Interior Decorating Information

Create the Right Splash With Bathroom Accessories


When decorating your bathroom, it is important to choose practical and beautiful bathroom accessories that also enhance the style of the room. It is this kind of attention to detail that separates a bathroom with charm and character from one that is strictly ho-hum. Bathrooms have come a long way from the days of strictly utilitarian design and use, and are now viewed as sanctuaries to which people escape and indulge in personal pampering.

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.

* Make sure there is at least one drawer or cupboard that can be locked so that medicines and other poisonous items can be safely stored.

* Attach a grab bar to wall studs located by the bathtub or in the shower stall as another good safety feature.

* 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.

* If you can add a second wash basin, it will help relieve some of the bathroom traffic problems.

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, bathsalts, 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.

1) 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.

2) 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.

3) 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.

4) 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!

Scott Gray is currently a freelance writer and enjoys providing tips to consumers who are in the market for all types of home improvement projects, bathroom accessories and garden supplies.


MORE RESOURCES:

04/29/2024
Uncover An Engaging Work Atmosphere At LinkedIn’s Toronto HQ
At LinkedIn’s Toronto headquarters by CannonDesign, company values are expressed via witty graphics and connection-conducive spaces.


more info


04/26/2024
Peek Inside This Award-Winning Boutique Hotel in Washington, D.C.
Things are looking up at The Morrow Hotel by INC Architecture & Design and Rottet Studio with a fresh, light scheme that encourages relaxation and positivity.


more info


04/24/2024
6 Vibrant Ventures: Where Creative + Locale Collide
Check out these projects designed by Interior Design’s Top 100 Giants that reflect the city they are built in.


more info


04/23/2024
Unwind in the Chase Sapphire Lounge at LaGuardia Airport
Restorative biophilia, rain showers and tasty cocktails are just some perks of the Chase Sapphire Lounge by The Club at LaGuardia Airport by Corgan and ICRAVE.


more info


04/18/2024
Rainbow Hues Inform Autodesk's Innovative Office in Atlanta
Discover how Corgan took inspiration from Atlanta's BeltLine project when developing the floor plan for software behemoth Autodesk’s latest regional outpost.


more info


04/18/2024
Studios Architecture Designs an Eco-Friendly School in Washington
Studios Architecture updates a 1920's redbrick structure for the next generation of students at Raymond Elementary in Washington.


more info


04/17/2024
NicoleHollis Transforms a Storied Space into a Chic Duplex
NicoleHollis crafts up a New York duplex penthouse with hints of the firm’s signature nuanced textures, art curation, and tailored livability.


more info


04/17/2024
TPG Architecture Reinvents the Office to Prioritize Connection
Though this financial firm’s New York office can accommodate 300 employees, TPG Architecture skipped the sea of desks in favor of intimate team rooms.


more info


04/17/2024
Inside Boston Consulting Group's New York Locale
Seeking to expand its headquarters at 10 Hudson Yards, Boston Consulting Group took over an additional floor designed by IA Interior Architects.


more info


04/10/2024
Innovation Thrives in This Postpandemic Workplace
Clive Wilkinson Architects and WRNS Studio deposit a light and airy workplace for financial-software company Intuit in Mountain View, California.


more info


04/10/2024
6 Restaurants and Bars That Inspire Appetites and Awe
Across the Americas, from Canada to Argentina, a fresh crop of restaurants and bars is serving up truly innovative F&B design.


more info


04/10/2024
Immersive Design Greets Visitors in the Flogistix HQ
Rand Elliott Architects engages visitors in the mysterious world of Oklahoma tech company Flogistix with dramatic lighting and high-tech LED elements.


more info


04/08/2024
Inside a Historic Palace Turned Boutique Hotel in Italy
Discover how the striped facade of an Italian duomo inspired the renovation of the Palazzo Petrvs, a boutique hotel by Giuliano Andrea dell’Uva Architetti.


more info


04/08/2024
Learn How Design Can Manifest A Brighter Future In This Gensler Tome
Penned by Gensler global cochairs Andy Cohen and Diane Hospins, Design for a Radically Changing World is a call to (design) action.


more info


04/02/2024
The Wayback Is A Tennessee Hotel That Stays True to Its Name
See how Dryden Studio transforms this former Days Inn into The Wayback, a vibrant, retro-modern oasis in East Tennessee.


more info


04/02/2024
Take in the Views at Cosme, a Luxury Resort In Greece
Embrace the seaside locale and traditional Greek aesthetics in Cosme, the luxury Grecian resort designed by Interior Design Laboratorium.


more info


04/02/2024
A Centuries-Old Structure is Transformed into The Royal Hotel
Swathed with Victorian-era textiles and acoustic-board fins, Giannone Perticone Architects restores The Royal Hotel in Canada to its former glory.


more info


04/02/2024
How A Ski Chalet Doubles as a Luxurious Rental Property
Perron conjures Chalet Bertha, a family weekend ski chalet in Baie-Saint-Paul, Canada, full of clean lines, inviting textures and lots of light.


more info


03/28/2024
Kimpton Hotel Theta Offers an Escape in the Heart of Manhattan
Embrace the soothing modernist motifs that predominate Kimpton Hotel Theta crafted by Crème/Jun Aizaki Architecture & Design and Lucid.


more info


03/25/2024
5 Patient-First Healthcare Facilities Embrace Tranquility
These dental, medical, and skin- and pet-care facilities worldwide swap clinical for calm.


more info


03/25/2024
Steam the Day Away in New York’s Latest Bathhouse Locale
Observe the social aspects of bathing culture at Bathhouse, a peaceful urban oasis in the heart of the Flatiron District.


more info


03/25/2024
Ukrainians Find Solace in This Tranquil Mountain Escape
Surrounded by the Carpathian Mountains, Hay Boutique and Spa by Edem Family is a serene hotel in Polyanytsya by YOD Group where Ukrainians can retreat.


more info


03/18/2024
Explore The Hanok Heritage House, a Dreamy Escape Near Seoul
Dive into this striking infinity pool with mountain views at The Hanok Heritage House complex near Seoul, designed by Listen Communication.


more info


03/11/2024
History Meets Innovation in Greylock Partners’ San Francisco HQ
Rapt Studio transforms venture capital firm Greylock Partners’ San Francisco HQ into a warm and welcoming workplace for future entrepreneurs.


more info


03/11/2024
Get in Touch With Nature at Shanan Anji Deep Stream Hotel
Immerse yourself in the lush mountain landscape at China’s Shanan Anji Deep Stream hotel, courtesy of Fununit Design.


more info



home | site map | contact us