The first time I entered my future master bathroom, I nearly turned around and left. It wasn’t disgusting – far from it. But it sure wasn’t beautiful, either.
Whoever had lived there before us had encased every horizontal surface with shower caddies full of decorative seashell soaps, row upon row of air fresheners, ornamental towel racks that couldn’t actually hold towels if they tried, and worst of all, a massive mirror with some kind of frosted-etching thing going on around the edges. These were just aesthetic touches, mind you. The room was also jam-packed with hot rollers, hairbrushes, hairdryers, shampoo bottles, soap dispensers…the list went on.
Needless to say, the space was visually overwhelming. But what frustrated me even more was that there wasn’t a single thing in there that made me want to stay.
Stepping into this bathroom made me want to speed-dial Drunk Texts Sandra and get out of there as fast as possible.
And that wasn’t okay with me. My master bathroom should be the last place I go when I need to relax. Over the next few months, I gradually decluttered every last stow-away sticky-note holder and dusty bottle half-filled with who-knows-what.
First to go were the guilty pleasures: those dreaded seashell soaps (guilty) and cheap candle votives that threw “spa-inspired lighting” onto every surface (also guilty). Slowly but surely, I peeled away all the junk until I got down to the bare bones: A fairly average size room with flattering natural light and a solid foundation. It just needed to feel a little less claustrophobic.
I honestly wasn’t trying to make a drastic change with the colour. White was my plan all along. Clean.
Easy. Match any decorating style, any time. Then I spotted it while I was thumbing through paint swatches at the hardware store: a warm grey with just enough beige tint to it that it didn’t feel cold or sterile.
Kind of like white paint, but better? ! Our paint man (may he rest in peace) mixed up the sample a tad darker than I had asked for, giving it even more of that creamy beige undertone that made the colour feel almost…stone-like? I almost sent it back and asked him to remix it, but instead I took a half-pound sample jar home with me and slapped it on the wall.
Holy crap. Grab your historians because we’re about to take a walk down Colour-Coat-of-Mortar Lane. That warm greige changed everything about that space.
It’s quiet, but not boring. Chic, but not pretentious. Best of all, it complements every stage of my day.
Cheery and bright when I stumble in bleary-eyed in the morning, crisp and matte when I’m shaving in full frontal preparation for the day, and warm and serene when I’m washing off the day’s stress with an evening bubble bath. Lesson #1: Your bathroom should look good when you first wake up hungry for coffee at 6 AM, and it should still look good when you’re curling your eyelashes at night by naked fluorescent ceiling lights. Photographers and Instagram know-tanks recommend painting your bathroom bold blues and greens because they’ll look ah-maze-ing on social media.
News flash: your bathroom shouldn’t look like aPinterestboard when you’re brushing your teeth. Unless that’s your thing, then…don’t let me stop you. But for the rest of us mortals, opt for neutral paint colours that flatter every time of day.
Or night. Lesson learned when I housesat for a friend and somehow ended up living with that friend’s turquoise powder room for a month. Insta-worthy?
You betcha. Appropriate for applying mascara? Heckz no.
Lesson #2: Pare down. Pare. Down.
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If you’re not using it every day, every hour, every minute of every day? Chuck it. End of story.
Does your kid beat you to the bathroom every morning to brush his electric toothbrush? Keep it. Do you only use your gorgeous quartz countertop soap dispenser because it matches the room, but the tiny opening makes it nearly impossible to fill up with soap without soap everywhere?
Toss it and find one that works. Committed to your skincare routine but can’t remember the last time you touched your essential oil diffuser? Out with it.
Aside from getting that mud-flap-covered mirror out of my life, there are three texture upgrades I won’t live without: towels. Good towels. Think hotel-quality towels that don’t feel like they weigh five pounds when they’re sopping wet.
A bath mat that actually grips the floor (ahem, don’t slide around like nobody’s business) but doesn’t scream“I stay at Hilton Hotels®” and white shower curtains that I can toss in the washing machine when necessary. The towels were the splurge here, but I don’t mind because I use them daily. There’s nothing quite as motivating to rush out the door as stepping out of the shower and wrapping yourself in a dry towel.
Lesson #3: Lighting, lighting, lighting. One of the very first things I swapped out was the harsh lighting mounted above my sink. Bye-bye boob lights.
Not only did those puppies give me forehead wrinkles when I looked in the mirror, but they were also mounted too low, which cast shadows everywhere. Instead, I opted for simple wall sconces on either side of my mirror that offer way more ambient lighting for – you know – actual human tasks like shaving legs and plucking brows. Another illumination takeaway?
Options are nice. I added a small floor lamp on my counter (waterproof bottom, of course) that offers more ambient light when I’m soaking in the tub at night. Low lighting can be lovely in the bathroom, but only when you want it.
I also love turning on that lamp and shutting off the larger vanity lights for some mood lighting. Bottom line: If you can install dimmers or multiple light sources, do it. Lesson #4: Storage is sexy…when done right.
My bathroom is on the smaller side, which means countertop storage is limited. To work around this, I opted for horizontal floating shelves mounted high enough on the wall that they don’t get in the way when I’m washing my face, but low enough that I can still reach my everyday must-haves. I also keep only pretty things on display: Nice hand creams, a faux plant that doesn’t mind humidity, and exactly one candle when I’m feeling extra fancy.
My final word-to-the-wise?
Mirrors are magical. That shimmery monstrosity hiding above my sink wasn’t doing me any favours.
It took up too much space on the wall and distracted from the beautiful greige walls behind it. Instead, I replaced it with a simple rounded mirror with absolutely zero bells and whistles getting in the way. It reflects more light around the room (another win!) and actually allows me to see what I look like in the mornings. #Science.
The before and after pics don’t fully do it justice, but this bathroom feels like a million bucks without breaking the bank. Sure, I spent money on paint, a few luxe towels, and some upgraded lighting. But for the most part, I kept the renovations simple by decluttering junk, rearranging a few things I already had on-hand, and investing in only a couple of decorative items that I truly love.
I didn’t rip out the tile or re-caulk the tub like some people I know…I promise this stuff works! Moral of the story: If you focus on a few spaces that really matter and edit your junk, you’d be shocked at how little you actually have to spend to make a huge impact. Not gonna lie, everyone comments on how relaxing my bathroom looks/feels when they visit.
And hey…that’s my goal exactly!
