The Powder Room – Go Wild
A powder room will be located where it is convenient for the use of
guests, and is usually a small room. This means you can opt for such expensive
decorating touches as crown molding and high-priced wallpaper which may not be affordable
for the larger bathrooms in your home. As well, no bathtub or shower means there are
no moisture concerns when selecting materials and decorating touches. You can hang a
nice piece of framed artwork without worrying that dampness will destroy it. This is
the bathroom in which you can use vibrant colors, and display luxury collections on a
counter or shelf.
The Family Bathroom – Make Sharing Easier
Even if the family bathroom is of average size or larger, it may seem
small because of the number of people using it. If this is the case, incorporate
some creative storage ideas and pull out all the stops in creating the illusion of
spaciousness. If there are young children in the family, you need to pay special
attention to safety features as well.
To make the room appear larger, choose light, cool colors for walls and
trim, such as buttery or cream colored walls with white or beige trim, and make sure your
bathroom accessories are also color coordinated: towels, shower curtains, bath mats,
rugs, the clothes hamper, scales, and storage bins. Oversized mirrors can also enlarge
the appearance of the room.
In this day of pedestal sinks, storage has been sacrificed for style
but do not accept defeat. If there is a closet of any kind, buy a closet organizer to
hold towels and facecloths, and bins for personal items, one for each family member. If
there is no space for a closet, add open shelves over the toilet, or any place they will fit,
and use decorative bins to hold various personal items.
The Master Bathroom – You Deserve All the Luxury You Can
Afford
The master bathroom, depending on its size and your pocketbook, can
incorporate decorative ideas from both powder rooms and family bathrooms, and can include
more luxurious bathroom accessories since it is generally an adult-only room.
If it is large enough, you can turn the master bathroom into a personal
spa, with an oversized, jetted bathtub and an in-line water heater. Steam showers
and rain bars are other elegant amenities, as is radiant heating and towel warmers.
Make A Plan
There are bathroom furnishings and bathroom
accessories available to fit any budget. Before you begin to decorate or
remodel, list what you need to do, what you would like to do and what you would do if you
could find the money. Estimate the cost of materials and tools for the
do-it-yourselfer – if you are one – and the cost of a plumber, an electrician, a
carpenter, and a painter, if you are not. Decide what you can afford to do and
whether you should go for an economical quick fix, or a more expensive major overhaul.
Paint, wall coverings, and flooring materials for all bathrooms except
the powder room must be appropriately chosen for durability and water resistance. A
water-base paint is acceptable throughout most of the interior of your home; however,
interior painting of the bathroom requires an oil-base – enamel – paint.
In general, materials that stand up well to excess moisture are:
- Plastic laminate
- Vinyl-coated wallpaper
- Semi-gloss enamel paint
- Masonry block
- Cast marble
When choosing colors, remember that light cool colors will make a room
appear larger, as will painting walls and ceilings the same color. If you have a
large room with a high ceiling, a dark color on the ceiling will lower it.
The Quick Fix
- Paint or wallpaper the walls.
- Paint the trim and the bathroom cabinets and shelves.
- Replace bathroom faucets.
- Color coordinate bathroom accessories: towels and face cloths, the shower
- curtain, scales, hamper, and storage bins, rugs, and bathmats.
- Replace the mirror or paint the frame.
- Replace lighting fixtures.
- Add decorative, color coordinated items to hold cotton balls, swabs, bath
- salts, hand lotions, etc.
The Complete Overhaul
As well as the quick fix:
- Install new fixtures: bathtub, shower stall, toilet, and sink.
- Replace bathroom cabinets, and bathroom countertops
- Choose new flooring.
- Install new bathroom faucets and showerheads.
Select Your Favorite Style
When you have settled on a decorating style that reflects your taste
and your lifestyle, choose your bathroom accessories so that they will reinforce the look
you want to achieve. There are three main styles, and, of course, you can develop
one that is very personal.
- Contemporary
The contemporary style demands clean straight lines and solid
colors. Choose plain fixtures, natural wood for cabinets, stainless steel faucets, and
decorative materials of wood, stone or tile. The room should look sleek and
clutter-free, which means a minimum number of items on display and on the counter.
Select streamlined bathroom accessories.
- Country
The warm, cozy, country style calls for pastel earth colors and
vintage-looking fixtures.
You can go wild with floral patterns and fabrics, and use wicker for
towel and toilet tissue baskets, and for the clothes hamper. Collections of bottles,
framed botanicals, stencils on the wall, and other such decorative items are appropriate.
- Traditional
Glamour and elegance are hallmarks of the traditional style and you
should select porcelain fixtures with gold, silver, or brass faucets and fittings.
Think floral fabrics and groupings of treasured collections, and use gold accents and gilded
finishes wherever you can.
- A Personal Theme
A collection of seashells, or your fondness for cactus plants or birds
might dictate a particular motif that delights you and other family members. Bathroom
decorating and bathroom accessories can revolve around this theme and inspire particular
color choices and the inclusion of elements from the sea, the desert, favorite animals or
birds, a fantasy world, or anything that has captured your imagination.
There are countless products and materials designed to enhance the
beauty, comfort and convenience of bathrooms. When it’s time to decorate, you
can really have fun!
