Like any other room in the home, the bathroom can be a haven of beauty and comfort, as well as a functional place, if you adapt the decor and details of the space to your personality and lifestyle. But how do you accomplish this? This book is filled with examples of how to use fixtures, surfacing materials, paint, wallcoverings, lighting, and accessories to create a beautiful, relaxing, enjoyable environment that efficiently serves all its functions.
Today’s baths are truly multifunctional spaces designed to accommodate any number of needs. Those concerned with health and fitness may include exercise equipment, a steam bath, whirlpool, or sauna in the configuration of their bathroom. Those interested in gardening and the beauty of nature can add window walls that allow outdoor vistas to be enjoyed from indoors, or can fill the space with an array of plants and flowers to maintain a revitalising connection with nature.
The bathroom today has become a place to relax and unwind after a hectic day, reflected in the migration of accessories and furnishings from other rooms of the home such as candles, bookshelves and magazine racks, electronic equipment, and even upholstered furniture pieces and fireplaces. And luxurious conveniences, accessories, and finishing touches like towel warmers, floor heating systems, tanning tables, and mini washers all serve to reinforce the bathrooms new image.
Advances in technology and design have made it possible to implement safety options in your bath that don’t look merely functional but can be decorative as well. Grab bars, rounded corners, safety glass, waterproof lighting fixtures, water temperature controls, and skid-resistant flooring are all readily available and affordable.
From lighting fixtures and cabinetry to floor tiles and countertops, the options for making your bath more than just a functional space are limited only by your budget and imagination. No matter what size your room or budget, you can express your lifestyle and tastes in your bathroom’s conception and design. A tray handpainted with delicate flowers, a crystal bud vase that captures a sprig of freesia, scented soaps piled high in a footed porcelain dish, a favorite piece of wall art, a lace curtain tied back with a tasseled cord -special touches like these can be incorporated in any bath, no matter the room’s dimensions.
Stretch the limits of your imagination and discard preconceived notions when decorating and accessorising your bath. Why put one mirror on the wall when four or five of varied sizes and frames can be eye-catching arranged and, at the same time, visually expand the size of the room? Extend the interior vista by painting details of a countryside scene on one wall. Enrich visual enjoyment of the space by adorning beams or columns with a faux marble finish. Whether you are preparing to move into a new home, completely renovating your existing apartment or house, or just sprucing up your bath, this collection of beautiful and practical bathroom ideas will help you enrich your living environment.
