Small bath blues
Question for Kelly Pfeffer, partner and senior designer at Fifth Wall Design Group: How do you make a small bathroom feel bigger?
Answer: Less is definitely more, says Pfeffer: “Keeping out the clutter by limiting the amount of stuff that is around your vanity top or on the back of the toilet is the first step to opening up a small bathroom.” That means no hair dryers sprawling across countertops or rubber ducky collections on display.
 Glass doors rather than plastic shower curtains can open the space in a tight bathroom. |
Color scheme is also a crucial component in allowing little to seem large. Pfeffer says, “Keep it light, and consider painting the ceiling the same color to make it feel higher.” Light, as in illumination, is also central to opening up the bathroom. “Large mirrors can be used for extra reflecting,” says Pfeffer.
Pedestal sinks or wall-mounted vanities can be huge space savers. “If more storage is necessary, the piece should have legs and be open underneath,” Pfeffer says. If you have some say in the preliminary room design, Pfeffer suggests a glass partition instead of a shower curtain to add new space.
One final tip: “Large tiles on a diagonal also have great potential for widening an area."—Suzanne van der Eijk
Rug’n’roll
We spotted the spots on this medium-sized rug at Floor Fashions, and were drawn to its lighthearted, but not too showy, brand of contemporary design. The color palette could calm a child’s room or liven up a grownup space. Bullseye!—Erika Howsare
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Nosh news
Here’s something to savor: the beautiful and brainy magazine Gastronomica. It’s a food publication, but it’s no ad-riddled recipe collection. In fact, there are very few ads or recipes. Instead, there are smart articles that start at “food” and wander toward poetry, music, art, and even postmodern literary theory. We challenge you to name another magazine covering both Jacques Derrida and Italian artisanal honey in the same lovely, glossy issue. Luscious fare, indeed.—E.H.
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