Decorating is much more than picking colors and finding bathroom fixtures that work together. Decorating is about making all the pieces come together to create a coordinated look and feel, a place where you feel warm and cozy. When I teamed up with an interior decorator to remodel two bathrooms in 90 days, I never realized how much I would learn.
My role was overall project manager and I focused on getting materials to the job site to keep everyone on schedule. Where I worried about the alignment of the plumbing for the new vanity, our decorator focused on the best hardware to dress up the vanity and overall bathroom. Here's my first tip for you – take photos of different sections of a room you're decorating. You'll be able to focus on the details better.
Making Your New Bathroom Pop
The guest bathroom shown here included a tile floor and new vanity, while we reused the toilet and tub to save money. We also didn't have a lot of time so most of our products we selected from what local stores had in stock. What I want to highlight here is how simple additions to basic products made the design really sparkle. I would also suggest that you work with an interior decorator if only on the initial design, and maybe a review at the end of your project. You'll be glad you did.
Look at the bathroom vanity in the center photo. The vanity is a piece of furniture versus the traditional cabinet with a straight base and while I've heard how kitchen cabinets are moving in this direction, I had no idea how big an impact it makes. Who really looks at your vanity below the countertop? What I love is the arch over the floor, the way the hardware pops as if each piece has a picture frame around it and with the matching toilet paper holder, it all comes together perfectly.
Now bump up to the top of the vanity, the mirror and the light fixture. They're all earthy tones so they pull together nicely with good contract against the white. Notice how the hand towel softens the hard surface of the countertop. This bathroom looks much more inviting when pulled together, I can't imagine remodeling a bathroom again without considering these added touches from the beginning.
Bathroom Decorating Tips
We always say “if I had to do it over, these are the changes I would make” so here are my lessons learned to help you with your remodeling projects.
- Shop online for bulky items as your local selection is limited to a few basic pieces, i.e. we might have had 3 to 5 vanity choices in white. Make sure to include shipping costs in your comparison of products, i.e. one of the local box stores charged for shipping while most online retail prices include shipping. Online retailers also pack their products much better to avoid returns.
- When remodeling, look at high end decorating magazines for ideas as they set the trends. Then shop around for the style you want at the price you can afford, as you'll find similar designs in a wide range of prices. Not every new trend will succeed so pick a design that has more classic lines so it looks fresh for many years.
- Include decorating touches like the shower curtain and towels in your initial design layout. It will show you see how the colors compliment each other and help you finalize color choices, i.e. the paint color is critical.
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