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So many of us have tiny bathrooms that are barely bigger than a closet. What’s worse is that usually the smallest bathroom in the house is the guest bathroom — the one your friends and neighbors see. Here are a few simple, cost-effective ways to turn your little closet bathroom into a pleasant and uncramped space.

1) Add mirrors

Big ones. You are going to have a mirror over the sink anyway, so why not make it at least two feet across? Putting in a second mirror somewhere else in the room (especially so that the two mirrors reflect each into each other) will let people see how they look from the back and it will further open up the space.

Choose mirrors that have a medium to substantial frame, or at least a thin frame, even if every half inch counts in your bathroom. Plain bevelled mirrors seem thin somehow, like paneling, and do not give the more ample, sturdy feeling of a framed mirror. Framed mirrors feel just a hint more like furniture, and unframed ones can have a skimpy feel.

Speaking of furniture, seriously consider putting in a medicine cabinet even if it is only two inches deep (though four inches deep is better). This will give you some room to store items that might have otherwise gone under the sink. Also, if someone uses the bathroom for grooming, but it is also used as a guest bathroom, having a medicine cabinet is the only way to keep those personal effects out of visitors’ view.

Finally, mirrors will bring more light in. A dark space, even a roomy one, always seems more cramped than a bright space. Lighter spaces also bring out colors, which are a great way to liven up a little room.

2) Use a pedestal sink

Lose the under sink cabinet and get a small 12 inch to 18 inch pedestal sink. This will allow people to see through the space, which makes it seem larger, and it will allow for more movement in the room itself. It also makes the bathroom easier to clean, and if your space is going to be small, at least it should be clean.

3) Make the most of the walls

Put a soap dish on the wall. Hang the towels from the wall. Get some floating wall shelves for extra bath towels, a scented candle, some bath salts and even a decorative box that holds toilet paper. If your bathroom really is totally closet-like, and adding the shelves will have them pressing up against your nose, then move them up another foot or so higher. You can always stand on the toilet top to reach a high shelf if you have to. Usually getting a wall shelf to work in a closet bathroom does not mean putting the shelves that high.

4) Improve the lighting

Adding mirrors will help with the lighting, and even putting in higher wattage bulbs with make a difference. But sometimes you have to spend the extra money and get a new fixture and pay $60 to have an electrician install it. But do try to make a new and better bulb work — full spectrum bulbs create a much more pleasant light, and if you use compact fluorescent bubs you can fairly safely increase the wattage of the bulb one step up from what the fixture says it can take. You can do this because the lower energy bulbs burn cooler, so the fixture does not get overheated the way it would with a standard bulb.