Bathroom Decor
By on Sep 06, 2007
Bathrooms are often underrated as personal spaces and consequently can look dull and out of date, but add a few splashes of wonderful colour-either on
the walls or with bathroom accessories-and you can really spark up a boring bathroom.
Today's bathrooms are more than just the place where we brush our teeth-they're refuges from our busy lives. As a
result, colour choices have become even more important, but how do you choose from the more than 10 million colours available?
The look of elegance and luxury is the big story for interiors in 2006 and bathrooms are an ideal space to
showcase this, says Sharon Grech, colour marketing manager for Benjamin Moore & Co., Limited.
The bathroom is a cherished spot to seek respite from the hectic world outside the door, so soothing colours that blend harmoniously with fixtures and furnishings remain the strongest colour trend. These colours can be deep or light, but they're always calmed when paired with grey or neutralizing undertones.
"Fixtures have softer, graceful lines
and are often encased in beautiful pieces of furniture," says Grech. "Highly polished metals and dark exotic woods layered with natural stone and neutral wall colours are proving to be popular in contemporary bathroom spaces and even in more traditional settings."Grech offers guidelines to help you choose the right colours for your bathroom:
1. Be clear about the primary function of the space-is it a powder room or a main bathroom? Remember that colours in the peach family are the most ideal and complimentary for many skin tones, so keep this in mind if you apply make-up in
the bathroom. Many yellows and yellow-based greens can reflect poorly on skin, even under ideal lighting conditions.
2. If you're starting with a fresh slate and are using natural materials such as limestone, marble, or granite, then consider
fixtures in bone or off-white to blend in with the tiles and wood cabinetry. Stark white, although usually less expensive and more typical, can be too strong a contrast. Countertop bathroom accessories include glass containers, wicker baskets, or small boxes. These are readily available in a variety of shapes and styles.
3. Choose shades in the green and blue family for a fresh, invigorating
bathroom, for example, Wedgewood GrayHC-146 or Tealight CC-610. These colours look quite dramatic when paired with white fixtures and towels. If you like
to spend time relaxing in the bathtub, try warmer yellows, tans,and corals such as Winthrop Peach HC-55 or Sandy Brown CC-150 for a more soothing space.
