Living in an older home, I have a long list of improvements I'd like to make to the bathroom (better water pressure, larger bathtub, separate rain-shower) - in short, I'd like more of an at home spa atmosphere.
I was happy to see Sarah Richardson's recent article in the Globe and Mail, about turning your bathroom into a personal spa. She discusses renovations and design elements that would significantly change a bathroom. Among her suggestions for a renovation: a free-standing bathtub, classic white ceramic subway tile with accents and a personalized vanity.
Since this type of serious bathroom renovation is not an option for renters or those of us who don't want the mess, expense and hassle, I've come up with a list of smaller ways to make any bath more spa-like.
• have a nice selection of candles, bath salts and soaps
• add lighting, especially around the mirror for makeup application
• add a plant or flowers
• use a bathtub shelf to hold candles, reading material (if you like reading in the tub) and bath salts
• see more ideas from 11 Luxurious Touches to Add to Your Rental Bathroom
MORE SPA-LIKE BATHROOMS ON APARTMENT THERAPY:
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• 10 Luxurious Soaking Tubs
(Image: Rachael Grad/Mazen's Tailored Toronto Townhouse)
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Those sound great, but zero would work in my crummy bathroom! But I can dream about my next place....
Yeah, nothing here is possible for me since I have 1) no surface space, 2) inaccessible outlets, 3) no windows to keep a plant alive, 4) a gross bathtub that is only used as a shower, and 5) no room to add anything. Continue the countdown to move-out day...
This would be great if my tiny bathroom weren't the only place the cat box fit. There's nothing less day spa-y than cat litter (even if it is clean).
I recently took over our downstairs bathroom because it has better water pressure than the upstairs. I have a bamboo bathmat, a small plant, and a candle on the toilet tank. On the wall there's an art piece of a peacock made entirely out of colored shells from a small Mexican fishing village where my mother-in-law grew up.
I also just added 2 tiny shelves above the sink where I have some soaps, a candle and some seashells.
It's tiny and only has a corner shower, a tan toilet and a tan pedestal sink, but it turned out pretty spa-like!
We did a lot of the above suggestions in our own bathroom.
One other thing that made a HUGE difference in making our bathroom feel more luxurious was buying containers and trays etc for everything: Nice decanter for mouth wash, nice shot glasses for dispensing the mouth wash, glass jars for floss pics, q tips etc. A shelf mounted just above the outlet for the electric tooth brush and shaver with a nice tray for each. Giving each of these things a nice spot keeps everything organized and neat, and also eliminates a lot of the visual clutter of logos and packaging.
Things like deodorant, hair products, toothpaste etc that are difficult to decant are kept in a very convenient back of the cabinet door organizer.
At first i thought it would be hard to keep up but really it only takes a few extra minutes every month to throw everything in the dishwasher for a clean and top everything off. I think it evens out as the improved organization makes cleaning the bathroom a breeze.
I have no windows in my bathroom so I don't keep plants in there. But I do have candles galore. I love a nice relaxing bubble bath by candlelight.
Hmmm. I have a plant that would probably do alright in the bathroom. Maybe I need to get a shelf or something for it to rest on...
Luv this one,,,
My rental bathroom is smaller than an office cubicle. I keep it very clean, with as little plastic as possible (I come from a family that wrapped itself in saran wrap and clear plastic drawers) and all-white towels with soft yellow light to brighten it up. I'd like to think I do a pretty good job.
Even without window: Buy two or three plants and place one there for only one day. Then bring it back to a nice window. It will forgive you. Also: Same colour scheme for towels, candles, bathroom accessories like soap dispenser etc. gives the room a more calming atmosphere. If you don´t have the space: Remove everything that doesn´t has to stay there. I keep towels in a dresser in my bedroom and my make up on top of it. Find a wall to hang a piece of art, something with shells or similar or, if it has to be paper, make sure it is sealed with foil.