Lights
Blue glass pendant lights make a decorative touch to any interior without large space requirements such as a counter or floor space. Pendants that will be hung alongside mirrors will add some interesting angles of lighting and retain the theme of blue.
Choose pendants carefully:
- Scale appropriate to room size
- Install at proper height to avoid head bumps
- Coordinate with other blue elements
- Provide adequate task lighting
Mirror Magic with Blue Frames
Large Blue-Framed Mirrors
Extralarge mirrors framed in blue build on visual space twice and deliver color effects. I hung a round 48 inches diameter mirror with weathered blue frame on my small bathroom; the room looked twice as big suddenly.
The coloring of the frame is part of your design plan whereas the surface of the mirror opens up a space. Small bathroom design win-win situation.
Multiple Small Blue Mirrors
Smaller mirrors are grouped together to form the effect of gallery walls that do not take over of small spaces. I placed three mirrors of varying sizes and with matching blue frames and the difference in reflection creates depth and interest.
This approach works because:
- Creates focal point without single large investment
- Allows mixing different blue tones
- Reflects light from multiple angles
- Adds personality through varied shapes
Floor Solutions for Small Blue Bathrooms
Light Blue Hex Tiles
Dark blue hexagon floor patterns are formed by giant tiles so that spaces appear bigger. Geometric shape is interesting but not busy and the light blue colours reflect available light upwards.
I selected 8inch hex instead of smaller tiles – Larger tiles = fewer grout lines and Less visual language. This adds an optical illusion of more space while keeping up a style.
Blue and White Checkerboard Patterns
Timeless look is made classic with checkerboard patterns in blue and white while the alternating colours bring the movement. The pattern follows the gaze of the onlooker across the floor and is optimistic within narrow bogs feel.
FYI,This pattern is better suited to same-sized squares as opposed to rectangles. Its symmetry brings about balance in small places.
Practical Blue Bathroom Accessories
Blue Towel Coordination
Fitting towels in corresponding to each other of different shades of blue gives the flow of color without large-scale restorations. I have three towels sets in different shades of blue powder blue, navy, and teal, (I change these sets according to moods as seasons change).
Smart towel strategies:
- Choose quick-dry materials for humidity control
- Hang on hooks rather than bars to save space
- Coordinate with but don’t perfectly match wall colors
- Include white towels for balance and flexibility
Compact Blue Storage Containers
Toiletries are arranged in storage containers which are colored blue and organized to ensure continuity between the designs. On my vanity, I have a trio of three blue ceramic containers with graduated sizes and store everyday items in them intentionally styled.
This will also avoid clutter of the eyes yet have the things needed nearby. Tiny areas need to be organized in order to feel cozy and roomy.
Conclusion
The little bathrooms do not necessarily have to be big and dull. The color scheme of blue in combinations with the methods to make the maximum amount of space techniques turns bathrooms into much larger and much more beautiful rooms. Whether it is powder blue walls that open up the eye to make the space seem larger or floating navy vanities that keep the flow in the floor, these eleven concepts demonstrate that size restraint does not hold a good design.
The magic will occur when you select those blues which complement, but do not dominate the space. Light blues widen, planned darker blues create a second dimension and well-designed accessories arrange and welcome the whole thing with fondness.
Want to give your teeny bathroom a blue escape? Select one or two items that resonate with you, and base your color story upon them slowly. Soon enough you and your guests will be wondering how you ever got so much style into so little space.