Doryn Wallach offers her top tips on achieving the best bathroom for you. Photos: Doryn Wallach
Renovating or making over a bathroom can be a daunting task. New York-based interior designer Doryn Wallach has some advice to help guide you through the process. Use the following tips as a guide to create the best bathing space for your needs.
Materials, textures and colors, oh my!
When it comes to choosing colors and materials, always keep in mind the room that is directly outside the bathroom. You want the bathroom to complement the space outside of it, but with a different texture or hue. Matchy-matchy isn't always the right way to go.
Define your purpose.
Consider what you will use the space for. The room's function should help you determine what style you'll choose. In a powder room, space is at a premium and its use will be fairly constant. A guest bath needs to have everything that a visitor might need. A teen bath is going to have heavy traffic and should be functional and fun. All of these factors are going to steer your design choices in a certain direction. A fabulous-looking space that is lacking function is essentially a waste of space.
To wallpaper or not to wallpaper? That is the question. Photos: Doryn Wallach
Bathrooms are the perfect area to go a little wild with patterns. Often, homeowners are apprehensive about wallpapering a bathroom because they fear it will peel. Fret not. Wallpaper is safe from peeling if the full bathroom is a good size and properly ventilated (though you should stay away from wovens or fabric papers).
Perfect patterns.
When choosing a pattern consider the rest of the room. If you have (or want) a complicated or busy pattern in your floor tile, go simple with the wallpaper or shower curtain. Likewise, if your prefer wallpaper with a wild pattern, opt for classic, uncomplicated tiles and accessories. One element must stay simple – balance and simplicity is the key.
One of these is not like the other -- make your bath fit its intended use. Photos: Doryn Wallach
The bathroom should fit the people who will use it. You can see above that a teen's bath and a master bathroom take on very different looks. The teen room is playful and bright, much like the person it is designed for. The wallpaper choice is pretty and youthful, but mature enough to last as the teen grows into adulthood. On the other hand, the master bath site is mature in style and arranged as a serene, calming place to relax.
Want more decorating advice? Read on:
- 15 Minutes: 5 Things You Can Do (Today!) To Organize Your Bathroom
- DIY Shower Curtain Adds Instant Elegance
- Wallpaper in the Bathroom
Reader comments (Page 1 of 1)
Why do designers use those rediculous vessel sinks? They are totally impractical, water dripping every where & leaving no counter space. Not having a vanity is also a waste of all the good space under a sink. Wicker baskets with towels in them on the floor make no sense in a bathroom? Think about the toilet flushing & spraying residue not to mention the water from brushing your teeth & washing your hands. The next time you decide to redo your bathroom invest in a vanity with doors!
ReplyThat look is the dumbest look I've ever seen. Not to mention putting wallpaper in a bathroom is the dumbest thing to do as the moisture in the air from running baths/showers will always cause the seams to curl. Every bath remodel I go to do, I end up removing the paper and re-texturing the walls and paint. Doryn, you need to go back to designer school and listen to your teacher! WALLPAPER is a NO NO in bathrooms.
ReplyAlthough that does in part depend on where you live. If you're in Phoenix, it's so dry there that the bathrooms often don't even have VENTS! On the other hand, if you're in Florida, no, I don't think I'd be putting wallpaper on ANY wall.