Bathroom decorating can often be a daunting task to homeowners, but it doesn’t have to be.  Here, we list a number of hints that can turn the task of bathroom decorating into an enjoyable and fulfilling experience, resulting in a beautiful new bathroom space.

By Jim Slate

Decorating a bathroom is a task which requires you to balance the potential beauty of the space against the necessary inherent functions that must take place there on a daily basis. In essence, it’s a work room, with a wide variety of cleaning and grooming tasks that must be accomplished. In order to decorate the space, you need to find a way to merge your artistic and stylistic desires with this inherent function.

First, look at the architecture of the space. Take notice of the colors and patterns used in these intrinsic structures, like tiling, sinks, bathtubs, and vanities, and try to make your own endeavors flow naturally with them. In this way you can use the rooms bones as a starting point and you can leap off from there.

Next, look at the essential pieces in the space. These are accessories which allow you to undertake the day to day tasks necessary in there. Things like soap dishes, dispensers, shower curtains, mirrors, even shower shelving. These are all functional decor items, which can easily be purchased in a wide variety of colors. This gives you the ability to mix and match shades and hues in contrasting or complimentary ways. Check out some great accessories here.

Beyond this, there is another level of items which are also interchangeable with a wide variety of colors. Pieces such as throw rugs, curtains, toilet seat covers, and cozies, can all be bought in whatever color or pattern you like. While these are not essential items per se, they do add to the functional purpose of the space, and as such can serve a dual purpose.

Decorating your bathroom is all about looking at the items that you need in there anyways, and then finding ways to choose styles which compliment one another. Its important to pay attention to color, and style, in order to achieve an integrated effect, throughout the space.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?Bathroom-Decorating—Inherent-Designs&id=4232099

If you’ve been watching TV lately, you may have come across one of our recent “phobia” commercials.  Do you fear the process of renovation? Well, then you may have renophobia!  Luckily, we’re here to help ease your fears with our acrylic tub liners, tub replacement, and expertise in bathroom design and bathroom renovation.  Check out our commercial below and let us know what you think in the comments box!

Apartment Therapy recently featured this incredible round-up of photos with stainless steel bathroom features.  We think some of these design features look futuristic, while others maintain the classic look.  Overall, stainless steel features can be quite becoming in a bathroom design. Check out the pictures below, or head over to Apartment Therapy for more information.

Bath Fitter has officially partnered with Gradient Financial as a sponsor employer to its Gradient Gives Back Community Service Outreach Program.  This program, is a nationwide effort to place men and women in the military in carer training programs for the year 2010.  As a sponsor employer, the bathtub remodeling experts at Bath Fitter will open its doors to qualified military service men and women with open positions at their franchises across the United States.  Check out what Business Week had to say about this incredible program below, or head over to the Business Week site for more information.

“Military service members who apply for the Gradient Gives Back program will be eligible for corporate positions with Bath Fitter. Selected candidates will attend an all-expense paid Flawless Execution University™ sponsored by Afterburner, Inc. in December 2010 in Atlanta, Georgia. Afterburner provides military to business vernacular training to military professionals, placing their graduates with Fortune 500 corporations. Top candidates from the “University” will be eligible for corporate positions with Bath Fitter beginning in January 2011.

‘As a client of Afterburner’s Embed placement division, we are pleased to join Gradient Financial Group as a sponsor employer to its Gradient Gives Back program because of the substantial impact we can have on the lives of these worthy military men and women,’ said Glenn Cotton, Co-founder of Bath Fitter.

In addition to career placement with Bath Fitter, from now through December, Gradient Gives Back will award three military families with the Ultimate Financial Gift. The ‘Ultimate Financial Gift’ will include six months of mortgage/lease payments; two years tax planning and filing, and comprehensive financial plans that will be monitored throughout their lifetime. Military men and women selected for the financial gifts will also be eligible for the Flawless Execution University in December.

‘Gradient Gives Back is our way of giving back to the men and women who have served our country, and we are so thankful that Bath Fitter has partnered with us to award deserving veterans jobs during this difficult economic time,’ said Tami Lucius, Founder and Chief Operating Officer of Gradient Financial Group. ‘This is an extraordinary opportunity for military veterans, and we’re thrilled to be a part of it.’”

Yet another great find on Apartment Therapy! This week, they featured pictures of 10 classic bathroom designs, and we were so enamored with all of them, that we just had to share.  In fact, we included a few pics of our very own favorite bathrooms! Check out the roundup below, or head over to Apartment Therapy for more great bathroom design and bathroom renovation news.

Recently on Unclutterer, we stumbled upon some more great tips for keeping your household clean and organized.  I know my bathroom tends to become one of the most cluttered areas of the house, so I’ll be using these tips to prevent that from happening.  Check out our five favorites below, or head over to Unclutterer to read the rest!

1. Reset your home each evening. This doesn’t have to take long, but it’s really effective. Spend 5 or 10 minutes on a quick run-through of your home. Straighten books and knickknacks, return dishes to the kitchen, and hang up jackets. Don’t strive for perfection, this is just a quick pick up.

2. Never leave a room empty handed. Look around you. Are there things that don’t belong? When you leave the room, for whatever reason, be sure to grab a glass and return it to the kitchen, or whatever the case may be.

3. When you’re done with something, put it away. Right away. Clutter arises when we take something out, use it for awhile and neglect to return it to its proper home. Remember the Unclutterer’s gospel, “A place for everything, and everything in its place.”

4. Hit the laundry basket. Every time. It may seem easier to simply let your clothes fall where they may, but this only creates clutter. Take 30 seconds to hang up your clothes or put them in the laundry basket. Erin recommends getting ready for bed an hour before you plan so you’re not exhausted when handling your clothes.

5. Take out the garbage. Perhaps garbage day occurs only once a week, but emptying the garbage nightly, even if not entirely full, is a great habit start. Over-flowing bins are not attractive.

This article was featured in The Ottawa Citizen, and we decided to pass the wisdom along to you, our loyal readers.  After all, the bathroom is indeed the busiest room in your house! Check out some of the fantastic tips below, or click here to read the full article.

1.  Lighting: Bye-bye ugly light bar above the mirror and hello sleek, streamlined wall sconces. “Updating the lighting is a quick and easy way to rejuvenate a bathroom,” says designer Dean Large of the Astro Design Centre on Old Innes Road. Besides adding a stylish look to the room, Large says two fixtures on either side of the mirror provide more even light which is especially useful when applying your makeup.

Cost: from $200

2.  New faucet: Often referred to as the jewels of the bathroom, replacing old taps with gleaming new faucets gives a custom, personalized look to the bathroom. The hot new trend is square, angular, single-lever faucets in white or black matte finish.

Cost: $100 to $1,100

3.  Adjustable shower: A drizzling rain showerhead may be relaxing, but not a practical choice for daily showering because it doesn’t provide enough water pressure. Large recommends pairing a fixed showerhead on an adjustable bar –”to accommodate the heights of all family members” — with a hand-held shower to make it easy to wash down the tub or rinse off your legs while shaving.

Cost: from $200

4.  Bathtub liner: If your bathroom is a throwback to the 1960s, the tub is likely a gaudy dusty rose, mint green or mocha beige. Rather than rip it out and all the surrounding tile, Bath Fitter sells a moulded, acrylic tub and wall liner that fits right over the existing eyesore. Best part: It can be installed in just one day.

Cost: $2,200 to $3,200, depending on style, colour and ceiling height

5.  Anti-slip protection: Rubber bath mats are designed to prevent nasty spills in the tub or shower, but they’re also a breeding ground for mould and bacteria. The Porcelain Tub Treatment from Home Hardware (homehardware.ca) is a liquid you apply to the bottom of the tub or shower to make it slip-resistant.

Cost: $19.97 for one-application kit

We love Apartment Therapy! Last week, we saw this round-up of dual sinks that is simply to-die-for! We loved this take on bathroom design so much, we couldn’t stop thinking about it all weekend.  Naturally, we knew you’d love these bathroom design ideas, so check out the pictures below, or head over to Apartment Therapy for more information!

Apartment Therapy continues to be our go-to source for interior design inspiration.  Since bathroom design is my specialty, I love seeing what fun ideas Apartment Therapy comes up with, and figure out how to apply them to my bathroom.  Bathroom renovation can often be a daunting thought, but sometimes a simple updated bathroom design can be all it takes to turn your bathroom from a snore to a delight.  We recently saw these ideas for soft metallic accessories, and I think they would look fabulous in any bathroom that needs a design turnaround.  Check out some of my favorite images below, or head over to Apartment Therapy for the full display.

We know the easiest way to revamp your bathroom decoration and make it feel like a full bathroom renovation is to repaint your walls.  Adding color to any space, particularly the bathroom, can add new life to the room and make it feel as though you’ve done much more than alter its hues.  Check out the roundup we’ve created below for great painting tips and color tricks that will help revamp your drab bathroom into a fabulous space.

1. We’ve heard it plenty, and even posted about it earlier, but green is an amazing addition to any room! Use it as a neutral color, and you’ll be surprised what your results are.

2. Speaking of green as a great neutral, we found this great post about using ochre as a color in your interior (and exterior) design.  We think it would look great in your bathroom.

3. HGTV has some excellent tricks for powerful color combinations that will turn your bathroom decor into something worth talking about.

4. Tired of those brush marks you get when painting your walls? Here’s a great trick for how to get rid of them!

5. Check out our website! We have awesome photo galleries, with plenty of colorful walls, that are sure to inspire your next bathroom transformation.