I Never Thought a $37 Upgrade Could Make My Bathroom Look Like This

If you set foot in my apartment, you’ll notice one common thread throughout every single room — living room, kitchen, bedroom, and even bathroom. No, I haven’t used just one paint color or type of flooring, as you might be thinking. Instead, I’ve installed the same decorative ceiling medallion in each of these spaces.

Going for around $37 on Amazon right now, this quick-ship urethane ceiling medallion, which I’ve written about using in my living room before, has been a favorite of mine for years. My apartment didn’t have much architectural character when I moved in four-and-a-half years ago, so I’ve since been hard at work making it appear more custom. This medallion’s ornate look has worked wonders in helping me do exactly that. It’s the type of thing that would be pre-existing in a storied Parisian or old New York space. 

I’m always getting compliments from friends on how the medallions look, and they didn’t break the bank either. You can choose from a slew of colors and designs, but I went for classic white with a vaguely acanthus leaf motif and have stuck with it throughout my apartment for continuity. These medallions are great, too, because if you choose the primed white option like I did, it can be painted to match whatever your existing ceiling color is (or what you paint it some day). 

Since my bathroom features a single recessed light, installing a pendant or chandelier sadly wasn’t in the cards. Like many design enthusiasts, I’m not crazy about the look of recessed lighting. But I also live in a NYC rental, and there’s only so much I can alter about my space. So I had a literal light bulb moment: I decided to add a medallion over the recessed light to camouflage it a bit — and tie the room back to the other spaces within my apartment. While I’d never seen a ceiling medallion used without an actual light fixture, I’m all for taking a calculated design risk every now and then. So I figured why not? 

The medallion is easy to mount to the ceiling with adhesive, and I’ve had no problem with it or any of the other ones in my home loosening over time. If you ask me, this simple trick, which took all of a few miniatures and cost less than $40, really does bring some charm into my tiny bathroom.

Not only does it fool the eye — and almost make you think that I have an overhead flushmount versus an ugly recessed light —  it makes the space look less industrial and generic. Sure, this solution may be kind of a quirky design decision, but it’s one that brings me joy, which is all that really matters!