Is your bathroom lacking personality but being ignored? You know one day you’ll gut the whole thing & make it just the way you want, Right? But meanwhile, today, the only day that really matters, there is nothing about it that makes you smile or sing in the shower, like you should.

No one wants to see a frowning face in the mirror…

But, what if? What if I told you you, by simply pulling your bathroom all together you could be smiling from ear to ear & belting out your favorite Adele song next week. Does that sound appealing?

Follow me…

I’ve never shared this before, but I will now. I got my start as a junior interior designer in our family business when I was in 6th grade. Yeah, that was a long time ago. Actually it was in the 60’s. When mid-century modern was just the way we decorated. But regardless of style, my Father, the designer in our home, taught me way more than I ever learned in school.

One of our family businesses was a high end bath boutique. Seriously we had 24 karat gold plated waste paper baskets that sold for $250 EACH… in the 60’s. Towels were $20 for a Fieldcrest velour bath towel, yes, just 1. There were oodles of items to coordinate.

Our first store was located in a brand new community in the Northwest Suburbs of Chicago. We were surrounded by subdivisions that had basic ranch style homes that crammed in families of 7 plus. The bathrooms were as basic as they could be. The early generation of the builders choice bathroom…basic & boring. Considering the homes started at $14,000, (no I’m not missing a 0) we were fortunate to have 2 fully functional bathrooms per household.

But welcome to The Golden Dolphin, where we were ready to add more personality to your bathroom than a custom built home in Beverly Hills.

As for me, I learned the art of pulling a bathroom all together at a very young age. Customers would happily spend $500 for a bathroom & be back for the other bathroom as soon as it was in their budget again.

Sadly our stores phased out in the 80’s when department stores decided to beef up their bath departments & squeezed us out. But the fact is that I am very passionate about bathroom decor.

My goal is to make as many people as I can as passionate about their bathrooms as I am.

So, let’s get started…

I promise to make this simple. No major cash outlay & no major mess. But it is best to start with a freshly cleaned bathroom. So if you haven’t already be sure to read my earlier blogpost, Maintaining a Clean Home Environment.

1.Start with something to inspire the look

In my experience there are two ways that work well to propel you forward quickly. The first & easiest to work with is selecting a shower curtain with personality & color. Back in the days of our family business, The Golden Dolphin, once we selected the shower curtain we were able to pull the bathroom together within an hour. Everything else just fell into place, including a fresh & fun paint color.

However, if you have shower doors or just prefer the look of a clean white shower curtain my fallback plan is to select a fun & colorful wallpaper. For more on selecting wallpaper be sure to check out my earlier blogpost, How to Select the Best Wallpaper for Your Home. Wallpaper can pull the look together very quickly too. The same components are there but you’ll have the extra process of hanging the wallpaper. That’s a bit harder than hanging a shower curtain. If you are experienced at hanging wallpaper, have fun. If this is going to be your first attempt, I suggest you hire someone. The bathroom is the hardest room of them all because of all the fixtures you have to work around.

2. Next are the accessories

Now that you have your inspiration, it’s time to select the accessories. These are the pieces that will really work for pulling the bathroom all together. The wastebasket, the tissue holder, the toothbrush holder & soap dish or soap dispenser. Although the days of bath boutiques like The Golden Dolphin no longer exist you will find success in places like Bed, Bath & Beyond & The Container Store. They seem to be up to date with the current trends & have a nice variety to choose from.

Some other accessories that are nice to add are a vase for fresh flowers & a tray for perfume & everyday jewelry.

If your inspiration piece (shower curtain or wallpaper) has enough color you can go with more neutral accessories like white or silver. If your inspiration is neutral then step it up on the accessories with a pretty spa blue or satin gold. Something needs to POP!

3. Towels

Fresh towels can do wonders for the look of your bathroom. Back in the days of The Golden Dolphin we always chose 3 colors. 2 colors & 1 neutral. I still like this rule because it is very pleasing. However, another way to go about it is choosing one color for each person who uses the bathroom. My Mom came up with this approach & it worked well for keeping everyone accountable for keeping their towel off the floor and on the hook or towel bar. This approach can be very fun if you have a colorful fish or botanical theme with a multiple colors to inspire the palette.

It’s worth spending a little extra money on towels that are soft & fluffy & that will wash up nicely. The Company Store & Macys are where I like to shop for towels.

4. Fixed accessories

Towel Bars, towel rings, hooks & a toilet paper holder fall into this category. This might seem like a frivolous purchase if you have something that does the job. However, if you’re living with the builder basics it’s time to upgrade. This is a place to add a little extra detail & style for a polished look. One of the lines I really like is Gatco. Many retailers sell their products. They have a great product for an excellent price. I’ve never been disappointed & neither have my clients.

Faucets & Vanity lights are other items that can be switched out fairly easily without breaking the bank. A good handyman can install both. This isn’t a must for pulling your bathroom all together. You can still have a pleasing effect working with what you currently have. It’s just another way to enhance the look.

Cabinet Hardware is another place to add or upgrade the details of your bathroom. Coordinate the finish with your faucet & light fixture. Go for something sleek & simple that is easy to grab but has some details to it.

A new mirror or adding a frame to your frameless mirror does wonders to elevate the look of your bathroom. MirrorMates is a great line to check out for adding frames.

5. Fresh Flowers & Plants

Last but not least, adding fresh plants or flowers will do wonders for pulling your bathroom all together & adding a cheerful, happy feel to your morning routine.

Stargazer Lilies are one of my favorites. They last long & add a beautiful fragrance to the room. Just be careful of the “pistil,” the center tip. It sheds easily & if you rub up against it it will stain. Some floral designers recommend that you clip them out before putting them in the vase.

My favorite plants for bathrooms are African Violets & Orchids. They both last a long time with minimal care & thrive in the humidity.

Plants can breath new life into your bathroom.

I look forward to your questions & comments below & hope you “like” this blogpost.

For anyone that becomes an insider you will receive my FREE pull it all together checklist. a checklist for 4 key rooms.

If you need more direction on getting started consider my Local or Online Design Services! My new Online Design Package Pull It All Together might be the perfect package for you. I’m here to guide you!