How To Make Your Small Singapore Bathroom Feel Bigger.

Make your small bathroom feel more spacious with an all white scheme.

Most of us would like to make our small bathrooms look more spacious. After all, bathrooms are often the smallest rooms in the house. Yet they must function well, and because we go there to relax, we want them to look great, too. So, it’s worth learning key interior design tips and tricks. If you're wondering how to make a small bathroom look bigger, there are lots of clever design tricks you can use. Whether with decor, mirrors, or layout, you can instantly make your space feel larger and brighter. Below, we take you through all the tricks you can employ to make a small bathroom look bigger. You can also use these bathroom ideas in more spacious areas to max out the square footage.

Top Tips To Make Your Bathroom Seem More Spacious.

Install Sliding Doors.

If you find yourself doing acrobatics to dodge the door while entering and exiting your tiny toilet, you’ll probably want to consider replacing the door with a sliding or bi-fold one. This way, you won’t have to factor in the area taken up by the door as it swings, giving you extra room.

When choosing a sliding door, using lighter materials such as wood makes it easier to slide open while putting less strain on the track mechanism supporting it. You may even opt for a door that slides into a wall for a minimalist aesthetic. One key point to note is that not all sliding doors or bi-fold doors come with a lock, so make sure you ask your supplier before you sign up for new bathroom doors.

Install Wall-mounted Or Compact Fixtures.

Wall mounted vanities can make your bathroom appear bigger.

Floor space comes at a premium when it comes to tiny bathrooms, which is why it’s prudent to keep as many fixtures off the floor and opt for compact versions. Where possible, install a wall-mounted basin, toilet bowl and cabinets. It’ll give you more floor space to work with and a less cluttered look. The best part: keeping the floor obstruction-free will make cleaning a breeze, and it also provides less opportunity for grime and mould to accumulate. A compact corner basin and faucet take up almost no space at all and will do wonders in keeping your toilet a clutter-free area.

Build Shelves Into Toilet Walls For Storage.

Maximising space doesn’t just stop at using smaller appliances; you can exploit every nook and cranny by building shelves into non-structural walls. Doing so adds storage space for your toiletries and a little more depth to your bathroom as it makes your walls look a little farther away than they are.

Replace Windows To Let In More Natural Light.

If a room is poorly lit, it can make even the most spacious room feel claustrophobic. By allowing more natural light into the bathroom, the space is opened up visually and make it seem more spacious than it actually is. The default louvre windows most homeowners get with their HDBs can sometimes be rather dim. For an easy fix, upgrade these panes to frosted glass options that allow more light in, or even swap the bulky frame of louvre windows for the cleaner design of top-hung windows. HDB has several rules regarding window type and materials depending on the unit, so be sure to check with your contractor.

Place Mirrors To Reflect Light.

Combine mirrors and lighting to give the illusion of space.

Clever placement of mirrors can make bathrooms appear double in size and enhance aesthetics, especially when installed in neat and minimalist toilets. When it comes to size, we suggest going BIG with your bathroom mirror. Pick longer or more expansive mirrors to accentuate vertical and horizontal lines to add height and width, respectively. As a bonus, opt for frameless mirrors to further give the illusion of space as there is less visual clutter. If you’re feeling fancy, you may also choose to install mirrors with backlighting, making your bathroom look extra-posh while introducing more ambient light.

Use Glossy Materials Such As Marble For Walls And Flooring.

To amplify the maximum amount of natural light, use glossy, light-reflecting materials such as marble for our walls and flooring. Not only does it make your bathroom feel more extensive, it also gives it an opulent, five-star hotel-worthy touch.

Use A Bright And Consistent Palette.

Colours can affect our perception of space, so we should choose carefully. Warmer tones make for cosy vibes, but cooler palettes help rooms feel cleaner and more open – while also reflecting the most amount of light. In addition to selecting the right colour for the various surfaces, picking bathroom light fixtures with a suitable colour temperature is also essential. Pick bright bulbs that lean toward a cooler tone to enhance the effect of visual spaciousness.

Use Similar Tile Designs For Your Floor And Walls.

When it comes to tile designs, going with a lighter theme while maintaining consistency with similar shades helps avoid breaking up space visually, resulting in a seamless and spacious bathroom design. To accentuate this, line your walls with long tiles to emphasise the height of your bathroom and match it with similar floor tiles to complete the illusion.

A similar wall and floor tile can make your bathroom seem more spacious.

Use Glass Shower Screens.

By opting for clear glass dividers or translucent shower curtains, you’ll allow more light to invigorate the space while keeping the area unobstructed. If shower curtains or dividers do not match your aesthetic, you can also consider doing away with them altogether.

Top And Tail The Bathroom With White.

If your space is narrow, one top interior design tip is to paint the ceiling white and have the floor tiles in a light colour also. Pick up the white again with the basin unit. It prevents the ‘middle’ of the scheme from looking too heavy. Use white paint around the window instead of tiles to highlight it and reflect the light back in.  

Try Tone on Tone.

Not a fan of stark white? You can still get a huge and breezy effect with a tone-on-tone palette in warm beige, soft greys coloured faint hues such as powder blue. Choose a neutral tile and find a paint colour for the remaining walls that picks up one of its hues. The overall effect is still serene and spa-like, without the jarring visual breaks to shrink your perception of the space.

Use a Floating Vanity.

A floating vanity is great within a small bathroom. It gives you lots of room to store daily essentials, but the peek of flooring underneath makes the area feel more open. In a tiny space, having a little bit more room to plant your feet can make a big difference.

Use Bright Lighting.

Good lighting is essential to making any space look big and open, but in bathrooms, which often don’t have much natural light available, it’s imperative. Plus, in a bathroom, you need good lighting to do things such as shave or apply makeup effectively. For these reasons, it’s vital to have a rich lighting scheme, preferably with multiple light sources at different locations. A grid of ceiling lights, as well as sconces or a contemporary edge-lighted mirror, will help you avoid shadowing and make the space feel bright and open. In a small bathroom, or where you can’t add new electrical for lights, try changing your ceiling light to one with multiple bulbs, so you have light coming from several directions from one fixture.

Opt For A Corner Tub Or Shower Tub Combo To Save Space.

Instead of having just a standalone shower in your HDB bathroom, try installing a shower-tub combo that takes up the same space as a regular shower. If a shower-tub combo is not for you and you’d instead separate your bath and shower, you could opt for a corner tub. These types of bathtubs take up much lesser space while still affording you the luxury of having a warm and relaxing bath after a tiring day at work.

How Much Does a Bathroom Renovation Cost in Singapore in 2022?

What is the state of your bathroom? Is it boring and poorly designed? Get started immediately! Bathrooms are one of the most important areas of a house. While every room is important, there is no denying the fact that life is impossible without a bathroom. This is why having an organized, well-designed bathroom is essential. This begs the most important question for homeowners, how much does it cost to renovation your bathroom in 2022?

How much do you need to invest in toilet renovation in Singapore?

Singapore offers a variety of toilet renovation ideas. You should, however, lower your expectations. With a small budget, you might be disappointed when you find out the actual price. However, you can put together a complete set of furniture for your bathroom with many functions for a fraction of the cost.

Below is a breakdown of the costs associated with the renovation of a Singapore bathroom. In general, you'll spend about S$4,000 to S$7,000 on a toilet renovation. Here's a basic estimate of the cost:

• Hacking a bathroom S$1,200–S$1,500

• Plumbing S$1,200–S$1,500

• Tilling S$3,000–S$4,000

• Shower screen S$600–S$850

• Vanity (depending on the size) S$850–S$1200

Obviously, these are indicative and relative costs. Material choice and finish will be important factors to consider. Are you looking for ceramic tiles, or fancy, designer tiles? Does your bathroom require a large or a small vanity unit? Every decision will affect your budget in some way.

How can the cost of toilet renovations be altered?

Your bathroom accessories and fixtures are the answer. Your budget can really be altered by these. Choosing a smart shower with WiFi and voice control will not come at the same price as a regular shower, for example. The cost of toilet renovations can also be raised by heated floors and non-slip finishes.

The cost of certain fixtures is slightly higher than the cost of regular fixtures. For example, a bathtub or a concealed rain shower is definitely going to increase your budget. Similarly, a WC and taps that hang on the wall will increase your budget since the construction process is different.

What are the benefits of renovating your toilet?

Except for purchasing a brand-new condo in Singapore, the majority of Singaporean housing purchases are resale HDBs or condos. It is therefore wise to redo your toilet. Typically, in older bathrooms, water pipes are concealed behind the walls, so installing new water pipes is the first step in preventing leaks. Another very important step is waterproofing tiles.

Water seeping through the ceiling and leaks in the walls are the two most common issues in toilets. If you plan on renovating your toilet, it is advisable to consult an architect, a designer, or a reliable contractor during the planning stage.

What does a bathroom renovation package include?

If you speak with a toilet renovation expert, they will provide you with a list of things that you should change based on the condition of your bathroom. In order to save money on toilet renovation, you should be able to pick out the most important elements of your bathroom.

Usually, when you opt for a complete bathroom renovation package, it includes some basic things like:

• Hacking

• Plumbing work for new piping

• New tile finish

• Waterproofing works

• Shower screen

• New bath fixtures

It is possible to plan where to spend, save, and reduce the cost of your bathroom renovation.

When getting a toilet renovated, what questions should you ask?

Designers, when interacting with homeowners, ask a lot of questions about their use, needs, preferences, lifestyle, etc. Your toilet renovation should be handled the same way.

Which features do you want in your bathroom?

• Do you just want the basics?

• Are you looking for a designer touch?

• Do you need a design that is child-friendly or elder-friendly?

• What is the expected number of people using this bathroom?

Here are more factors that determine the cost of your bathroom renovation:

Easy to maintain

Once you have answered the above questions, you will realize that no matter what your reasons are for renovating your toilet, it should be maintained regularly. Who likes to clean everything all the time or stare at stains? You should consider your chosen materials when deciding how much your toilet renovation will cost. You should choose tiles and quartz as surface materials because they are nonporous and easy to clean.

Tip

Choose large-sized wall tiles with no grout lines and anti-slip floor tiles with grout lines for better traction. If you want to minimise the appearance of water stains in your shower, you can use frosted-glass partitions.

Storage

The amount of storage you need can significantly affect the cost of your toilet renovation. You should always consider the available space as well as your needs before choosing a vanity unit. The type of vanity you choose should have enough drawers and cabinets if you have a lot to store here.

Tip

You may want to consider something simpler, like floor-to-ceiling shelves, instead of a full-fledged vanity if you aren't sure about it or don't have adequate space for it. For bathroom storage, they are a great and cheaper alternative.

Design/Aesthetics

A bathroom is an extremely important space to some of us, and we like to customize it. You should allocate at least some money for designer elements in your bathroom from the intended toilet renovation cost if you are inclined to do so.

Essentials to keep in mind

When it comes to renovating toilets, certain points cannot be compromised. Be sure to budget for the following:

Ventilation

Proper ventilation is essential for your bathroom, since it can trap moisture and produce an unpleasant odor. You might create an opening in your wall if there are no windows. These areas can be made more private with the use of venetian blinds and frosted-glass windows.

Space

Do you have a compact bathroom? A good layout utilises the entire space. There is no need to sacrifice design or utility just because you have a smaller space. You can get a functional bathroom for a reasonable price by working with an experienced designer.

Lighting

Finally, if you have a small bathroom, it is important to add the right type of lighting. For the ceiling, you should invest in LEDs and recessed lights since they last longer. A vanity and sink area that is well-lit should have lights that are moisture-resistant.

The Lowdown On Choosing Your Tiles For Your Bathroom.

Tile shopping can be fun, or tile shopping can be one of the hardest parts of your renovation.
There are so many patterns, textures, colours and styles, it can make your head spin (in a good or a bad way). Tiling can also drive up the cost of your renovation significantly so before you start, this guide will help you figure out what works for your budget, area and personal style.

Materials Matter.

• Glass: One of the most popular choices for bathrooms, glass comes in a huge assortment of colours and styles. Because it reflects light it can help to make a small bathroom look bigger. Be warned, however, glass can be a lot more expensive than other options due to the difficulty of installation.

• Ceramic: This is a winning option for bathrooms. Its durable, waterproof and for the most part stain resistant. Another plus is that it’s also resistant to bacteria and odours, your contractor will thank you as it’s easy to install but also when you look at your ongoing maintenance efforts, it’s easy to clean. If you are looking to put it on the floor, make sure that it’s slip-resistant to reduce the chance of accidents in the bathroom.

• Porcelain: Porcelain is another popular bathroom tile, it’s harder than ceramic, the tiles are a little tougher. It’s an ideal choice for bathrooms because it’s not very absorbent. Beware though, porcelain tiles tend to be more expensive than ceramic tiles. A big advantage of porcelain tiles is that the colour is not just glazed on the top. Instead, it goes right through the entire tile. For this reason, if you are unfortunate enough to get a chip in your tile, it’s not as big of a deal, the colour of the tile is the same all the way through and it will continue to be moisture resistant.

• Stone (Limestone, Slate, etc.): Look in any home decor magazine and you will see that natural stone is a great way to bring some texture into a bathroom. The challenge with stone however is that it tends to require more maintenance than traditional ceramic or porcelain. Due to its porous nature, it can hold onto grime and dirt. That doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t consider this type of tile, but be realistic on how much time you want to spend maintaining it. An option that may work for you? Consider using it outside of your shower area where there tends to be less dirt or soapy build-up.

Grout doesn’t have to be an afterthought.

Grout is necessary for filling the voids between the tiles and for making the surface stronger by bonding the tiles together. It also helps to keep the edges of individual tiles from chipping. Outside of having a very practical role to play, grout also plays an important design role. The key thing to remember is that grout doesn’t always have to be white.

Whether you choose light or dark grout can have a big impact. You can for instance match the grout colour to the tile colour which accentuates the tile. You could opt to contrast your tiles and grout which calls attention to the pattern.

A key tip, keep in mind that light grout requires a lot of maintenance. The last thing you want after spending your hard-earned money on renovation is for it to get dingy or grimy.

Size & Colour Matter.

Large scale tiles are very trendy right now, and they’re ideal for walls and shower benches. But unless you have a slip-resistant material, it’s better to use small scale tiles for the shower floor as they can help to reduce slip and fall accidents.

Pro-tip, take home tile samples and look at them within your own space. Look at them in different lighting to. try to envisage what they will look like within your own bathroom. Consider the natural light in your bathroom before deciding on the tile colour and finish. A semi-gloss or matte finish reduces glare in brightly lit bathrooms. As a general rule it’s safe to say that light colours make space feel bigger, but nowhere is this more true than in a bathroom. Bathrooms tend to be small, and sometimes they’re without windows, so it’s up to the decor and lighting to make the space feel open and airy. Before you choose bathroom tile, think about how the colour will impact the perceived size of the room.

Remember, you have options such as rugs to add to your room which can bring it all together.

Be Aware Of Your Budget

When choosing bathroom tile, you should always start with your budget or at least a range. Your quote from your Interior Designer (if you are working with one), will give you an idea of what range you have to work within.

This will help keep your fantasies in check as you go through the rest of the process. After all, you could fork over a fortune on just one piece of exquisite subway tile if you’re not careful!

Setting a budget helps you set parameters for the overall project. Now if you stray, you’ll have a flashing red warning light in your head. And if you choose to ignore that warning light, well…you may have an even more beautiful bathroom. But at what cost?

Once you’ve decided how much you can spend, your next step is to find out the total square footage you want to cover with tile.

Choose your most expensive tile first.

You may only want to use one tile throughout, and that’s fine, but if you want to use more than one tile choose your favourite first and then determine where you want it to go and how much of it you can afford. Since some types of tile can be very expensive you may have to be creative with your design for it to work within your budget and space. For example, a high-end tile could go up the wall behind the sink to become a feature or it could simply be used for a  niche in a shower wall. Choose bathroom tile accordingly to fit your budget.

Trendy or Timeless?

Try to select tiles that aren’t super trendy.  If they are too trendy, the bathroom will become dated quickly.  Also, do not select tile with resale in mind. Select for yourself and your design dreams

Wrapping up.

Before you jump into buying bathroom tiles, there are some crucial steps you must consider.

• Firstly, decide on a style for your bathroom or at a minimum have narrowed down your style selections or options before you go to the showroom. This will also determine what colour and design of tile to choose for your space. Next, consider your tile size preferences.

• Bathroom tiles are available in large and small tiles. Large tiles will produce a more attractive finish than small tiles. You can either choose to create a seamless look or mix and match tiles to create a look that is unique to you. If you’re mixing and matching tiles, choose no more than three different types of tiles. If you choose more tile types, you run the risk of making your bathroom look overwhelming or even small.

• Consider tiles for your shower space and make sure that they complement the rest of your bathroom.

• Before you purchase your tiles, make sure you consider the maintenance requirements.

• Finally, tiling your bathroom is a big investment of both time and money, pick a design that works for you and your families needs, whilst on-trend can be tempting, you will have to look at this for the next few years.