Five Simple Steps To A Beautiful Bath

Five Simple Steps To A Beautiful Bath

It's a sanctuary, a haven, a place to wash all your worries away. If your bath isn't living up to its full potential but you don't want to embark on a lengthy remodeling process, maybe one (or all) of these five simple steps will help:

• Let there be light! Lighting can help create a clean, airy feel or set a peaceful, tranquil mood for your bathroom getaway. To add more light, you could install a skylight, enlarge a window with glass block or patterned glass, or install bottom-up window shades for brightness plus privacy. To tone down the lighting, add a dimmer switch or use small lamps or candles. Sometimes it’s nice to have a warm, relaxing glow rather than a stark white light.
• Have some fun. Many people decorate the rest of their homes, but overlook the bathroom. What better place to express yourself? Bathrooms are small and separate from other rooms, so they’re a great place to experiment. Decide on a style, and then look for fabrics and accessories to bring your ideas to life. Unique pieces of furniture can make terrific additions to a bathroom -- an antique table or cabinet, for example, can be converted into a vanity for a one-of-a-kind look. Use your imagination!
• Add a dash of color. Who says bathrooms have to be boring? It's easy to add color with bright towels, decorative shower curtains or just a coat of paint. A few small but colorful changes can make a huge impact.
• Treat your toes to a new floor. With today’s terrific flooring options, your choices are practically unlimited. Many people are opting for stone tiles, which offer both durability and beauty. Ceramic tile comes in a wide range of colors, sizes and styles, and even tried-and-true linoleum has some exciting choices available. If your bathroom is large, you could even use carpet or wood flooring for areas that are not going to get waterlogged.
• Live in luxury. Yes, a bathroom has its practical purposes. But more and more people are treating their bathrooms as private retreats, adding touches of luxury that used to be reserved for other rooms in the house. It's not unusual to find a fireplace, media center or wet bar in a bathroom, and even a modest one can easily contain special touches such as an electric towel heater, a collection of bubble baths and a vase of fresh flowers.

Not long ago, a bathroom consisted of a tub, a sink, a toilet and a mirror. Today, with a little help from your imagination, it can be so much more! Visit some home improvement stores for ideas, or flip through the pages of a decorating magazine. You'll quickly see that bathrooms have come a long way.

Your simply beautiful bathroom | Addition or move? »