Boring bathrooms are common in most homes. And that’s a shame. After all, it’s a room we all spend time in every day – and so do our guests.
Not only is it fun to bring life into rooms that most people neglect, but I would argue there is no easier room to decorate in your home.
So here are 5 quick and easy ways you can make your bathroom a more inviting part of your home.

1. Paint a Wall

Bathrooms provide an opportunity to add colour unlike any other room. My own bathrooms have more colour than most other rooms in the house. If you have a clean, neutral background like many bathrooms do, consider a coat of paint – bathrooms are small and so quick to paint.

2. Towels & Matts

You can quickly brighten things up with colourful towels, and bathmats, or a new shower curtain if you have one.  There is something amazing about big fluffy towels and nice floor matts. Spend a little more than you normally would considering they do triple duty – they are practical (we need them to dry off), comfy (good ones are a luxurious experience and make us feel good), and they also are part of the decoration (nice ones really add to a room).  So toss out the old towels and washcloths and have fun replacing them with new, colourful, fluffy ones.  You’ll appreciate this every time you walk in the bathroom – and especially when you get out of the bath or shower.

3. Interesting Prints

So many people put boring prints in their bathroom. (If you have kittens in a basket on your walls, go right now and take them down!) Instead, choose an interesting or fun theme for your bathroom. Just go to a mounted art store and choose quality and unique prints that stand out. (If you’re not good with colours or art, take a photo of your bathroom on your phone and bring that to the art store and show it to the clerk.) One of my bathrooms has images by famous contemporary Canadian artist Angelina Wrona. They’re a little unnerving at first (see one inset here), but like me, most people fall in love with them and they certainly draw comments.

4. Interesting Mirrors

All bathrooms have mirrors.  Most have boring mirrors. Be bold – find mirrors in interesting styles or shapes and use them in appropriate locations to bring new character to your bathroom. One of the walls in my bathroom has a 14-inch wide section that pushes out.  I found a tall mirror that fits this space perfectly and looks like it was made for the space.

5. Toss & Tidy

Now that your bathroom has more to look at, you need to recede the clutter. Bathrooms become repositories for all sorts of things – lotions, sprays, soaps, candles, cleaning materials, medicines, shaving materials, bandaids and wraps, disinfectants, and on and on. If these things aren’t properly stored, they are taking over your bathroom.  If you tend to leave too many of these out, decide to stop. Or if you just have too many either toss some out or find a better storage solution so your bathroom can be seen for whatever you want it to be instead of as a repository for future recyclables. Also, get rid of any small knickknacks as you decorate with larger items and colour. Small items make the bathroom look busy and cluttered. The look you want is relaxed and open.
Trust me, just follow a couple of these steps (2 and 3 are the easiest and my favourites!) and you’ll be seeing your bathroom as an enjoyable, fresh and lively experience – instead of just a drab functional room.