Design Direction

November 11, 2009 · Posted in Bathroom design ideas, Design Direction

Do you have a challenging space or need some design guidance? Design Direction is a chance for you to submit photos or videos of your design challenge(s) and a Vastu interior designer will provide you with some help. Every Wednesday we will feature one reader’s submission.

“I have gotten quite a bit accomplished in my place, but I’ve still got this bathroom left. I’m not sure what to do about color and décor because it’s a bathroom used by guests and my children. Any advice on how to quickly make this bathroom better (trying to complete this project before Thanksgiving)? Any help would be greatly appreciated.”

Sarita says…

A bathroom shared by guests and kids…this is a tricky one! Don’t worry; I think there are some quick fixes you can make before Thanksgiving to spruce up this double-duty bathroom!

First, add some color to the walls with a hue that is neutral enough to please a lot of people but has enough color to not be boring for the children. I think that green is a great color for this situation; it isn’t gender specific (I don’t know if you have boys or girls) and many shades of green are neutral enough to work with many other colors. Two of my favorites are Benjamin Moore “Chameleon” and “Sweet Caroline.” Of course, I think that you should consider the color palette of the rest of your home when choosing the color for this bathroom. So, if green doesn’t work, there are other options (yellow is a good one) that may work.

Second, since the sink area is pretty small in this bathroom, I think that you could use an additional surface area for decorative accessories like candles, soaps, or even flowers for guests. There seems to be space on the left-hand wall as you enter the space for a small bathroom shelf. There are so many different styles of free-standing bathroom shelves available! Do a little hunting and find something that fits in that space; then fill it with some new guest towels, pretty soaps and decorative accessories. Make the sole purpose of this new shelf to store items and accessories for guests; then use the under-sink cabinet for storing your children’s bathroom items and toiletries out of sight when you have visitors.

Third, add some color and beauty with a few small pieces of art (above one or both of the towel racks) and maybe a new shower curtain with a fun pattern and you will have a beautiful new bathroom to show off to your Thanksgiving guests!