Small Ideas That Make A Splash

A small bathroom is the perfect place to have a little decorating fun. Here are a few quick and easy ways to perk up its personality.

Tip-10_4041
  • Make a fun DIY towel rod with materials from a hardware store. Shop for rope for a casual, coastal feel; plumbing pipes and fittings for industrial-chic fun; or wire cable for a modern look.
  • Create a focal-point wall with paint. Cover three walls in a saturated color with a flat finish. Then paint one wall—a vanity wall or a tub niche, for instance—in a glossy finish of the same paint color. Or go a shade or two brighter for more contrast. For more texture, create a striated effect by first painting the wall in the flat color. Next, paint a topcoat in the glossy finish. To make a pattern, cut out notches in a squeegee’s rubber edge. Before the paint dries, drag the squeegee through it, starting at ceiling height and working down to the floor.
  • Use a shower curtain for more than showering. A far cry from the stiff, plastic models of the past, shower curtains are now available in a host of patterns and colors. Plus, polyester types are waterproof, and they drape softly. Use the affordable fabric as a window treatment by cutting and hemming it to fit your window. Or update a dreary sink vanity by removing cupboard doors and replacing them with soft folds of fabric. You can also resize a curtain into a skirt for a pedestal sink to hide plumbing or create a hidden storage area.