By KIP FARMER

It’s been called the lavatory, powder room, water closet, even the loo. Whatever the name, it’s a necessity for the home that is treated to some of today’s most deluxe interior accommodations.

We expect a lot out of our bathrooms. Somewhere deep within our collective design psyche, we seem to look to the humble bathroom to transport us to a Zen-like retreat far from the day’s stressful problems. A tall order for what was once a rather utilitarian room.

Today’s bathrooms are fabulous resort-inspired, stone-clad spaces, boasting heated floors, state-of-the-art plumbing fixtures and cavernous walk-in showers. The show-stopping showers alone are as large as the entire bathroom of many older Evansville homes.

The square-footage needed to create today’s hot looks in bathroom design is simply unavailable in most existing bathroom spaces. So, what’s the stylish but pressed-for-space homeowner to do, short of knocking down walls and kicking Junior out of the third bedroom? Are today’s dynamic designs available only to those building a large new home?

Take heart, spa-seekers. Go after that big luxury by studying the individual elements of style that create today’s great looks and apply them on a less grandiose scale. The good news is that many of the trends that make today’s baths so dynamic are also the perfect solution for making a small space seem larger.

A tranquil palette of monochromatic natural tones is not only in vogue for modern bath design; it is also the perfect trick to create a visual sense of space in a tight room. Soft shades of sand and ocean blue-greens not only update your room with style, they also visually recede, making your room appear larger.

The same large limestone tile floors and glass tile walls featured in the mega-baths will look every bit as interesting in your smaller room. Bigger tiles mean fewer chaotic grout lines to visually crowd the floor. Translucent glass tile adds a glowing perceived depth to flat surfaces, further creating an illusion of space.

“Vessel bowls” are sinks that actually sit on the countertop of your vanity and add artful interest. The look is bold, but takes up no more space than their unimaginative counterparts. And how about those stylish faucets designed to protrude from the wall above your sink? It’s another fantastic look of today that actually frees up precious countertop space.

Don’t forget to explore today’s creative cabinet options. One growing trend is to build shallow towers or piers of upper cabinets, flanking the sink area. This is a great look that adds valuable storage in a convenient location. Also consider the new base cabinets that do not fully extend to the floor. The illusion of these “floating” cabinets is perfect for opening up limited floor space and allowing the eye to reach to the full perimeter of a room.

No room for a seamless glass-enclosed shower? Today’s single shower replacement doors are also available in the same thick, clear glass with minimal framing. The look introduces the resortlike elegance of the full-size seamless showers in a more concise application.

Finally, if you can’t zig, then zag! Even with these space- saving solutions in place, some tiny rooms simply defy being turned into a spacious open bath. For those spaces, I say celebrate the intimate quarters. Bring drama to your bath through other design tools. Dynamic wall color, vivid artwork, or powerfully patterned wallpaper make the most of limited walls and give the eye a visual feast to see in an intense smaller space.

The concept of current bathroom design is simple elegance on a large scale. But remember, beautiful things can come in small packages. Regardless of the square footage involved in your bath project, today’s innovative design choices will stretch your room with big style.