When tiles are laid horizontally, and to the ceiling, the bathroom looks wider and more spacious. Compare this to a vertical laid tile, which tends to make the ceilings look taller but the space tighter.
Vertical stacked tile is the more contemporary option because it alters two of traditional subway tile's characteristics (its offset and direction). Those looking for a trendy design are in good hands with stacked vertical subway tile. Vertical stacked subway tile draws the eye upward and can visually elongate a space.
Finally, our advice is to use a horizontal floor tile pattern to widen your floor space. Horizontal floor tiles are successful in making the room look less cramped, and making your small bathroom appear that much larger.
Regardless of the size of tile you choose to you, installing it diagonally will give your room a larger appearance. The third way of making your room look larger combines both techniques described above with relationship to size and layout.
'Running tile vertically will add height to the room,' Sarah Rosenhaus, principal and founder of Sarah Rosenhaus Interior Design, says. 'A vertical pattern will draw the eye up, giving the illusion of height. ' The issue can be that this technique can narrow a room by making the space feel like a column.
Stripes can work wonders!
The same rule applies to interiors as it does in fashion. Thin stripes give the appearance of stretching, vertical stripes will make a room appear taller and horizontal stripes will make a room look wider.
Horizontal stripes/lines make the room feel wider, while vertical lines can make the space seem longer/taller. Accent pieces such as striped rugs can also help make spaces feel bigger.
The same tile used on a vertical surface and horizontal surface will look different, due to the throw of light on it. For example, if the same tile is applied on the wall and on the floor, the colour of the wall will tend to appear darker as compared to the floor.
Larger Tiles Make Small Rooms Appear Bigger
Because grout lines are thinner and fewer as part of the layout, smaller rooms appear bigger when using larger tiles. Large-format tiles make floors look more streamlined – therefore, creating the illusion of more space.
Whether you prefer blueish greys, jewel greens, delicate blush tones or the palest Carrara marble, this timeless and hardwearing stone will enhance any space. While marble tiles mostly appear to transcend passing design trends, we expect to see an increasing number of interesting patterns at play in 2023.
Subway tile is the most traditional and popular tile pattern, and it typically comes in a rectangular shape of all degrees and colors. The most well-known pattern is akin to offset bricks. However, you can also "stack" them vertically or horizontally.
White subway tile in a shower or bath will never age, Winn says. For floors, penny tile — white or black and white — is still found in homes built in the 1950s and '60s in North Arlington, Va., Winn says, but clients are also asking for it in new bathrooms.
A diagonal tile layout can be preferable in a bathroom or another small room because it helps to make the room look larger. As for installation, cutting on the diagonal will always be a little more difficult than cutting parallel to edges. But there are tools and techniques to help you do this.
Begin laying tile in the center of the room and work your way out. The first step in laying out tile is to mark a guideline, or layout line, in the room to make sure your tile pattern is evenly centered. Measure the four walls in the room with a tape measure to find the midpoint.
Paler shades of wall and floor tiles reflect light which will visually open up a space, whereas darker tones absorb light which will make the room feel smaller. Glazed tiles will also bounce light back, making the room feel larger, whilst entirely matt tiles absorb light.
With light coloured tiles like whites or creams, you will open up all the space thanks to the sheer amount of light that will be allowed into the space. Lighter colours also look less busy than dark colours, again helping the room to appear much larger than it actually is.
2. Go for glossy tiles. The smooth and shiny finish of gloss tiles reflect light back into the room making it feel larger. Matt tiles absorb light and have the opposite effect.
Wide Planks
Selecting wide floor planks is one of the easiest and most effective ways to make a room look bigger. Instead of thin strips, go for boards at least seven inches wide. Longer planks (four or more feet in length) can help as well.
In a room with no natural light, you can brighten the space by loading up on layered lighting, using mirrors to bounce the light around the space also allowing the area to feel bigger, and using light furniture.
Choose Large-Format Tiles
Large format tiles (tiles that are larger than 60cm x 60cm) will make your bathroom feel bigger than it really is. Firstly, there will be fewer grout lines, so your walls & floors will look more seamless & less cluttered & restrictive. Secondly, the scale will make your space feel larger.
In most cases, you'll want your floors to be darker than your wall color with a flat white ceiling. As a rule of thumb, go at least 3 shades lighter on the walls than the floors. However, there are instances when you can add accent wall colors or paint in darker shades.
Gray can make a room look bigger. A light gray can be a great pick in place of white; it will reflect natural light, but it looks less architectural and cool than white, which you might prefer.