How to create an illusion of light and space despite

How to create an illusion of light and space despite a very small bathroom window

Many older, large apartment buildings, particularly in cities, tend to have small bathroom windows. With buildings separated by just a foot or two, there's not much of a view anyway, so this was one way to economize. If your bathroom has such a very small bathroom window, this can present a challenge, both in terms of dcor and lighting. Here we've got some ideas to remedy both problems.

If you have virtually no view, due to the close proximity of the next building, you also aren't likely to get much natural light, even if your apartment is situated on the corner of the building. One way to create the illusion of light is to install track lighting on the top sill of the window and then hang a sheer panel curtain from a thin, round brass rod. Glass bead curtains, or a stained glass panel are other attractive alternatives to the sheer panel.

If your bathroom is small, painting the walls a light color is a must. When choosing between the sheer panel and alternate solutions, remember that too much color and too many patterns can make the bathroom seem smaller, as well as cluttered.

Now, hang another regular curtain rod, above and outside the sill, which is twice the width of the window, and several inches longer, dividing the excess width between both sides. Hang your outer curtain as a tie-back, so that the curtain, while actually covering the wall, appears to cover a larger window. The added length strengthens the optical illusion, as does a valance added at the top. This solution to the small bathroom window address both light and dcor.

Depending on your bathroom's layout, consider hanging a mirror on the wall opposite the window, to reflect more light into the room. If the bathroom door is opposite the window, so much the better. You can install a rectangular mirror on the inside of the door and be able to give your appearance a last minute inspection as you leave.

Part of the problem with small bathroom windows is that the proportion of wall space to window creates a claustrophobic feeling. Again, visual illusions are part of the solution. Hanging plants, which do well in low-light environments, can be placed close to the window, bringing a little of the outdoor feel inside. If you have so little light that even shade plants won't do well, consider silk plants, which look quite real (and need no watering).

If your bathroom is large enough and the layout accommodates glass blocking, even a small divider of glass blocks creates a lot of light and a nice decorating touch.

There's no question that the small bathroom window is a decorating challenge, but now you've got some tricks to cope with it!