Small Bathroom Tip: Large Tile Goes a Long Way!

Our biggest home project in 2014 is a bathroom reno. We don't have the time or skills to do it ourselves, so the biggest thing we'll have to do is make some decisions. We have wanted a bathroom reno from the moment we first saw our home. It's been well over three years and we're just about ready to  get things started!
I have been pinning away bathroom inspiration along the way and really thought I had definite ideas in mind. I've been really drawn to black and white spaces, marble anything, detailed tile work and bold patterned walls. I pretty much like bathrooms that have classic touches, but a couple of bold elements.
Once we started shopping for materials, I learned that what I love in other people's bathrooms probably won't work best for ours. We have a very small bathroom. We don't want to highlight that it's so small, so the sales person we've been working with has been great at giving us tips throughout the process and one tip was a great way on how to make the space appear larger. I mentioned I'm drawn to detail tile work, when we were looking at tile, I immediately went for a black and white basket weave tile design. When we started discussing the size of the space, the sales person explained that going with a smaller or more intricate pattern would immediately draw eyes down when looking at the bathroom. It would make the space appear much smaller. She recommended going for larger tile on the floor in a more neutral tone. So while I absolutely love it and it works well in a gorgeous space like the bathroom below from Houzz.com, As I started looking though many of my pinterest inspiration pics , I realized that my eyes did in fact go right to the floor when looking at the rooms.

Contemporary Bathroom by Richmond Tile, Stone & Countertops Charles Luck Stone Center

Going with a larger tile like the one below, also from Houzz.com, makes a narrow space appear wider than a smaller design. I never would have thought of this on our own, so I'm really enjoying the tips we've been receiving from professionals.

Modern Bathroom by San Francisco Architects & Designers Martinkovic Milford Architects

Our sales person recommended adding more detail or a fun pattern on the shower curtain. I think this advice will really impact our design in a positive way and as a bonus, the larger tile will save us money!

what's the best tip you learned while renovating a room? Any other tips for a small bathroom?