This is the third post in a series where we are exploring all sorts of quick and easy ways to spruce up your home. The idea is to focus on a few things that you can change right now to make the room just a little more inviting. Check out Parts 1 and 2, Family Rooms and Master Bedrooms. At the end of the series we will have a Mr. Linky party so you can show us any changes you have made; so don't forget to take some photos! As usual, all the photos in this post were taken by me in my own houses over the last few years. Hope it's not too confusing.
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Ahh, the bathroom. It's so much more than the place to do your business of number 1, 2, or 3 {my boys informed me that number 3 is vomiting--geniuses they are}. Yes, your bathroom is the place where you make yourself beautiful and take a nice hot shower to get rejuvenated and long soak to relax.
1. Hide the Crest. Have you ever walked through a nice house for sale and then you go in the bathroom and see their cruddy toothpaste and toothbrush, Head and Shoulders, Preparation H and nail polish remover all sitting out "neatly" on the counter? That does not say spa. I put our toothpaste in a dish and simply put all our weird bodily products under the sink in baskets.
4. Spa it up. I love getting gifts of big fat soaps and pretty packaged lotions and potions. Instead of hiding them I load them up on on this whatchamacallit. I'm not afraid to use this stuff and I've been known to fill up an empty pretty container with stuff from an ugly container. Sounds like trouble but it really does make a difference!
5. Lighting. See if you can somehow work a lamp into your bathroom. The soft filtered light is so welcoming. I hide the cord behind that two tiered watchamacallit and we use the light as a nightlight.
Read Part 4:: Kitchens
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Related Posts:
High Heels for the Bathroom
Builder Beige Bathroom
Mistreated Shower Curtain
Vanity Mistreatment
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What tricks do you use in your bathroom?
Related Posts:
High Heels for the Bathroom
Builder Beige Bathroom
Mistreated Shower Curtain
Vanity Mistreatment
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100 comments:
So beautiful!
Completely agree. I also like to stock my bathroom with a basket of magazines like Real Simple. Sometimes it's the only few minutes I get to myself so I take advantage of it and let my guests do the same :) It looks like you had a grand time at Blissdom~wish I could have heard you speak!!
Great tips! Very warm and inviting...It does have that spa feel. Thanks for posting!!
My bathroom is the size of a shoebox, literally. I use no tricks b/c I have no counter.
I use a bucket to house my toddler's toys but that is the only trick I have up my sleeve.
I just need to figure out how to pretty it up since it's rented & I have 3 boys.
Sigh.
I'm a huge fan of lamps in bathrooms. Who really need all of those bulbs blinding us in the middle of the night anyway?
I'll have to find some pretty dishes to add to ours as well.
So fun!...wink!
I just bought a pretty tray (it has "toile" on it...my favorite) and put some things on it..anything like deodorant or toothpaste goes in the drawer.
PreP H??Oh my goodness..who would put that out. You know my mom always use to be careful with her "products" around my dad. She was almost "shy" with them...would keep it all hidden. She always said your husband doesn't need to know the in and outs and ugly parts of your routines..some things are a good kept secret in a marriage!
-sandy toe
I am dying to paint my bath cabs black...still trying to convince hubby though. I'll show him your inspiring post, and I know he will change his mind! Keep the coolness coming!
I think the key is putting everything away. I love the look of our bathroom without anything on the counters, beside hand soap. It's fabulous. We also have baskets that I store on built-in shelves. It's fabulous because it doesn't even have to be neat inside. I love the idea of a lamp...
I do use the tricks you've listed. Love the lamp in my bathroom!
We have vitamins in a crystal biscuit barrel. They are handy and pretty.
Oh, don't forget..must have something in the bathroom to make it smell good. I love the plug in oils.
Looks so inviting and beautiful! I love the idea of using non traditional containers to hold bathroom items. Genius!!
Thank you so much for this post! I'm in the middle...well more like the start...of updating my master bath right now, so these are some tips I'll definitely take to heart.
Thanks!
P.S. I'd never heard of "#3" before. You've got some geniuses over there I tell ya :).
I hate dusting more than I love you, Nester. I agree with Kim that having nothing out is best!! Now that I have lots of drawers, I keep as much as possible off the counter. As for the pretty decorative touches, they just seem to need more maintenance. Sorry to be the harsh voice of reason in your tranquil spa!
Your bathroom is beautiful, though. . .
Love your ideas, as usual! I like to use baskets in my bathroom to add a little texture, something usually lacking in an all tile and plastic bath.
Amy!?
Harsh voice of reason? But you are so kind! Not harsh!
I've got an idea--lets put everything away in our entire house so we have NO maintenance! No photos, no arrangements, no books--then we won't have to keep up with anything! he he!
It's just a personal choice--to me, having the pretty is worth the tiny bit of trouble--if it's not to you then don't have it!
Heart you!
Meghan, I'm so with you! Nester, please tell us what do to if we have a bathroom that is MAYBE 5' x 7' on a GOOD day when it stands on it's tiptoes.
I even removed the door (it's the master bathroom) because you couldn't open the door when someone was standing at the sink!
There is not ONE OUNCE of floor space or counter space. My only hope is a spot of wall space above the toilet, but I can't do something decorative-- whatever I hang there has to get down and dirty and really store and hide major stuff.
We have a tiny bathroom as well. I like the idea of hanging the shower curtain high to add the illusion of grandeur. However, I need real ideas for storage when there is none. I may add a skirt beneath the pedestal sink to stow away the nasty plunger and toilet brush but I'm not sure how to engineer it.
Hey, Nestor! This is too cute! Great ideas! And...I love the comment from your boys about #3!(Which my child #2 had yesterday!) Thanks for these ideas! Looking forward to meeting you at She Speaks!
Blessings,
Susan
Great tips-I always wipe mine down daily with clorox wipes as well and big luxerious towels add a special touch too-and use them!
Ohhh-and I forgot-put the seats down aas well-keeps things from falling in and things from spraying up!
Well, I have the smallest bathroom on the planet, so I use lots of baskets and creative concealment. I try to hide everything. Doesn't work all the time because of my boys (one big and one little), but I try.
I love all the tips. I'm in the middle of a bathroom redo, so I appreciate all the ideas!
Thank you. My bathroom is in desperate need of some tlc.
Just what I needed... I've been in a repurposing mood all around my house here lately. Next on the agenda... the bathroom! You have inspired me YET again, though this is my first time to comment. :)
Keep on nesting to the delight of us all!
I have one of those two-tiered thingamajiggies! Now where did I put it??? It's the only item I think I can add to my pint-sized "master" bath.
I love the idea of a lamp to give off the soft light in the bathroom. I also like to dress up our plain mirrors using painted chair rail adhered with liquid nails to frame it. Thanks for your suggestions! I'm new to all this but I love your site!
Number 3...HA! That was great. Your boys have great imaginations.
I'm getting ready to mistreat my shower curtain. A few years ago we painted the bathroom my favorite color, a pretty burgundy red. Ever since then I've wanted to make a shower curtain or valance with red toile, and just found some on sale! I can't wait to get started on it! It will make me happy to go in there...whereas now all I see are the imperfections of a 40 year old house.
So I too didn't want to be a 'wet blanket', but I fall somewhere between having nice clean minimal simplicity, and lots of coolness (decor).
I really struggle with finding the balance. As much as I love the decor., what jumps out at me is the dusting/cleaning factor. Especially the aerosol hairspray coating that gets all over the cool soaps and glass jars and everything.
Am I nuts??
I really do strive for a happy-medium! I guess the key is having the look (whether sparse or lots around) that makes one feel happy and content.
Thanks for the thought-provoking post.
(And any help in the "finding the balance" dept., would be appreciated!).
i brought in twigs from the back yard and put them in a vase. sounds lame but it's cute!
I look forward to reading your post. When I log on and and see that you have posted, my heart skips a beat.
I love the black cabinets in the picture. I have been wanting to paint mine, but I am so scared. I know it will look great, I just need to get over the fear.
Okay.....I think it is time for you to come to my house and do a makeover in all my rooms. Yours look sooo good!
Very creative AND beautiful! You have a lot of interesting ideas!
I need to get working! Wow, I love that 3-tiered thingy. I could just see that between our 2 sinks where it could use some height.
Oh, and leave it to boys to come up with a #3.
Thanks, Nester, for once again giving me some inspiration!
Sheryl
So tranquil. I love the pics. You've inspired me to buy a rug :)
Great post!!! You have given me so many ideas the spruce up my half bath...the master needs to mcuh work for a 10 minute room!!Can't wait for the linky party!
Great post Nester. I love your 10 minute series. I have 4 bathrooms (3 and 1/2 really) and use repurposed containers in all of them. I had a collection of milk glass containers (footed cups, plant pots etc.)collecting dust in the basement and decided to use them in the masterbath to hold make-up brushes, one for hairbrushes and combs, one under the sink with nail care stuff, another for face creams etc. Really tidies it up and makes me smile to be enjoying them now. Still working on sprucing up our masterbedroom after your 10 min. post and looking forward to the next installment.
Tricks in the bathroom?! I'm just excited when my boys flush after they go. I feel like I've accomplished something when I've noticed that this has occurred. Otherwise, they hear me yell, "Are we conducting a science experiment in here!?"
However, in our master bath, I like to dress up our garden tub with a plush pillow and little jars of bath salts. I have a shelf that stretches across with a book and a few candles. Even though I don't get to soak very often, it looks cozy and inviting. Perhaps my boys like it as they come running into OUR bathroom and leave their mark. I'll have to ask them.
I love those ideas. Especialy about the light. Our bathroom at the moment is gutted. No walls, no plumbing, no floor. But as soon as it's functional again i'm going to use these tips to decorate it. THanks!
Love the tips. I like to add small touches and am in the process of adding more art work to my bathroom. I currently have three pictures, all in black or dark silver frames. I want to add a few more, so that it looks like a whole wall of art, not just a few random pieces to hide the previous homeowners nails (which, of course, is what it is!).
My friend had a 1/2 bath that she turned into her little island oasis. She had a cheap print of the beach but made it so cool by finding an old vintage window frame, beat up and all, to frame it perfectly. So it looked like you were actually looking out at the beach. She then added some candles and sea shells. I loved it!
Beautiful. Thanks for the great tips. I am playing catch up, but think that I will start with the bathroom and work my way back.
Great ideas. Mimi
Great tips! My bathroom is one area I have been struggling with in our new house. I want it to feel spa like and I can't seem to get it to work. Your ideas will help with this.
Question for you... You said that you would mistreat a window in the bathroom if you had one. Would you mistreat it even if it was in the shower area? I have been struggling with this because I want to do something, but I don't want to ruin the fabric or have it end up smelly.
LOVE the Watchamacalits!
Beautiful aways Nester! Can you come perk up my home, ten minutes at a time?
the only thing spa-like about my bathroom is the mud. and only the floor is getting regular treatments. so are you saying people don't want to see my five hemorrhoid creams including the prescription? i reveal too much.
I've been wanting to 'spa-up' my bathroom for quite some time. I don't keep anything out on the counter, that's my problem... it's totally bare. It needs prettys like you've shown in your pics. :)
I'm going to take your advice and will hopefully have pics for linky.
Thanks!
You have used so many great ideas! I've picked up several that I am going to do right now. Thanks! Linda
Me again....I'm with you, I like pretty (in spite of neat). I just put a lamp on my dryer in the laundry room...not practical, but very charming - especially with the little light on. Ah....Linda
What tricks do we use in our bathroom? Hmmm, let me go look.
Okay, I'm back. I mean, not that I didn't notice the nice touches that Kim has so painstakingly included, I did, it's just that I forgot.
On inquiry, I'm told we have some rules:
1. No "stuff" left on the counter; this includes shaving cream, razor, toothbrush, and I have to put up my make-up every time. I knew that.
2. Apparantly the tiny blue adirondack chair with the little vase with a hibiscus flower from the yard is not "stuff", this is decorative.
3. In fact, upon closer examination, I've discovered quite a few little decorative items. We have starfish, and photography, and a very nice little basket with a sponge from Tarpon Springs in it. It's really well done!
All the credit has to go to Kim on it though. When I start on it, it will get worse before it gets better!
Tim
Great post! I definitely need to work on my bathrooms. Very good ideas!!!
Jen
Just popping in to tell you how much I love the way you use the tiered stands. That looks so pretty!!
I don't like to have a lot of the *things we use* out either. That kind of stuff goes in the drawers or cabinets in the bathroom. I would never leave toothbrushes out for sanitary reasons. The big soaps, fluffy towels, lamp, a few things go a long way. I like the pretties, but not so many.
Love your no sew window treatment!
tina
tinam61@yahoo.com
I'm with Amy on the dusting. But I definitely have to do SOMETHING about my window treatments (or lack there of)!
Love it. My bathroom is so blah!! Thanks for the inspirations!! I think if I came to your house I'd sit in your bathroom a little too long enjoying it all!!!
Great post!
Fresh flowers- One of my little tricks is to put little vases of fresh flowers in each of the bathrooms.
Such wonderful and pretty ideas for the bath. It makes mine look a little generic. Hugs, Marty
My trick? I lock the door so guests can't see it. :)
I love doing things like this....I'm one to go grab a Waterford crystal dish or bowl and stick my toothbrushes in it and razors. They look much prettier in a nice dish. I know the toothbrushes should kinda be hidden, but my husband ALWAYS leaves them out on the counter and if they can at least make it to the pretty dish....then I'm ok with that.
I love visiting your blog!
My biggest challenge: getting the four males in the family to go *in* the loo and not on the rim or on the floor. Seriously.
Kate
I love your use of the whatchamacallit and thingamajigs. :) I'm going to have to add some to my bathroom.
Hi Nester~
Love your 10 minutes posts! I hung a very long shower curtain over my glass doors, I felt so naked!
Wish I could have met you at Blissdom.
~Misti
I also LOVE all things glass, especially white. But I just love it all, really. lol.
ANd I LOVE your posts. Thanks for linking to that old one, I only found you a few months ago, so I love looking back at some of your older stuff. LOVE it!!
These are all great tips and great photos. I especially love the fabric you attached to your vanity. I totally am going to do that now:)
Can I come use your bathroom?! I love your ideas - simple yet very inviting...
Your bathrooms are gorgeous! I love the plate rack thingy to put stuff on. I just put a small bookshelf in my bathroom with a burlap curtain. It not only hides all my paraphenalia, but adds warmth to my b-room. BTW...i'm doing a giveaway...if you want to put your name in the bucket.
Right now, I've got ZERO secrets! lol. But, I have plans.
This spring, I am going to paint our upstairs cabinet black as the finish is in terrible shape but the cabinets area real wood and nice. Then, we'll probably shell the $ for a new counter top since what we have is outdated faded royal blue. If all goes well, I want to trim out the mirror for a more finished look, make a curtain, find something to put in there for storage (dresser, armoire, something) and hang some form of wall decoration.
I've got boys so we have a Lodge theme. I want to play that up but first, I want to update that cabinet!
And if all goes well, we'll eventually replace the ugly linoleum floor with tile or wood laminates and do the same thing to the identical downstairs bathroom. Upstairs is my "test project" as the Hubs calls it.
I love these posts, Nester!
As for my bathroom, I recently put a chandelier (the candle kind) in mine. I don't use it more than once a year, but it sure makes the room. I'll put a picture of it on my blog later today.
~Heather
I just added a small lamp to use as a nightlight and I love it. I love plants in the bathroom. As many as you can get in there without making it into a jungle.
my bathroom tricks: silver trays w/ apothecray jars filled w/ salts, q-tips, etc...candles, all white towels, tassels, seashells, a chandelier, tiole (of course!) a big "yote" made from pretty chenille fabric remments that hold the dryer, brushes and straightner, crystal candlesticks all lined-up on the edge of the tub...heaven!
You made this bathroom look gorgeous. I don't have a space for a lamp, but I was thinking of putting a chandelier over the spa tub that I have. LOVE the spa idea and the beautiful furry rug on the floor. I think the dark cabinets make the walls pop.
Okay, I am going to hide the crest and look for some pretty things to make my bathroom more attractive. I, as always, am inspired.
I love your ideas and photos. My mom has the neatest "things" in her bathrooms. She has a small frog. And she has a seashell bottom pieces that has sand in it. She gets tons of compliments on that. She also has candles in her bathrooms that she burns when she has guests. It's fun to come "visit" blogs after bloggy carnival when I can take my time and read and comment.
This is inspiring me to do some work on my shower curtain. Mine barely hits the edge of the bathtub. I think I must've shrunk it at some point.
But I'm with all the other girls that have tiny bathrooms. I have nowhere to put all those pretty things! It makes me a little bit sad. :(
As an interior designer, I HAVE to agree with you about the preparation H! There is nothing more embarrassing than seeing someone's "personal" items when they want to show off their house.
Also, my tip... clean. I don't care how "cool" your bathroom is, if you have toothpaste spots all over the mirror and ***ahem*** other noticeably dirty things, your good design is ruined. Sorry to sound like a snob, but its the truth.
I love your ideas, Nester. I am going to finish this comment and find a lamp from another room to put on my bathroom counter!
One of the things I like to do in the bathroom to make it feel just like another room in my home is I like to hang nice art on the wall. If I have the wall space, I like to hang a few nice pictures. Nice pictures just like I would use in my living room or entry way.
It makes the bathroom feel more cozy and warm to me.
Karol :0)
Thanks for all of the great ideas. I think sometimes a bathroom is a hard room...I needed help. I am having a huge giveaway..come on over.
Hey Nester! I absolutely love to stalk your blog! You have the greatest taste and style! I love this makeover series.
Ok, I have two plaid couches, very 90's, but no money to buy new ones or even slipcovers, so I am trying to embrace them. You have some pictures of VERY cute checked and plaid mistreatments/ cushions, pillows, bedskirt, etc. that I would love to put on my blog to show why I am able to embrace the plaidness...would you mind if I used the pictures, giving credit to you and your blog?
I love everything you do! You are so cleaver! I have been stalking your blog for some time now and I love it!
I really want to "pretty up" my bathroom, but I am afraid it's hopeless! It one of those tiny 1950s bathrooms with bright yellow and blue ceramic tiles on every inch of the walls, a blinding yellow laminate vanity that doesn't match the yellow tiles, and an old sink in a completely different "marbled" yellow color. Did I mention NO COUNTERSPACE too? EEK! I don't think there is ANYTHING I can do to that place without some major reconstruction!
Ok girlie, I have an uber-challenge for you that if you can solve this riddle for me I'll kiss you full on the mouth...lol:
How the heck do I mistreat my "in-the-shower" window in my bathroom??? Right now it's got one of those sky-patterned vinyl window clings on it that you get from Home Depot, and that's it! I would give my right leg to be able to hang something pretty in there but with all the water, I simply don't think it's possible. Here's a link to my bathroom to give you an idea of the decor in there (scroll down 'til you see BRIGHT RED!) http://heatherizedhome.blogspot.com/
Please, oh please oh please oh please... HELP!!!!
I love your bathroom! I'm pondering how to implement these ideas in my bathroom.
Your boys are hilarious! My boys just learned the #1 and #2 thing, except they somehow turned it into names for parts of their anatomy.
Hi! I posted about you today! Just wanted to let you know...
Love the bathroom ideas-I have a silver tray sitting out in mine with all kinds of vintage perfume bottles and lotions...I agree-Hide the Crest!
Next to the Master bedroom, the bathroom should be the most relaxing room in the house. Let's face it... It's the only place where I can be alone (and sometimes that doesn't even work) and sit in quite and think. I've often called that little white throne "My Thoughtful Spot." I solve the problems of the day in that room, I get more reading done in that room than I do anywhere else in the house. Girl, I gotta figure out a way to mount a reading lamp over my toilet paper holder. Hmmm.... do you think that will help with the resale value of my house?... I better leave home decorating to the pros..
Oh... forgot to mention... the bathroom is the place where I can lecture my kids on any subject I choose without saying a word. I just hang a quote or put post-its in the medicine cabinet that they'll see every time they reach for a brush.... Reinforcement of parenting lessons in a clever way. I figure after 18 years in my house, they'll walk away remembering a few things without my ever having said them!
Since all my brilliant ideas come to me in the shower, a necessity for me is a notepad and pen in the bathroom. That sounds like a grown up kind of accessory, right?
Great tips!
My daughter and her best friend informed me this summer that #4 is diarrhea, just fyi. ;)
Great post I am going to look for lamp and see if I can work it in, so nice... and the "thing stand" I have one of those but haven't used it in the bathroom,thanks for the advice.
LuLu
Ok, I spiffed up my bathroom and did a post on it. Stop by and take a look if you have a free minute. :-)
~Heather
I am going to work on my bathroom RIGHT NOW!!!! ;) Thanks!
Thanks for the comment Nester! The trick to making sure your strawberries are ripe is to first look for bright red ones and then lift the container up and smell them. It looks kind of funny, but if they smell like sweet berries then the most likely will taste like them too!
I just found your blog and love everything I have read. I put a lamp in my bathroom last night and love it. I want to be in there all the time now as the light is so pretty and it has made the bath so nice. It is amazing what a simple thing did to make the room so nice. I am anxious to try some of the other things you have in my little cottage.
Thanks
Love this!
I found this beautiful hand crocheted cream table cloth at a flea market and I hang it with a shower rod in front of my ugly shower door...It's striking!
~Robin Rane'
~All Things Heart & Home
Remodel Guy should tell us all how to make our lamp cords shorter so they are not so bulky. I had a friend of a friend do this in her bathrooms and it looked great.
Rhoda at Southern Hospitality had a great post on framing out the builder grade mirrors.
Adding hardware to cabinets is also great. And decent light fixtures. Magic Paint Brush had a post where she hung chandeliers from the existing electrical boxes above the mirrors.
http://themagicbrushinc.blogspot.com/2008/12/ava-grace-got-princess-room.html
As for dusting...air compressors work great to gently blow off those arrangements. Just stand back really far from it.
You go girl!
What great ideas! I love the finished bathroom with the black cabinets - fantastic :) And the idea of using the tiered racks for storing lotions and potions... I couldn't have thought of that. Thanks for posting this... now I need to go clean up my bathrooms :)
My little trick is hooks, and lots of them. I have two rows of 4 hooks along one bare wall and it's wonderful for clothing and towels alike.
I also like using things that make you take a second look but add charm. I have an old rickety ladder for my towel bar.
The biggest trick was removing the honkin' big vanity and replacing it with a pedistal sink. I already had a built in closet so I was ok for storage. The pedistal allows so much more visual space and makes the once too squishy room feel like a large dressing room with all those hooks! I love it!
Also, when I replaced my tub, I found the DEEPEST one on the market. People gasp when they see it, wonderful for long hot soaks!
The floors are tile so I have a long thickish rubber backed carpet on the floor that cozies it up loads.
I also came across these lights that run on batteries at Home Depot that resemble flickering candles that mount on a wall. I've been playing with the idea of picking a couple up for when I enjoy those long hot soaks.
And yes, the room still needs plenty of tweeking. I need to get to that one day soon!
My reno blog does show a before and after of the bathroom, however I'll join your linky party when it's up with some added improvements. Time to get creative again!
Donna
I absolutely love your blog! I'm in bible study with Jaye Soss up at Lake Forest and she recently told me about your blog. Thanks for the inspiration! If you don't mind, I'm going to put your little button on my blog and share with my friends!
Thanks- Lyndsey Maldoff
I love love love all of your ideas and am totally stealing them all. Do you mind? I heard that copying is such a great form of flattery! I just painted my cabinets black and love it to death. Thanks for your inspiration!
I recently got a bit of grief from my husband because I hid the toothpaste in a drawer.
That is to true about the lamp. I put one in our bathroom to have more light on the mirror, but I love the whole effect!
Hmm, this post and the more recent post isn't showing me any pictures. It says to upgrade to photobucket pro.
Is this happening to anyone else?
Love that arrangemnet in your bathroom. Did you make it yourself or buy it that way?
I love your bathroom ideas, especially the dessert rack. We have a huge bathroom with a his and her sink so these ideas are very helpful.
ok I'm slow getting to this but I DID IT! thanks for the inspiration
http://alaynascreations.blogspot.com/2009/03/10-minute-room-rescue.html
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