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.

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All articles copyright 2003-2008 Anna Jacoby.