Designing, Decorating, and Painting a Bathroom

Many bathroom renovation projects appear relatively simple, not requiring considerations of interior design, only of decorating issues.  Do you need to understand design principles or hire an interior designer to replace your tub, toilet, and sink?  Do you need a designer to update your lighting, replace your flooring, and paint or tile your walls?

Maybe not but you’ll be happier with the end result if you do.  Here’s why.  There’s a basic design principle we can draw from modern architecture:  the form of a space should follow the function of the space.  To translate that for our bathroom renovation discussion that simply means the form your new bathroom will take – the fixtures, the accessories, and the decorating scheme – should flow from the way the function of your bathroom; that is to say, the specific ways you and your family use it.

On the surface this notion might seem too ludicrous for further discussion.  What other functions do bathrooms serve other than hygiene issues, like washing, teeth cleaning, and eliminating waste?  But those who appreciate this form follows function principle and actually take the time to sit down and write a list of how they use their bathroom often make some interesting discoveries.  One is some family members like to read while sitting on a toilet.  Another is some family members like to relax in long and luxurious baths, instead of the quick morning or evening shower.

Both of these functions – once identified – can dictate the form your new bathroom will take.  For example, instead of selecting the most water efficient round bowl toilet you can find at the lowest price, invest in a much more comfortable elongated style toilet.  To go one step further, accessorize the toilet with a padded seat for even more comfort and add decorative magazine racks on the wall next to the toilet.

For those who love long, hot, baths, here’s another idea.  Today there are a wide variety of whirlpools available that are the same size as standard bathtubs.  Plumbing requirements for these whirlpools are identical to standard tub installation, although you will need to add a dedicated electrical outlet and circuit to power the whirlpool.  If you think you might like to read while relaxing in a whirlpool, waterproof recessed lighting can be installed directly above the head area of the whirlpool tub.  Finally, if your bathroom is on the second floor of your home, consider adding a skylight directly above the tub.  There are few things on the face of this earth more relaxing than gazing up at the night sky while in a whirlpool.

The lesson here is identifying how you use your bathroom, or how you would like to use your bathroom, opens a world of possibilities you might never have considered otherwise.  Now what about paint?  While you might be using tile on your walls, there will be areas in the bath you will likely want to paint.  Paint color is a matter of personal preference, so where’s the design principle here?

A good designer would tell you the decorative appearance of your home; most noticeably the shades of paint you use throughout your home make a statement about you.  Quiet, traditional people may prefer conservative tones in light browns and beiges, and this scheme should begin at the exterior and continue throughout.  If this bathroom renovation is your first project in a newly purchased home, begin making your statement here.  If your entire home is in muted colors and you are a bold and daring person, use bold and daring colors in your bathroom and gradually extend them to the rest of your home.