Mid-range: Do-it-yourself
Upgrading lower ticket items can add new life to a staid, functional room. “Everybody's moving to multiple jets, but for the person on a budget, there are products out there with two [shower] jets, very easy to install, to ease off the tension,” enthuses Jacqueline.
Other DIY efforts include replacing worn faucets, towel and toilet paper bars, mirrors, medicine cabinets and light fixtures – Jacqueline recommends downlights, which are more flattering, and putting them on dimmers.
Karl also suggests replacing the bathroom door with one that has a full-length mirror set in, along with new knobs and handles. He also recommends a fresh coat of paint for the walls and tiles, if necessary. Complete the room with a tray-topped trolley to hold a bottle of Perrier or top-quality Egyptian cotton towels, with luxurious bathmats to sink your feet into. Shelving lined with multiple candle- or flower-filled hurricane glasses makes the perfect finishing touch.
High-price: Renovating
How you think of your bathroom is how you should decorate it. “It's not just tub, toilet, sink,” says Jacqueline. Consider a fireplace to read by, a window seat to gaze at the stars from or a bar fridge built into the cabinetry filled with bottled water or even champagne.
For ultimate luxury, enjoy the bubbly in a multiple-jet bath. Or admire family portraits on tone-on-tone damask wallpaper worry-free by increasing the room's ventilation. Add music by wiring in speakers.
For absolute calm, take a cue from the outdoors. Karl suggests going natural in colour (biscuit, linen, taupe), material (stone tile, dark wood) and light. “It will make you feel like you're bathing outside,” he says.
Incorporating the latest trends
The newest accessories and hardware can easily be incorporated into the redesign of your tranquil retreat.
1 Black, oil-rubbed bronze, antique-copper finishes on fixtures
2 Square-shaped faucets
3 Undermounted tubs with generous decks
4 Sophisticated finishes once reserved for kitchens, like granite
5 Custom-bath enclosures
6 Glass doors detailed in copper or stainless steel
As bathroom designs move toward an open look, use attractive baskets to store makeup and sundries. Remember, a sanctuary can only be peaceful when all irritations are successfully disposed of.
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7 Comments
i have the ugliest bathrooms of them all,,, we bought a house 4 yrs ago ,,the toilette and shower stall and bathtub everything is grey ,,,yuk ,,,i hate grey ! ,,,,what color to use on walls to make up for it ,,, help
My bathroom has always been kind of yuk! because the toilet and the tub and the sink are a kind of mustard yellow(ewwww)This year I am renovating my bathroom and have decided to incorporate this ugly color with colors I do love. The colors I,ve chosen are a dark blue grey with crisp white accents and beautiful white tile backsplash that I am going to attempt to do on my own....any suggestions for making this easier?
sylvipeace, if your bathroom isn't too small, i would consider a pale shade of red to go with that grey, along with a combo of red, green & blue shower curtain.
I am taking a small 2pc bathroom (hold onto your hats the sink and toilet are a lovely shade of turquoise!) and enlarging it slightly and adding a stand up shower. This is a basement bathroom which will at first be used by a tenant and then be used as a second bathroom for resale. Am on a very tight budget but am looking for ways to make it still look chic and not cheap. Any suggestions?
add chocolate brown accessories, towels etc. matches great with turquoise and it is a "in" colour - once you have done this you will be inspired to add a third accent colour, (not too much) vase of buttery coloured flowers.
I'd take grey any day! I have an older house and am living with "pink salmon" coloured tiles with black tiles trim. The sink is the same salmon colour with black countertop. We aren't ready to do a reno yet but want to refresh the bathroom. The sink enamel is chipping and looks nasty! I've looked for enamel paint to touch up the spots but can't find that colour. Has anyone tried to paint a sink before? Also want to repaint the walls - I'm thinking white is the way to go, any other suggestions?
I'd take grey any day! I have an older house and am living with "pink salmon" coloured tiles with black tiles trim. The sink is the same salmon colour with black countertop. We aren't ready to do a reno yet but want to refresh the bathroom. The sink enamel is chipping and looks nasty! I've looked for enamel paint to touch up the spots but can't find that colour. Has anyone tried to paint a sink before? Also want to repaint the walls - I'm thinking white is the way to go, any other suggestions?