Bathrooms
July 31, 2015
8 Small Bathroom Decorating Tips From Joel Bray
My partner and I live in a tiny one-bedroom condo that works well for two busy people, but the bathroom is pretty small. When we moved in, it was painted a medium grey and had a very builder-basic white ceramic tile floor. We upgraded to a marble hexa on the floor, painted the walls my favorite white — Cloud Cover (Oc-25) by Benjamin Moore — and added a few new accessories. Suddenly, the space felt fresh and more in sync with the rest of our home. Here are a few tips to consider when decorating your own small bathroom.
Initially, I painted the bathroom walls a dark olive green — big mistake! The space went from feeling clean and bright to dark and closed in. I lived with it for 24 hours before painting it white the next day, and all was right in the world again.
I love the look of a white ceramic pedestal sink, but finding a place to store toiletries would be impossible. Compromise by choosing a vanity like this one from Ikea. It has two large drawers for smart storage, but also floats off the ground, creating the illusion of more space.
When it comes to accessories, avoid anything too themed or decorative. On the back of my toilet, I have a silver tray — I keep it tarnished because I like the patina — with pretty hammam hand towels and a few soaps. Yes, it’s “styled,” but it’s also functional with just the right amount of pretty.
A small bathroom needs storage solutions that are both functional and stylish, so you can keep them in plain sight. These baskets from Ikea are great for cotton balls, swabs, or any apothecary items you want in reach.
If you don’t have the space to tuck away your tissue box, make it look great. A marble tissue box cover like this one looks luxurious and works nicely with almost any color scheme.
Call me a traditionalist, but I like the look of a fabric shower curtain. Mine, pictured above, is from West Elm. I like that it’s mostly white, so keeps the space fresh and bright with a bit of pattern and detail along the bottom.
Add personality to this hardworking space with some meaningful artwork. A shadowboxed piece of coral, which I found in Barbados, is hanging in our bathroom with a straw hat that’s too worn-out to wear but I couldn’t part with.
I wanted to add more character to the space so I switched out the existing hardware for long, tarnished brass pulls. The result was a totally new look for the cost of two pulls, and it’s an easy change if I ever tire of them.