Natwerk Designs

Ugliest bathroom ever. What to do?

My bathroom is so tiny and boring. Its completely white, with a freestanding sink, ugly and discoloured white bath tub, and a white toilet. Its pretty limited for space, but I have seen smaller. Its 7x4 of useable space(minus the bathtub and linen closet, which take up half the room), and the sink and toilet occupy some of that space. I'm renting so I'm not allowed to paint the walls or put a new light fixture, so I'm sort of stuck with the white. Right now I have an extra black framed mirror and a black shower curtain and a black stand to put things in because we have no cupboards or anything. Someone help, I'm so sick of this bathroom, all the other rooms in my apartment are beautiful but it seems like I can never do anything with the bedroom it make it look better! I've taken some pictures so you can get a better idea of the room. http://raelene05.piczo.com/?g=10909126&preview=y&cr=3

Public Comments

1. Blow it up
2. Bring in some color! Get a colorful shower curtain and put up some colorful art on the wall. It'll make a world of difference.
3. the black items are simply making it look dreary i would remove the black shower curtain and replace with something that has more color also you can try and put a sconce on either side of your mirror with a soft but subtle shade that will i think help give your bathroom a little more life
4. Put some floating shelves on the wall and put decorative items and well as useful items on it. I had this big wall in my bathroom that was just blah. I added three 4' shelves from pottery barn and put crisp white towel, bath oils, etc. on it and now it looks very chic. They come in many styles and colors, but here is an example: http://www.potterybarn.com/products/p5256/index.cfm?pkey=xsrd0m1%7C20%7C%7C%7C1%7C%7C%7C%7C%7C%7C%7Cshelves&cm%5Fsrc=SCH Buy a pretty/feminine shower curtain. You could also look for some artwork that has colors in it that match the shower curtain to bring out the design theme. For the tub - bleach, scour, etc. to get it as white as possible. I would need to know what the tub is made of to recommend a specific cleaner but there is a ton of stuff out there that can get rid of discoloration. Without the ability to paint or change anything, you are somewhat limited.
5. gut the place and restart. nothing salvageable. It might seem expensive but if you have to ikea the whole thing
6. Big bold and colorful framed posters - I think that primary colors might be best. Something that will really pop and hold attention. Frame them in a thin, black metal frame to bring in the black that you already have going. Add coordinating towels and throw rug. Could you install simple glass shelves? If so, one over the sink will make the sink more useful, and elsewhere in the room larger ones could be used for towels and or decorative accents. Some people like to install fabric "skirts" around sinks like yours - these are simple to sew and can be installed with velcro. The look is somewhat feminine and European. The fabric should be nice, and subdued - remember you are calling attention to anything that you put in there that is colorful. Have fun!
7. Since you can't paint, I think the next best thing to add color and pizazz is a big beautiful picture. It needs to be dramatic and colorful with just a little black in it. Make sure it something that you love to look at. Also, add candles and flowers if you have room.
8. i think you really need to lose that shower curtain, its pretty dismal. because of the floor tile color, i think a tan or ecru color would look great for a shower curtain, even a terra cotta red would look good. on the wall you could put some black cube shelves to match the black mirror frames. some natural texture and earthy colors would soften the feel and bring some life to this space. maybe a bamboo rug or natural wood accessories. try to incorporate some natural sea shells, on the cube shelves or in a glass bowl or jar. or frame some large shells in simple black frames and hang them on the wall. get some towels that are tan with brick red stripes. put a couple of black shelves above the toilet and stack your towels on it.