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Ask Cristina: Creative Bathrooms
Dear Cristina,
“It’s time to update the
bathrooms in my home. I’ve had
some people tell me that I
should match the décor of the
bathrooms to the adjacent rooms
and other people say that it
doesn’t matter. I’m confused –
which advice is right?”
—J. Mansanares
I don’t mean to add to your
confusion—but both opinions are
right. To figure out which
advice is right for you, you’ll
need to take a little time to
reflect. A good place to start
is by determining what I call
the “foundation concept.” If
you’re wondering what a
foundation concept is, and how
it relates to you, take a few
moments to do a short writing
exercise.
Begin by thinking of a feeling
you wish to enhance when you
walk into the room. Examples of
feelings that translate into a
décor concept may include:
serious, fun, happy, peaceful,
playful, or sexy. Take a moment
to write a sentence that
describes the feeling you want
to enhance when you enter the
bathroom. (Yes, this does sound
a little strange just give this
exercise a chance.) We’ll call
this your “concept sentence.”
When you have a sense for the
feeling you want to express,
give some thought to “flow.”
Flow is the sense of the
transition within and between
rooms. Either of the opinions
you heard might be the right
choice depending upon the way
the result enhances or accents
flow. I’ll start by explaining
the wisdom behind both opinions
and then you can decide which
advice is right for you.
If a bathroom is adjacent to a
bedroom—such as a master bath
and bedroom suite or a bathroom
between two bedrooms –
decorating the bathrooms in a
style that relates to the
bedrooms will result in an
enhanced feeling of continuity
between the spaces. In other
words, it will flow.
If the bathroom “stands alone”
like a powder bath or bathroom
in a utility room, you don’t
have to be concerned with flow.
The bathroom can act as an
accent to the home. You can
treat this type of bathroom as a
unique, fanciful room that may
or may not have much to do with
the décor in the house.
If you’re wondering how knowing
any of this is going to help you
decorate your bathroom, bear
with me.
When you figure out the feeling
and flow you want for the
bathroom, your subsequent
decisions will rest on this
foundation.
Take another few minutes and
write a new concept sentence
describing the combination of
feeling and flow you want. An
example of this might be: “The
downstairs powder bath is a
playful, whimsical bathroom that
is an accent to the décor in our
great room.” Another example is:
“This bathroom is a peaceful
retreat that reflects the calm
décor of the master bedroom.”
Any redecorating or remodeling
project involves making a lot of
choices. When you are
considering any choice such as
color, plumbing, lighting
fixtures, or surfaces such as
tile, stone or laminates, be
sure to review your concept
sentence and ask yourself which
choice best reflects and
supports the feeling you’re
after. With that in mind, the
choices you need to make to
support that concept sentence
will become obvious.
Many companies are making a
variety of products that
encourage you to explore your
creative options when you
decorate. A small bath can be
the perfect room to splurge. In
the limited space an investment
in a beautiful sink or tile
surface can yield a large return
of style and beauty. Artisan
companies cater to the many
custom colors and products you
may want to use in your bathroom—white
and beige aren’t the only
options. Lisa Danneker and
Theresa King, executive vice
presidents of Sonoma Tilemakers
say, “The rich textures, hand
carved designs and fabulous
colors of our tile offer a world
of design options. The Stellar
Collection color palette of 106
colors ranges from soft subtle
hues to rich colors in crackle,
matte and glossy finishes.” |
