Ideas for Better Bathrooms (07)

Bathroom Styles
Three of the most popular styles—country, contemporary, and traditional—can be expressed through a bathroom's colors, fixtures, and fine details. The elements of country are classic: natural materials; handmade items blessed with imperfections; and a nostalgic selection of fabrics, colors, and forms. By applying country style to a bathroom, you can quickly warm up cold tile floors and easy-clean counters while adding efficiency and comfort to the bath. The elements of country are classic: natural materials; handmade items blessed with imperfections; and a nostalgic selection of fabrics, colors, and forms. By applying country style to a bathroom, you can quickly warm up cold tile floors and easy-clean counters while adding efficiency and comfort to the bath. Traditional style turns an ordinary bath into a sanctuary fit for royalty. Whether it's a tiny first-floor powder room or an expansive master bath, a room dressed in tradition possesses an air of graciousness, elegance, and timelessness. This ambience can be reflected in the shape of a faucet handle or the way a drapery graces a window. Inspired by European opulence of the 18th century, traditional style is known for gilded finishes and floral fabrics, as well as enduring accents such as porcelain, gold, and silver. Uncluttered yet sumptuous, it is a statement of luxury, transforming a plain bath into a room from an earlier time.

Refinish an Old Bathroom
NBC's home décor section includes information on how to refinish an old bathroom. Replacing old fixtures like the tub, sink and tile can be expensive and difficult. But refinishing options are available to homeowners on a budget. If the surfaces are made of porcelain, ceramic tile, fiberglass, acrylic, cultured marble or laminate, you can now update your bathroom and save time and money. Discusses refinishing existing bathroom fixtures and appliances, which can be customized with color. When looking for the right refinisher for your bathroom-remodeling project, remember to do a little research.

Bathroom Redecorating
Before you do anything, though, try to figure out the mood you want to create in your bathroom. If it's attached to the master bedroom, you may not want to decorate with "hot" or flashy colors. Better to go with soothing colors and dimmed lights to promote relaxation. However, if it's a bathroom that is in general use for anyone in the house during the day, you may want to present a bright, cheery mood, at which point you're free to break out the bold color palette. An important consideration is how much natural and artificial light you've got in the bathroom, and how that is going to affect your chosen color scheme and accessories. If you're working in tight quarters, don't worry—even if space is limited, your decorative possibilities are not. There are a wide variety of small accessories and essentials from which to chose. You can do a lot for a bathroom by choosing matching or complementary towels, cups, soap dishes, tissue holders, shower curtains, glasses, wall coverings and window treatments. When your accessories match, the bathroom will usually present a much neater, organized look.