Fun Solutions for Bathroom Fixtures and Essentials

Let’s face it, our bathrooms aren’t the nicest part of our house. They can be small, cramped, poorly lit, and the cherry on top is that vent fan that sounds like it came straight out of those boxy pickups that your uncle used to drive. When not given enough attention, our powder rooms tend to collect tacky decor that would have been outdated in 1990. In other words, our bathrooms need help to be their best selves. And if you feel they just aren’t cutting it, then it’s time for a little change. Fortunately, there are plenty of small ways to spruce things up in the water closet that can measurably breathe life into it without a full bathroom remodel. As with many things in life, all you have to do is focus on the details.    

LEDs 

To solve the problem of poor lighting, the first thing to do is revamp your bathroom’s light bulbs. The advent of budget-friendly LEDs means that there are all sorts of neat bathroom lighting ideas out there for you to take advantage of. The first order of business is, of course, to replace the single incandescent bulb setup in your powder room with something with a bit more vitality. Most LED bathroom light fixtures are lightyears ahead in brightness and style. You can top this addition off with some accent vanity lights or even a mirror backlight for an added touch of modernity. 

Bathroom Lighting to Help Bring a Small Space Together

DIY Blanket Ladder

If you’re looking for a DIY project that’s both affordable and simple, look no further. Truly, few other projects are as easy to do as this one. A blanket ladder is unlikely to cost you more than $15 to build, and yet it can add a lot of practicality to any bathroom where it can be used in place of a standard towel rack. Plus, the rustic blanket ladder provides a bathroom storage solution that is a world apart thanks to its warm design. This makes it a perfect addition to a minimalist home, but it can also go well with a variety of other interior design styles. 

How A Simple Blanket Ladder Can Add Some Flare to Your Bathroom

Hang Up a Mirror 

For those of us who may not have space for a floating vanity or even just a mirror, there is a solution. If windows and a lack of free wall space thwart your dreams of having a mirror in the powder room, simply get a mirror that can be wall-mounted. Hanging this over a window will create privacy with a purpose. Accordion mirrors can fit discreetly between two windows, so you get a neat bathroom improvement without losing any natural light. Even small mirrors can have character, too. 

Even Small Bathrooms Need and Can Accommodate A Cute Mirror

Sliding Doors 

Reclaim some lost space in your cramped water closet with a door that slides open rather than opening inwards. This might seem like an insignificant change, but it can work wonders in adding more space to your bathroom. It also gives you an extra opportunity to reimagine your toilet’s aesthetic. A sliding door can be a great piece to add if you’re gunning for a minimalist-modernist look since it’s a sleek device that can be designed to recede into the pocket of a wall. It can even be made to be a door with a simple rustic farmhouse charm. The choice is yours.  

Sliding Doors Are Back and Make the Space Bigger

Towel Hooks 

To really get into the space-saving game you’re going to have to become captain of hooks. Racks tend to take up quite a bit of room, so consider switching them out for some classy metal hooks instead. These can be designed to hold multiple towels at once and come in a variety of finishes including warm rustic copper and modern stainless steel. Hooks can also be used for a variety of other bathroom supplies allowing you to get stuff off the floor and reclaim some lost space. In fact, some shampoo bottles are even designed to hang off hooks, which is very handy.   

Try Alternative Storage Techniques In the Bathroom with Hooks and Wall Mounted Shelves

Wall-to-Wall Mirrors

When it comes to improving a space, perspective is everything. Oftentimes a bathroom is just as big as it needs to be, but it still feels small because space has not been used well. One way to counteract this is with a nice, big wall-to-wall mirror. Wall-to-wall mirrors are great for making space feel airier. They’re also really good at brightening things up because they reflect light. This means that even a bathroom with poor lighting can suddenly be transformed into something much brighter.  

No Matter the Size of Your Bathroom, A Wall-to-Wall Mirror Will Certainly Make It Feel Bigger

Add Flair to Lighting 

If you want to experiment with your lighting, consider buying some colored bulbs. These are an affordable way to completely change the look of your bathroom, and can even be part of a new bathroom decor scheme. To achieve this, all you have to do is pair colored bulbs with a decor of the same color. Different hues of the same color can also produce an interesting effect. 

Ideas to Spice Up Basic Bathroom Fixtures

There are also LED bulbs that simulate the vintage filament look of incandescents, as in this picture. These add some uniqueness to a modern bathroom that helps it stand out.  

Add Some Floating Shelves 

Floating bathroom shelves are a popular solution for those of us that don’t have the luxury of bathroom vanity storage, or simply need an extra place to put things. You can easily install a floating shelf yourself if you’re so inclined, and it can be used to hold bathroom essentials such as toothpaste, soap, moisturizer, etc. 

Small Fixtures that Will Make a Huge Difference In a Small Bathroom

Gets Some Wicker Baskets And Bins 

Now that you’ve reclaimed some precious floor space, it’s time to put it to use. One way to do this is to increase bathroom storage space with some wicker baskets and bins. These add warmth to a cozy bathroom space all while giving you extra over the toilet storage space for bathroom supplies. Small wicker baskets can also be placed on floating shelves to keep things decluttered.  

The Trendiest Bathroom Additions that Are Not Basic At All

Improve Natural Lighting 

While LED lights these days are plenty bright, there’s nothing that comes close to the power of the sun’s natural light. We don’t all have bathrooms with windows to the outside, but if you do then you have a virtually limitless source of light shining through every day. The most obvious way to take advantage of this is with bigger windows. Since this is the bathroom we’re talking about, privacy is also an important factor to think about. 

A Small Bathroom Needs As Much Natural Lighting As You Can Get

Windows can be glazed so that they cannot be seen through, although this does reduce the light that can come through as well. An alternative is to put in a skylight. This will allow for lots of natural light without exposing your bathroom to the outside world.  

Lift Your Curtain 

Shower curtains can also contribute to the space feeling cramped, and removing them allows for some airiness to be reclaimed. But if you want to have a curtain, you’ll be happy to know that there is a way to make it feel less obtrusive. Lifting the curtain so that it is right on the upper line of your tub will help create a visual illusion that makes your bathroom feel bigger. This is because a higher curtain helps make your walls feel bigger and longer. This works especially well if you have a bathroom with a high ceiling.

The Trick to Shower Curtains to Open Up the Space in Your Bathroom

Declutter

Clutter; none of us like it but most of us have it. It’s hard to keep things organized and tidy in the hustle and bustle of everyday life. In fact, decluttering your life is so time-consuming that it’s literally a full-time job. In short, decluttering at the speed of life is hard, so it’s good to have some useful decluttering tips to make things easier. Because most of us only spend a short time in the bathroom before moving on with our day, clutter tends to build up. 

Ways to Keep Your Bathroom a Space of Calm

Many of these tips can contribute to decluttering your bathroom, but the most immediate way to make things less crowded is to sift through your toilet supplies. You’ll be surprised at how much stuff you can just throw out. You’re almost certain to find empty shampoo bottles, old moisturizers you never use or even spent chapstick bars. Once you get rid of all the bathroom supply deadwood you’ll have a lot more bathroom storage room to work with.