This month I’ve been sharing my tips for a seasonal makeover of your home. As you refresh your space for spring, don’t forget that the easiest room to perk up is the bathroom.
No matter how tiny yours may be, the simplest changes can have big impact. Often neglected, updating bathroom décor holds endless possibilities.
Here are my tips:
A Gallery Approach
Color: without spending a fortune on redoing countertops or back splashes, a new coat of paint in an unexpected color draws the eye away from uninteresting bath tile.
Wall decor: think about art – yes, art in the bathroom. Black and white photographs grouped on a wall or one strong, graphic poster beautifully framed will add an element of surprise. If your storage space is limited, consider arranging and hanging your collection of necklaces, earrings or bracelets as a functional collage. Hanging an open cabinet allows you to stagger displays of perfume bottles, candles, or other favorite objet with towels in bright spring tones. Or, if you paint the cabinet, there’s nothing fresher than a perfect stack of folded white towels.
Speaking of Towels
This may be the perfect time to relegate the fraying towels you’ve had for years to the basket of cleaning supplies. Nothing is more comforting than drying off with a fresh, fluffy towel. Look for certified organic cotton or silky 100% bamboo labels to be sure that you’re getting the purest eco textiles. Choosing one color to coordinate with the walls or furnishings gives the room a serene feeling. Sage green, sky blue, sand or ivory are all reflections of nature’s awakening outdoors.
Scents of the Season
Save the spicier scents for fall. Refreshing lemon grass, lime, orange, vetiver, or rosemary are all uplifting scents that speak of spring. Fortunately, we’re seeing more and more choices in candles that use vegetable wax or beeswax rather than paraffin – a crude oil by-product to avoid. Essential oils instead of fragrance oils are always preferred and offer aromatherapy benefits as well.
Floors and More
Gone are the days of the shaggy polyester bath mat (at least they should be) that harbored bacteria and felt like you were stepping on wet fur.
If you still prefer a textile mat, look for organic cotton in a flat weave to coordinate with your towels that can be easily washed and dried. Woven reeds, natural fibers, teak or hinoki wood, the vetiver shown here, stone, or bamboo mats are healthier and more stylish eco options for the bathroom floor.
Spring is also a good time to toss those expired prescriptions, cosmetics and make-up. You can use some of these same materials on your counter or corner shelves as storage solutions. Investing in a few eco-friendly boxes to hide those vials and tubes helps to organize bathroom clutter that accumulates so easily.
Add a bamboo or teak ladder to hang towels or magazines if you have room and save shelf space. That change alone might just be enough to give your bath a whole new refreshing look for spring.
Recommended:
Open storage, $59
Bamboo towels, $15-78 (in sets of two)
Corner storage, $89
Vetiver mat, $49-69
Bamboo ladder, $129
Note: Bamboo rack, bamboo towels, vetiver mat and hinoki corner storage images used with permission. Products by sponsor VivaTerra.