Natwerk Designs

In bathroom decorating, what would an interior designer do?

I am trying redecorate my master bath for a more 'regal' look. I was thinking navy and gold, but I can't find ANY ensembles that are navy!! When trying to coordinate bath items, do you match towels with the shower curtain or the rugs? And do you match rugs with the accessories (i.e. toothbrush holder, soap dish, etc.) or match with the walls? I have an old bathroom so it needs a lot of updating. We live on a military base so we can't paint... I just want my bathroom to feel better to walk into, not to repulse me like it does right now! :-)

Public Comments

1. Dont be too matchy matchy just get items that work together
2. Regal doesn't mean matching. If you look around old country properties or castles or mansions, you never find stuff matching. It all just simply fits together because it is quality. Go for a deep green and pale cream combination. Keep everything that is a working accessory - like toothbrush holders etc to a plain white porcelain. They don't even have to be the same pattern. Then get a towel rail which is free standing if you have room or a simple wooden one for the wall. Put old brass hooks on the back of the door. The curtains can either be a deeper cream or a darker green and make them heavy. Regal curtains are always heavy. They don't have to close - you can put a net up for privacy. The towels should be a combination of the two colours you have chosen or leave them plain white - easier to clean by bleaching if they get really grubby some time. As for bath mats and shower curtain, the simpler the better. Go for white. All of this will pull together really well. Don't be afraid of the green - a really deep dark green is required and a soft deep cream to compliment it. Then you need shed loads of candles in various jars and glasses and loads of bubbles for your bath. If you can though, I would definitely have a go at painting the walls. A good waterbased paint in dark green for two walls and the cream for the other two. Go for it. And enjoy.
3. When decorating a bathroom, it all begins with the largest item in the room.....in your case, the shower curtain. Regal colors are colors of fine gemstones like emerald green, sapphire blue, ruby red and golden yellows. The rest of the decorating is easy from there because you will select colors for all items that match this shower curtain. A multi colored shower curtain is a fine start if it is not too loud. You can even get a solid curtain and use your pattern in the room in the towels. But, begin with the shower curtain. Just because bathrooms are a utilitarian room does not mean they have to be a boring place. Bathrooms are small, so it is best to match any rugs to the floor or keep them a neutral color so they blend in but add warmth underfoot. Concentrate on the towels and other wall art or neccessary accessories to bring style into the room. I, personally, hate to see toothbrushes out in the open, so I keep them in the medicine cabinet in a cup as it also prevents the addition of clutter and it makes way for decorative accents. Everything in a bathroom should be within reach and useful. A basket on the back of the toilet can hold coordinating wash cloths,a spare hand towel, a bar of soap, hand lotion and air freshener. This keeps your sink area clutter free. I use liquid soap at the sink because I just do not want to share a bar of soap with other bathroom users. My soap is in the store bought container. I went to a craft store and bought a piece of scrapbook paper in a copper finish and wrapped it around the body of he lotion dispenser, then wrapped a decorative ribbon around it, taped the back and whoa-la, a custom soap dispenser for under two dollars. So, begin with a shower curtain and work your way around the room based on the shower curtain and you cannot go wrong.
4. Sometimes what I do is buy a picture for my wall and base my colors on whats in the pictures. If you can't find navy rugs and accessories get a wall border that has navy in it and base the rugs and accessories around the other colors on the border, that way u r still getting a touch of your navy and yet the brighter colors will compliment the touch of dark.
5. You'll have trouble finding navy and gold because those colors are not considered "fashionable" at the moment. Color schemes tend to be highly trendy and the current trends are earth toned neutrals (tan, khaki, olive, terra cotta, warm greys) and deep-toned pastels (aqua, leaf green, pale yellow) for the most part. In general, I find it's best to only have one major component that is patterned and the rest should be solid colored -- too much "matchy-matchy" looks hokey. Either do the shower curtain OR rug(s) in a patterned or multi-colored design and have the towels and accessories solid color. Or, if you love patterned towels, make sure the shower curtain and rugs are coordinating solids. Simple is more elegant and calming in a bathroom than a lot of fussy accessories anyway. Go for quality rather than quantity. Get thick, fluffy towels and cotton dense pile rugs. Since you don't mention the colors of the wall and fixtures, can't really advise you on a color scheme. Honestly, I would avoid navy and gold, not because they aren't "trendy" but for two reasons: one, dark colors make a bathroom look closed in and cramped and, two, any color in a bathroom is going to reflect indirectly on your face when you are grooming in the mirror. Reflected blue and gold don't flatter your skin -- in fact you will look slightly sickly if there are large areas of it near the mirror (such as a shower curtain). There are tons of magazines on the bookstore racks with bathroom designs in them. Pick one up and go through it to find designs that appeal to you and use those photos as a template for selecting your decor. A picture is worth a thousand words.