Small bathrooms come with their own set of challenges.  Diminutive bathrooms can sometimes lack storage, or their flow doesn’t accommodate your family’s needs.  Don’t give up on your space just because it’s compact.  The best plan of attack is to reimagine the room, bringing in elements that celebrate its minute size and work with its limitations.  You don’t need to remodel a small, narrow bathroom to get the spa space of your dreams.  Sometimes you just have to rethink the bathroom’s basics.  Here are eight tips for making your small bathroom seem larger without knocking out any walls.


Pick products sized for your space

Do your knees hit the cabinets when you’re on the throne?  That’s probably because the toilet and cabinets are too big for the space.  Installing incorrectly sized toilets, sinks and tubs in a small space can make for an immediate headache.  Consider getting a toilet with a round bowl instead of an elongated one or go for a mounted, wall-hung bowl.  Round bowls tend to be smaller, and wall-mounted toilets feel like less of a space waster because of the open floor underneath.


Install a floating vanity

Create a trompe-l’oeil effect to make the footprint of your bathroom feel larger and save some serious space beneath your sink with a floating vanity.  When your floor space extends all the way to the wall under the cabinet, your eye will perceive more space and openness.  Bonus: Your tootsies will also have more room to scoot under the sink.


Get rid of the bathtub

We get it—for people with young children, a tub is nonnegotiable.  But in a home of only adults, a full tub may be taking up valuable space.  For the sake of making a small bathroom function like a larger one, reclaim some open space by installing a shower that’s properly sized for the room.  If possible, opt for a barrier-free shower or one with glass shower doors.  The lack of visible walls will immediately make the space feel more open.  If you must keep the tub, get a simple clear shower curtain or sliding glass door.  Opaque curtains can feel wall-like, and adding walls is the last thing you want to do in a small loo.


Add a wall-mounted medicine cabinet

Medicine cabinets provide extra storage for small items, often in an unobtrusive way.  For narrow bathroom storage, this is a great option.  You’ll keep your precious counter space free and clear of personal items that could crowd the area and make it feel cluttered and small.


Add hooks for additional storage

If your bathroom is so small that adding towel racks presents a problem, install hooks.  One for every person in your home should suffice since multiple items—towels, clothes, bathrobes—can fit on one.