by Pat Jacobs

Created on: January 20, 2010   Last Updated: January 22, 2010

You don’t need to have a Jacuzzi or a built-in skylight to have a beautiful bathroom.

Using the basics of good design-color, pattern, texture and your own imagination-can make this room just as wonderful-looking as the other rooms in your house (or apartment.)

Decide on a color scheme using existing elements (what’s already there) as your guide. Do you have a dramatic black-and-white on the floor tiles? You can now start a black-and white color scheme throughout, with color accents in rich purple, aqua and mauve. Or do you have pale pink wall tile? Use it as the basis for a pastel palette, using spring colors for your curtains, towels and other accessories.  

Spray a little of your favorite cologne or perfume on your shower curtain before you go in. By the time you’re ready to dry off, your entire bathroom will smell wonderful.  

Small touches cam make a bathroom quite special, and they don’t have to be expensive ones. Coordinate your bathroom tissue with your room’s color scheme.  Do you sew? Look for one of the many patterns available for making sink and vanity “skirts” that fasten with hook and loop tape. 

Keep an assortment of small towels or scented soaps on a pretty tray or in an unusual basket. 

Check out the many easy-to-scrub vinyl wall coverings available. They add eye appeal, are inexpensive, easy to apply, and wipe clean with a damp sponge. When choosing patterns, keep the scale of your room in mind. Very large florals and geometrics can be overwhelming; if your bathroom’s small, go for small or mini-prints. 

If your bathroom’s large enough, include a wicker chair or bench (the humidity will keep the wicker supple). It’ll come in handy when applying creams or lotions, or when giving yourself a pedicure.

 Are you a plant lover?  If your bathroom has a window, let a fern or ivy add a soft touch (plants love the humid environment!)

For collectors, use a safely located bathroom shelf to display your porcelain, antique bottles, seashells, etc. 

Did you know that the particular way you decorate the bathroom can offer clues to your personality? 

For the country/nature lover, you need space to “mellow out” and your bathroom helps you to do just that.  You enjoy warmth and charm; nothing makes you feel more at peace than communing with nature. Artificial environments leave you feeling unsettled and disconnected. 

If your bathroom says “living for the city," you’re a straight-ahead, no nonsense type. You live a life, not a lifestyle. Your bathroom’s clean and pure, clearly serving the purpose for which it was intended. And if you do splurge on a color scheme, everything has to match. Modest in taste and temperament, you never go overboard with your bathroom accessories. 

For romantics, you don’t have a bathroom; it’s a toilette! You’ll have flowers, candles, perfume, wood, wicker and all the trappings to make you want to linger in this room. Your bathroom’s private and gentle (as are you!) Here you can daydream and admire your keepsakes and curtains. You’re reserved, but like brightly colored accessories. There’s grace and elegance in everything you do. 

Are you an eclectic or exotic?  Your bathroom will have whimsical elements such as bright yellow walls with a black-cushioned toilet seat, and/or the latest I-phone right by your claw-foot antique tub. You love life, have a spunky personality and a rather interesting (some would say unusual or even weird) way of decorating. A blend of your favorite possessions, colors, or patterns makes you feel safe and secure.

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