DIY – 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!