“You’ve got to have style. It helps you get out of bed in the morning.”

Diana Vreeland

To Each His Own

Add Some Personality…Yours

It’s your home, not a hospital room.

Express yourself in a clever, stylish way. This is where a “cosmetic fix” is more meaningful than a fresh swipe of lipstick.

• You don’t have to keep that old ugly medicine chest. Take it out and find a fabulous mirror the size and style that would work equally well for an entryway or living room. You will have created great style in a single move and received the double bang of visually enlarging the room to twice its actual size.

• Any beautiful chest or table of an appropriate size can re-tooled to become the vanity/surround for your sink and faucets.

• There’s a big instant wow factor by simply switching out the old sink and vanity for a sleek pedestal sink. As a general rule, you are better off with classic white fixtures. They are cheaper and won’t become dated over time, like your mom’s avocado colored refrigerator did. If storage space is an issue, look outside the room for solutions.

Cheap Tricks Are Good

If switching out the vanity for a pedestal sink isn’t a viable option, and the old vanity is wood, consider painting it. Good color choices are white or ivory to adhere to a light and airy theme. You can experiment with colors such as dark gray or green, but be sure to think through your proposed color story. Have the new vanity color pick up the same color as the towels for example.

To pun the obvious, you can skirt the issue of an ugly vanity by attaching a skirt with Velcro, applied either to the perimeter of the sink or just beneath the counter at the top of the vanity. You can also use a clear water based sealant from the hardware store as a heavy-duty glue if the skirt in question is on the heavier side.

The Skirt Style is to taste:

Clean line loving Modernistas will prefer a straight skirt with knife pleating at the corners.

Grand Romantics can gather their skirts with ruffles, frills and ribbons.

The quickest fix for a tired looking vanity is to just replace the hardware. Vintage stores and flea markets can yield little treasures. If you can’t find the right handle, you can use knobs for the two handle holes instead. Use a smaller knob above a larger one.

There’s something about the length of a regular shower curtain and liner that’s faintly reminiscent of high water trousers.

The curtain(s) will look much better if they are extra long. Hang them as close to the ceiling as possible and all the way down to a fraction above the floor. The effect will seemingly stretch the height of the room. Use drapery wands to open and close if necessary. Shop on-line for longer than standard curtains and liners. Another route is to locate a fabric you love and have your local seamstress fabricate to measure.

Next Time: Renovate A Bathroom – Part IV – Modern Love

Further Reading and Related Posts

Bathroom Renovation Series – Part I – Coming Clean: Reno Or Refluff?

Bathroom Renovation Series – Part II – Fine Tune The Check List

Bathroom Renovation Series – Part IV – Modern Love

Wall Color Selection Series – Special Effects – Part VIII – Perfect Wall Color

Lighting Design Series – Part I – Guide To The Well Lit Home

This part of a recent article I wrote for publication on Hamptons.com. It’s represented here as a foundation for further topic discussion, updates and commentaries…

Photo – http://www.ebaumsworld.com

Questions? Write to: DecodingDecor@Gmail.Com

Tags: bath remodel, bathroom decoration, How To Renovate A Bathroom