How to Decorate a Long and Narrow Bathroom | Home Guides

Read article : How to Decorate a Long and Narrow Bathroom | Home Guides

clear glass shower door helps a bathroom feel larger." title="Thomas Northcut/Photodisc/Getty Images" />

A clear glass shower door helps a bathroom feel larger.

A long, narrow bathroom can feel small and closed in. Even if you can't change the actual size of the room, you can make it feel more open and spacious. Removing the clutter and keeping accessories to a minimum makes a small bathroom look and feel larger. The colors, textures and patterns used to decorate a bathroom can create the visual illusion of a wider, more balanced space.

Walls and Ceiling

Light paint colors such as beige, white, gray or pastels tend to make a room appear larger. Apply a paint color that's two or three shades darker than the wall color to the short wall at the end of a long, narrow bathroom. The darker color makes the end wall appear to recede, creating the illusion of width. Hang a piece of artwork on the short wall to provide a focal point. Make a ceiling appear more lofty by painting it white. Another option is to choose a ceiling color that's two or three shades lighter than the longer wall color. Hanging a single large mirror on a wall opposite a window provides a scenic reflection to help expand the room. Avoid hanging a number of small mirrors around the room. This can create confusing spatial illusions.

Windows and Floors

Natural light streaming through the windows helps brighten a long, narrow bathroom, making it feel more open. Remove existing window coverings and clean the windows to allow a sparkling view to the outdoors. Avoid window treatments designed to hang outside the window frame, such as curtains or draperies; they take up additional wall space to make a narrow bathroom look even thinner. Window film is ideal for providing an unobstructed view to the outdoors, protecting against ultraviolet rays and providing privacy. It also doesn't take up any physical space in your long, narrow bathroom. White, wooden blinds with 2-inch slats are designed to fit snugly inside a window frame while allowing you to alter the direction and amount of natural light with the twist of a wand. Natural-woven bamboo shades can be custom fitted to hang inside your window frame to add a natural element to your small bathroom.

Vanity and Shower

Painting your vanity the same color as your walls helps blend the two to create a uniform, wider appearance. Add shiny chrome handles and knobs to vanity drawers and cabinet doors to add a sparkling touch to the space. Clear glass shower doors provide a more spacious feel to a long, narrow bathroom by directing your eyes through the glass and into the shower area. When your bathroom requires a shower curtain, choose a lightweight white, neutral or pastel fabric curtain to avoid a visually heavy look that dark-colored, thick shower curtains can convey. Pull a shower curtain to one side to open up the shower area when it's not in use.

Lights and Accessories

Providing adequate lighting in a long, narrow bathroom is essential to avoid a dismal, dark space. Installing a skylight or additional windows help bring the outdoors inside a small bathroom. Recessed ceiling lights and track lighting provide much-needed light without taking up wall space that may make a bathroom appear even narrower. Decorative wall sconces above a vanity supply necessary light for grooming activities without protruding into a narrow bathroom walkway. Keep accessories to a bare minimum -- such as a single vase of flowers or potted greenery on top of your countertop, a trash can tucked under the vanity or in a corner, and folded towels stacked neatly on built-in shelves or in a wicker basket. Placing decorative items on the floor in a narrow bathroom clutters up the physical walkway and visual space.