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Bathroom The Most Neglected
Room
Bathrooms don't get enough attention from homeowners. For a
space where we can easily spend over 15% of our waking time,
the decor is often minimal. Sure, a rug gets thrown down. We
might even take a lot of time to get just the right towels. But
what about the bathroom itself?
Start at the bottom. Flooring is important for both utilitarian
and decorative reasons. Clearly, a good tile will help keep
water from the underfloor. When it's kept in good repair, of
course. But how much effort went into evaluating ceramic versus
stone, hardwood vs laminate? For most of us, probably not
enough.
Faucets and shower hardware are another example. Many will just
accept whatever was in place when the home was built or bought.
Sure, it's functional, but is it beautiful? Does it integrate
well with the rest of the bathroom? Does it reflect the
occupant's unique personality? Not always.
The same might be said of lighting. Often we just take what's
there. It might glare too much. It might light certain areas
poorly. But is there a nice looking wall sconce? Where are the
accent lights to illuminate that dark nook where the toilet
sits? The support for strip lights over the mirror may or may
not match the style of the hot and cold water controls in the
sink.
Molding is an afterthought for too many. It can provide one of
the best touches to the overall design. It completes and
complements the room. It gives an elegance and a look of 'being
decorated' that is hard to match any other way.
Even paint is often selected solely for its functional
character. That's certainly important, but it's only part of
the job. A horizontal stripe along the ceiling to simulate
molding is one possibility. A painted scene was common in the
18th century. The idea can be adapted to modern times.
Shower curtains and rods represent one of the simplest ways to
decorate the bath. Most will do something here, if for no other
reason that such things are often missing in a new or newly
bought home. Replace it with more than just a plain white or
colored piece of plastic. Let your personality show!
Keeping the bathroom in good repair is both a functional and
decorative issue, too. Cracked tiles lead to water damage.
Replacing them isn't complicated. It just takes a bit of
patience and care. But good tile is also good looking. Cracks
look shabby.
Fixing the drains is often put off for as long as possible. But
the longer the task is neglected the more gunk tends to build
up. Rust, hair, bottle caps and a hundred other things can slow
the exit of water. That makes it pool in unseen areas, where it
has a chance to cause even larger problems. Bad odors is just
one of them.
Once everything is in good working order and you have the
design scheme worked out, give everything a second look. Most
bathrooms are smaller than we would wish. Clever selection and
arrangements of sink, towel racks, shelves and more can help
provide extra room. Proper placement of mirrors, lights and
other elements can give an illusion of space where none is
really possible.
Give some thought to the bathroom and enjoy the time spent
there so much more!
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