This is a repost from February 2009, the third post in a series where we are exploring all sorts of quick and easy ways to spruce up your home. The idea is to focus on a few things that you can change right now to make the room just a little more inviting. Check out Parts 1 and 2, Family Rooms and Master Bedrooms. At the end of the series we will have a Mr. Linky party so you can show us any changes you have made; so don’t forget to take some photos! As usual, all the photos in this post were taken by me in my own houses over the last few years. Hope it’s not too confusing.

Ahh, the bathroom. It’s so much more than the place to do your business of number 1, 2, or 3 {my boys informed me that number 3 is vomiting–geniuses they are}. Yes, your bathroom is the place where you make yourself beautiful and take a nice hot shower to get rejuvenated and long soak to relax.

Have you noticed the bathrooms in nice hotels and spas? They are soothing, relaxing and luxurious. How do they get that feel? I have the boringest, drabbest, builderest beige-y-est bathroom around. But, it finally feels grown up. Here’s how I did it:

1. Hide the Crest. Have you ever walked through a nice house for sale and then you go in the bathroom and see their cruddy toothpaste and toothbrush, Head and Shoulders, Preparation H and nail polish remover all sitting out “neatly” on the counter? That does not say spa. I put our toothpaste in a dish and simply put all our weird bodily products under the sink in baskets.

2. Fabric. Bring fabric in with a no sew shower curtain. I hang it high and that makes a huge difference and somehow makes the room feel bigger. If I had a window I’d mistreat that and I always have a rug to keep our toes warm on cold winter mornings.

3. Something pretty. I’ve moved this arrangement from room to room but it works best in the bathroom. It’s thin and takes up little room but has a huge impact. I was shocked at how grown up and finished the bathroom looked after I simply added in this piece.

4. Spa it up. I love getting gifts of big fat soaps and pretty packaged lotions and potions. Instead of hiding them I load them up on on this whatchamacallit. I’m not afraid to use this stuff and I’ve been known to fill up an empty pretty container with stuff from an ugly container. Sounds like trouble but it really does make a difference!

5. Lighting. See if you can somehow work a lamp into your bathroom. The soft filtered light is so welcoming. I hide the cord behind that two tiered watchamacallit and we use the light as a nightlight.

Read Part 4:: Kitchens

What tricks do you use in your bathroom?

This is a repost of a series from February 2009 it’s good enough to read again, but oh how our room has changed– some of these photos are from years ago, the toile duvet is gone, lots of the pillows are gone and I’m in the middle of revamping it…I actually need to apply these [...]