As you probably know, bathrooms and kitchens are the places where home sales are made. A spectacular bath is a great way to make your place unforgettable. In conversations with the real estate stylist you’ve chosen, you’ll probably learn that you can do such a total makeover without changing fixtures or going to huge expense. Who can argue with great results without extending the mortgage?

Lighting

The first key element – after the standard fixtures, of course – is the lighting. If you have a big window, you’re in luck. Think of ways to eliminate the need for window coverings. You can replace curtains with sleek blinds to close out peeping eyes or you can use one of the amazing new window film products to make the windows both more attractive and lots more light- friendly.

If yours is not a bathroom with plenty of natural light, you’ll need to invent some. This is much easier than you might imagine.

Take a trip to the local home improvement store and lose yourself for an hour or so in the lighting section. Depending on your sink/vanity configuration, you may want to think about removing the large single mirror over the double sinks and replacing it with two single mirrors lit by beautiful sconces.

If yours is a one-sink bathroom and there is no space for a second, hang a spectacular mirror over it. The real estate stylist suggests something that is fit for an entry hall or a feature in your living room. Nowhere in the rule book does it say that your bathroom mirror has to be flat, rectangular, and uninspired. Stretch your creativity muscles.

For this you may want to bring in an electrician. It’s not that the process of replacing a light bar – which has one wall box from whence the electric wires emerge – with two individual junction boxes is not that difficult. But this process will involve creating a second junction box and splicing a new set of wires to feed it. An electrician is required to do this job legally. You can do any necessary wall repair yourself without messing around with those annoying wires.

The overhead fixture could be replaced by a beautiful chandelier if your ceilings have sufficient height – something to bring a touch of elegance is helpful. But if shimmering crystals are not your thing, don’t fret. There are lovely pendant lighting fixtures to replace that ordinary one, and doing so will give your bath a new and sophisticated look.

Reflectivity

Mirrors and other reflective surfaces make any space feel larger. This quality makes them the go-to feature in small bathrooms. When placed to take advantage of all that new light you’ve imported, they can make even a postage-stamp sized bath feel ample. Think outside the box when it comes to mirrors and their placement. You could place mirrored tiles behind shelves on the toilet wall, for example to give an unexpected sense of space. Remember your job is to give light a place to bounce around – so even polished porcelain tiles can help to make your bathroom feel larger.

Another wall treatment for a small bathroom is wallpaper for a feature wall. There are breathtaking papers these days with reflective surfaces that can open up even small areas. If yours is a small bathroom, don’t go overboard, but do consider a bit of paper on a feature wall for effect.

The elements of light and reflectivity can go a long, long way toward expanding and dramatising your bathroom. If you use these qualities in a small room, you can effectively add living space to your home without knocking out a single wall.

Creativity is the least expensive of the materials you’ll need to make your bathroom a showpiece. In order to use it, however, you’ll need to allow yourself to brainstorm ideas. Until you imagine it, you can’t make it happen. The real estate stylist you’ve selected to add sizzle to your home sale has what it takes to ignite that creativity and help you reinvent that small space. Listen and learn.

Image courtesy of Ondacer.