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Budget Decorating Create a Personal Spa Place: How To Beautify your Bath on a Budget
Whenever we
think of decorating the home, an often overlooked space is the bath. Since it is
utilitarian in nature, we sometimes forget the need for a pampering space to
ease the stress of the day. Bathroom décor need not entail expensive remodeling
in order to spoil you with a personal space. More...
Here are some great ideas that you can implement
in a weekend to turn your sallow bath into a sparkling spa! 2. PAINT! This is a great space to utilize bold colors, rich finishes, or fun combinations of color. The space is usually small, lacking architecture, and in need of some charm and paint is the fastest and least expensive way to achieve that. Try calming colors such as blues, blue greens, and plums. Paint the ceiling a darker hue to visually bring it down. All but the largest baths seem to have that towering ceiling effect that leaves us all cold. If your ceiling is really high, bring the ceiling color down onto the walls about 6 inches. Add stamped patterns randomly to the wall within your theme. Leaves, fleur de lis, and geometric shapes are all classic elements that can blend with most themes. Congrats, the biggest change has now been done with color! And
don't just think of the walls. Your cabinets and even your countertops can be
painted. And yes, even those ugly ceramic tiles! Use a primer made for non
pourous surfaces such as KILZ, then paint and seal with polyurethane. This would
be a great place to create faux stone or marble counters! Hate your vinyl
flooring? You can either paint it as suggested with the primer, or use stick on
vinyl tiles to lay right over the present flooring. Many nice patterns can be
found at your local home improvement store for less than $1 a square foot. (And
since most of our bathroom spaces are small, it won't take much!) Hang a
hook on the back of the door to hold your fluffiest robe to slip on after your
bath or shower. If you have a large cold looking mirror, hang a swag of fabric
over the top of the mirror, and allow the fabric to drape down the sides and
even puddle on the counter if you like. This really softens the whole room and
adds a sense of upscale "spa" feeling to the space. If you are worried about moisture, just pick up some inexpensive picture frames and insert calendar and catalog pictures inside, no one will know, and if they are damaged by moisture it's no loss, they were free! If you have natural light in your bath, be sure to add a plant or two. Nothing breathes life like natural greenery. 5. Add pampering accessories! Things like bath bubbles, fluffy towels, and candles not only add the pampering feeling you are trying to achieve, they offer visual comfort with color and texture as well. Psychologically, we all crave that long soak with a good book, and even if we are only in the bathroom for 10 minutes to whip on some make up, just seeing those items displayed promises wonderful baths to come! If
you enjoy listening to music, bring in a cd player to permanently leave on a
shelf. Just be sure it's not in a place where it could be knocked or pulled into
water. Pick up some clear glass jars from Wal-mart for just a couple of dollars,
and visit the dollar shop to fill them with cotton balls, cotton swabs, Epsom
salts, and bubble bath. (Hint: Baby shampoo makes great bubble bath, and is
gentle on the skin. You can also pick it up at the dollar shop for, well, a
dollar!) * * * Copyright © 2005 by Kathleen Wilson. All rights reserved. Budget Decorating Article Index Want more money-saving tips? Get a FREE Subscription to our monthly newsletter!
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