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Do a mini bath makeover in a weekend
Is your bathroom in need of an update? There is a design
solution for every budget. Before you begin, evaluate
your needs and wants. Who will use this bathroom? What
is the feeling you want to evoke? Do you want a luxurious
spa bath or a whimsical, kid-friendly bath? Are there
special needs to consider such as grab bars for the
tub? Always keep safety and practicality in mind when
designing your bath.
For small budgets, try a weekend makeover. Without
making expensive structural changes, your bathroom can
have a fresh new look. Start with a new piece of art.
Purchase a new art print, or “borrow” one
from another room in your house. Paint the walls, using
a color from the print, and purchase fluffy new towels
and accessories. Add some candles and a healthy green
plant.
Redecorating a bathroom might be more of a challenge
if you have original pink, blue or yellow tiles. For
pink tiles, try using black as an accent color. How
about a window treatment in black toile or a contemporary
black and white art print? The results would be striking.
If you have blue tile, try pairing it with cool ocean
colors of seafoam green and aqua. For yellow tile, add
other warm colors such as orange and red. Or try purple,
yellow’s opposite on the color wheel, for a bit
of pizzazz.
If you have little more money to work with, replace
the light fixtures. For a romantic look, hang a chandelier
over the tub. Consider replacing the large slab of mirror
with smaller framed mirrors. If your toilet, sink and
tub need replacing, buy them in white rather than in
trendy colors. White fixtures will not go out of style.
Another way to update a bath is to change the cabinet
hardware. You can select whimsical knobs shaped like
lizards or frogs, or glass knobs for a vintage look,
or iron knobs for a rustic look.
If you have a larger budget, replace flooring and shower
walls with beautiful natural materials like slate, marble,
ceramic or glass tiles. There is an incredible variety
many of materials and finishes available today. My favorite
product for baths is tile because of the vast array
of colors, textures and patterns you can choose from.
Visit a tile showroom and you will find tiles in all
sizes, shapes and styles. One-inch mosaics in glass
or stone are very popular today, as are retro styles
such as subway tiles. There are even new porcelain tiles
that look amazingly close to hardwood planks. A contemporary
bath might feature slate on the floor, while marble
might feel more at home in a traditional bath.
Generally speaking, keep knickknacks to a minimum.
Because of their size, bathrooms will just look cluttered
and crowded with too many accessories. Less is more—display
one large, beautiful vase on the counter. Or borrow
a model home trick and fill a large glass container
with bars of soap. Your new bath may become the best
room in the house.
This article first appeared in Alameda Newspaper
Group papers on Sept. 4, 2004.
Go
back to the list of decorating columns.
All articles copyright 2003-2008 Anna
Jacoby.
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