Decorating Bathrooms

Decoration must take a back seat to design when it comes to the bathroom - one of the most important rooms in the house, and the most dangerous room to navigate for the elderly or mobility impaired.

There are three elements in a Western full bathroom that will always be there - the sink, the bathtub and the toilet.

I specify that you'll find these in Western bathrooms because Eastern bathrooms are designed differently. The Japanese, for example, would never place the toilet in the same room with the bath. They also don't bathe in the bath itself. The bath is used for relaxation at the end of a long day - one showers off any dirt and grime before climbing into the nice hot bath for a long soak. The Japanese also don't waste money keeping their household water hot at all times, on the off-chance it's needed. Rather, they heat their water on-demand, possessing all kinds of technological marvels that heat the water quite quickly, and to precisely the desired technology.

But let's get back to the Western bathroom.

As the smallest room in the house, the bathroom has to have both form and function. The easiest way to decorate the bathroom attractively is to have matching bath towels and washcloths. If the walls are painted the same shade as the towels, that's an added bonus.

Most accidents in the home take place in the bathroom, as the tub and the floor can become quite slippery on occasion. Prevention is better than cure, as the old cliche has it, so make sure you have some non-slip strips in the bathtub - and make sure you purchase the highest quality that are easy to clean and don't get stained.

Non-skid rugs in front of the tub should also be considered - if they are in the same shade as the towels, the washcloths and the walls, then you're really in business!