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As Americans become more prosperous, the size of bathrooms increases exponentially to our incomes, it seems. What is it that requires bathrooms large enough for a small party? Older homes have small bathrooms, and I love old houses, which have more personality, and construction that is more durable. If you have a small bath and want to modernize, here are some suggestions:

1. If you want more space and have only a small tub in an existing home, consider converting to just a really nice shower and eliminate the tub altogether. Most people use a shower more than a tub, anyway, and it can turn a cramped space into a luxurious space with virtually no real modifications. With glass doors, it becomes more airy and open in feel and function.

2. If a tub is important to you, then by all means, find a way to have one. One possibility is to expand a bathroom into a nearby room or closet. Look on the other side of the partition walls and see if there is some space that you might be able to expand into to increase the size of your bathroom, but don't attempt doing construction modification without calling in a professional.

3. Sometimes space is not well utilized. A smaller vanity and sink area might give you more tub space. Moving a linen closet might open up more space and linens might be stored in shelves, open to view, making it not only bigger, but give it more of a spa look.

4. Color and lighting can give the effect of feeling larger. Mirrors can make a space appear larger, but then they do have a way of showing you in the reflection; not implying anything, but some aren't as thrilled at seeing themselves as others are. Lighter colors make small spaces look bigger.

5. Re-positioning fixtures can make a big difference in how the area functions. I'll share a trick I used for my current bathroom to demonstrate. It is a tiny room, about four feet by four feet, not counting the shower, which is tiny, also. A sink from the fifties hung on the wall, near the corner and was crowded by the converging wall; it was almost impossible for me to use. The door opened into the room so one had to open it and go around it to enter or exit, and the from the shower curtain to the back of the shower was less than two feet.

I made the entry door swing outward, making it easier to enter and exit. I built a counter in the corner where the sink had been, installed an oval shaped sink, put in a three-way mirror in the corner, and made some open shelves under the cabinet. It allows me to stand in the middle of the room, not crowded up against a wall.

I put in glass, bi-fold shower doors, hung on the outside of the opening, and built a sloped threshold into the shower for water to run back into the shower. Giving me a gain of almost a foot of space from front to back of the shower. I painted the yellow and green tile white with epoxy paint, so it looks cleaner, lighter, and more modern.

All that may have been a bit difficult to follow, but for two hundred dollars, I made the room feel three times as large, and brightened it with light colors and muted murals on the walls for personality. Now, instead of dreading entering the room, I enjoy it and have sufficient room to function. I can shave without bumping my elbow on the wall, for instance.

Is it big enough to have a party in as many of my friends' new homes have? No, but then, I never wanted to have guests in my bathroom for a party, so I don't feel compromised. I stay in the room just long enough to perform necessary functions and then leave. What my friends do in their bathrooms, I don't know, and I don't ask.

Learn more about this author, Will Kester.
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