Bathroom Remodeling and Decor Ideas

By Illa Maden

Bathroom remodeling and decor ideas are all around us if we just know where to look, and keep an open mind.

Bathroom remodeling, or updating our ideas in bathroom decor is a great way to add value to your home since it is the second most popular remodeling project for homes. Not only does it add money value to your home should you decide to sell in the future, but it is also a factor in how fast your home will sell since it is the second most looked at factor by most home buyers.

But unless you are currently considering selling your home, the most important thing to think about is how much it will add to your enjoyment in your home. Being a room in your home that is much used, updating decor and adding amenities by remodeling can add much pleasure to your daily life.

Appraise your current bathroom carefully:

Sometimes it is just hard to know where to start gathering ideas for either remodeling or updating the decor of your bathroom.

First decide whether you really need to remodel, or whether you just need to refresh the decor in your bath. Take a good long look at your bathroom. Sometimes it is easy to just want to throw the whole thing out and start fresh. But wait. If remodeling is what you have in mind, then give it a good look, and determine if there are fixtures or elements that could stay and reduce your remodeling budget.

For example: If your bathtub is in good condition, and you are planning to keep a tub in your bathroom, maybe just replacing those grubby looking shower doors with new ones would give it a whole new look and for less money and hassle than removing and replacing the tub.

What about the cabinets? If they are basically in good shape, but a little dated and doggy, then consider sanding them down, applying stain in a non-wood color, and new hardware. Usually a new vanity top is needed after a number of years, because they get so much use, but if you can salvage the supporting cabinet, you've just saved some money.

Where to get ideas for bathroom remodeling and decor:

Start a folder where you can begin and continue to gather ideas for either remodeling of redecorating your bathroom.

Get out of your own head for a while and see what is available. We all get in ruts, and sometimes this can filter into our decor ideas. You are looking for something new, so find other sources for ideas besides the inside of your own head.

Many home improvement centers have model bathrooms and kitchens set up, and can provide a source for some new ideas.

Look at the bathrooms of friends or those in decorated model homes for ideas (just don't get caught up and buy a whole new house).

Go online and surf around and see what is offered in the way of decorating and remodeling your bathroom.

Decorating books can be good if they are current. Even better are periodicals because they are published frequently and reflect what is current in decorating themes. When checking periodicals don't limit yourself to just those featuring bathrooms, many ideas can be gained from living spaces.

When looking through periodicals consider decor elements in other living spaces besides the bathroom. This can be a mine field of ideas for color pallets, storage ideas, and accessories that can be incorporated into a luxury bath.

Tear out articles and pictures whether they have only one element that inspires an idea or several new ideas. Continue to gather ideas until you have a firm plan of action.

For practical ideas for planning a bathroom remodel or for sources of ideas about home improvement and decor .

Bathroom Tile Ideas for Bathroom Floor Tile

By David Buster

Bathroom tile ideas for bathroom floor tile can help you know what options to consider for your bathroom. Bathroom tile comes in a variety of shapes, sizes, patterns and textures and they are the basis for any bathroom design. Bathroom tile ideas can help you have the very best bathroom possible.

Ceramic bathroom floor tile is often used because of its durability, resistance to dampness, its safety to walk on when wet and its ease of cleaning. If you select ceramic tiles for your bathroom, consider using a tile that has a slip-resistant surface for bathroom safety, which is one of the best bathroom tile ideas. If you buy and install unglazed tiles, they will need to be washed frequently because they absorb stains quite easily. Bathroom floor tile shapes can be squares, rectangles, hexagons and octagons while accent pieces can be narrow and small diamond-shaped.

Here are bathroom tile ideas for bathroom floor tile:

1 - If you use solid color ceramic bathroom floor tile in your bathroom, you can add tile borders of a different color to the tile floor, or you can create a border by alternating different colors. This kind of visual treatment can create a more interesting bathroom floor.

2 - When using the same color ceramic tile for the floors and walls, choose a different tile size for the walls or lay the wall tiles diagonally to create a more interesting visual effect.

3 - Another of the bathroom tile ideas is to choose a grout color that contrasts with the ceramic tile color. For example, if you are using white tiles, you could use blue, red or yellow grout for contrast. Be sure and apply sealers to grout lines in areas of heavy wear since sealers will protect and preserve grout colors.

4 - If your favorite color for a bathroom is pink, for example, add a few pink decorative tiles for the walls or use shapes, textures and borders to give it some visual interest. Select some rows of the walls where you can also use some of the pink tiles placed diagonally.

5 - To give your bathroom a contemporary style and look, consider using bright and bold colors with shapes or graphics against plain backgrounds. Contemporary style accessories and fixtures will further provide a modern-looking bathroom.

6 - If you are trying to have a romantic or Victorian look in your bathroom, use floral tiles in soft colors like pink, light green or light blue plus handpainted ceramic sinks and perhaps a wooden floor.

7 - For a Mediterranean bathroom look, mix terra-cotta tiles with Mexican or other hand-painted tiles for the floors. For the countertop perhaps mix the hand-painted tiles with another plain color tile.

Bathroom tile ideas and tile color are important since color can greatly affect your mood -- making you feel calm or energizing you. Warm colors like peach and yellow are fun, they make the bathroom feel cozier and they go well with a more country looking bathroom decor. If you use neutral colors like beiges or whites, they will make the room look larger, they will reflect light and they are always in style. Colors like blue, green and violet are viewed as serene or cool colors. Brighter colors like black or red add drama to the decor, absorb light and will make the room appear smaller. In rooms with plenty of windows and natural lighting, consider using darker tiles to offset the ambient lighting. You can also work in colors you want through the use of accent tiles and accessories.

Have fun as you select the styles, colors, patterns and sizes of bathroom floor tile and related details for your bathroom. You'll want your bathroom to be a fun, cozy room to spend time in and the bathroom floor tile used can help create that kind of atmosphere. Use bathroom tile ideas to help you have that special bathroom that you can enjoy every day.

Copyright 2006 InfoSearch Publishing

Learn bathroom decor ideas and bathroom layout, lighting, storage, bathroom vanities, small bathrooms, childrens bathrooms and more. David Buster is VP of InfoSearch Publishing and webmaster of http://www.yourdreamloghome.com - a popular website for homeowners.

When Decorating A Small Bathroom Create A Sense of Space

By Gloria Daniels

When decorating a small bathroom it is possible to fool the eye into seeing openness and a sense of space. One of the easiest ways to give the illusion of a larger room is the generous use of mirrors. Reflections of the outdoors or other walls enhance the sense of being in a larger area. If your window faces a brick wall or other uninviting view, or if it is on a dark side of the house, consider hanging a mirror in front of it.

A glass shower or tub enclosure will add to the openess of a small bathroom. Corner shower stalls and sinks free up some additional floor space.

Rather than mounting shelves and medicine cabinets on the wall, consider shelves built into the walls between the studs to make the room look more spacious.

Using light colored paint, paper, and tile surfaces in your bathroom decorating will help to visually expand the space. If it is the master bathroom, carrying the same color scheme from the bedroom into the bath will also make the space seem larger.

Efficient storage should be considered in your bathroom decorating plan

An overstuffed medicine cabinet or cluttered sink counter can be irritating and a hindrance to starting the day off in a stress free environment. Cleared off counter tops add to the sense of space in your bathroom.

Go through the cabinets, drawers, and under the sink storage. If you are like most people, there are probably items in these areas you haven't used in years. Throw out that $40.00 bottle of perfume that smelled great on your best friend, but made you smell like skunk cabbage. Get rid of the marvelous creams that were going to make you look 10 years, but needed 10 years worth of applying to work. Old medicines, half-filled band-aid boxes, and dirty bent Q-tips are of no use to anyone. Once this is done, you'll find you've eliminated half of your clutter. Now as part of your bathroom decorating ideas, start thinking of efficient and decorative storage solutions. Here is a list of storage ideas:

• Keep small items separated with draw dividers
• Hang a shower caddy in your shower or over the rim of the tub
• Hang clothing hooks on the back of the bathroom door
• Mount an antique corner cupboard in an unused niche
• Place baskets on the toilet ledge to hold small items or soaps
• Use wire baskets under the sink area to keep items organized
• Use wicker shelves over the toilet area for towels and linens
• Hang a child's toy net to hold shower and bath items
• Hang a peg rack on the wall and give everyone their own bag for personal items in order to keep the counters clear

Look for ideas about bathroom decor in books, magazines, and the Internet

There is an abundance of decorating books and magazines available. Check out your local library or the Internet for more ideas. When looking at the pictures, don't look at the whole room. You are looking for original bathroom decorating ideas. Look for a new way to use accessories, or what type of containers you might like to use for holding all your makeup brushes. Look at how mirrors and art are used as wall decorations. Notice how towels are stored, and what type of lighting is utilized.

By visually taking a room apart, you can find many bathroom decorating ideas to stimulate your creativity and inborn sense of design. You'll soon have friends asking you how you came up with such a clever way of using accessories or what made you think of that interesting window treatment or storage idea.

Experiment, have fun, enjoy

If you are held back by budget considerations, go ahead and decorate anyway. Think in your mind what you would do if money was not an option. Plan your room down to the last detail. Enjoy the process. Once you get your bathroom decorating ideas on paper, you may find several ideas you can use right away. In the meantime, you are developing your design sense and creativity. After all, how can you make a mistake if it's all on paper?

So go ahead, have fun, push the limits, and you just might end up with an incredible bathroom!

Gloria Daniels has worked in many areas of the home decorating field and has been helping clients decorate their homes creatively for over 20 years. For more help and hints on creative ways to decorate you home, visit her website at Home Decorating Room by Room While there sign up for her ezine Home Decorating Workshop Each month receive a dozen home decorating tips along with a lesson in how to develop your creativity when decorating your home.