2 Ideas For Creating A Spacious Feel In Your Small, Ensuite Renovation

Ensuite bathrooms are a standard feature in Australian homes that were built within the last few decades. If your home is an older-style dwelling that's more than a decade old, then the ensuite is probably looking a little tired, worn and dated. Renovating a small room like this is a relatively simple and inexpensive project in comparison to other home improvements, but it can make a big difference in creating a modern look and increasing the value of your home.

Although an ensuite renovation is a fairly minor project, it can be a surprisingly tricky one to get right. The main issue is space or, more accurately, the limited amount of it that you have available. This is particularly true of older homes, which don't provide the spaciousness of contemporary ensuites. Here are two ideas to help you make the most of the space and create an airy and open feel in your new ensuite bathroom.

1. Frameless shower screens

Most ensuites don't have enough room to accommodate a bathtub, so the shower is the main feature of the room. It also takes up the most space, often using up to half of the available floor area. Using traditional framed shower screens can make the shower feel boxed in and can make the whole room feel cramped and tiny.

Using frameless shower screens is a great way to create the illusion of a more spacious room. The clear glass panels allow for an unhindered line through the room with no visual barriers to cut the room in two. This type of shower screen also allows more light to enter the shower recess, making it feel brighter while you're using it.

2. Large floor and wall tiles

In a small ensuite, it's fairly common practice to install slimline fittings, such as basins, toilets and vanity units, to ensure that there is still plenty of room to move. Unlike fittings, when it comes to floor and wall tiles in a small ensuite, scaling up is an excellent alternative to scaling down with petite, fussy and crowded-looking tiles.

Oversize tiles in a small room create an optical illusion that is similar to a forced perspective which is used in photography. It involves using scale to manipulate the human eye to see things as smaller or larger than they really are. Large tiles, particularly when used with slimline fittings, will make the entire seem larger and more spacious.